About ten years ago I was in the grip of so-called incurable disease, and had another serious ailment for which I had been operated upon twice, but with no lasting benefit; in fact the condition was rapidly growing more serious, and the faithful physician could give me no hope of a permanent cure. I was on the verge of undergoing a third operation when a friend asked me why I did not try Christian Science, since so little hope was held out to me by the medical profession. I laughed at this, saying it was absurd to think that Christian Science could help an organic condition. My friend very patiently explained that Christian Science could heal organic as well as nervous troubles, but I was insistent that it could not help me.
Some days after this conversation a great sorrow came into my life. This, together with my physical condition, completely prostrated me, and for days I was confined to my bed. The utter hopelessness and despondency of those days are unutterable. I gave up completely, and seriously contemplated ending the whole thing, as I was very young and all that the future seemed to offer me was sickness and sorrow. In utter despair I called on God for guidance, and truly "man's extremity is God's opportunity," for I arose from my bed and went to the telephone to ask a friend to locate a Christian Science practitioner and send her to me at once.
The practitioner came, and remained with me for an hour or so. When she left she advised me to get the Christian Science textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," and read it, saying she would continue to help me for a few days. That night I dressed and went downstairs to dinner. Something had happened to me, for I now had hope, and felt within myself an indescribable conviction that I had found the true solution of life's problems. I made up my mind to give every spare moment to the study of Christian Science, in order to gain an understanding of its Principle and thus prove whether my convictions were correct.
