Christian science was first presented to me in 1908, by a friend who had received a most wonderful healing, she having sent me some literature which I read and became much interested in. I secured a copy of the text-book, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, and read it carefully, but without really understanding it. Then I read it a second time, but did not seem to get anything from it except the one thought that God is Love, and that I was His child. While I did not understand the book, yet I could not let it alone. So I took it up again, determined to read slowly and thoughtfully to see if I could gather anything from it. This time the first two chapters seemed beautiful to me, and such a hungering for the Bible came as I had never experienced before. I turned to it to see if what I had been reading in Science and Health was the truth, but hardly knew which to read first, or which to read more, for the food I received there was so new and inspiring.
I had been a great sufferer, both mentally and physically, for many years. Among other ills there was an affection of the bowels which had become chronic, also stomach trouble, extreme nervousness and sleeplessness, while intense headaches sometimes lasted for days. I had received the best of medical treatment and was a slave to drugs, but each year found me worse than the one before, until the mental depression and despondency was terrible. The way was so dark life seemed not worth the living; and as I thought death would be a deliverer, I often longed for it.
As I read Science and Health many beautiful thoughts were unfolded to me, and hope was awakened that if this truth was doing so much for others it could do something for me. I began to realize that God did not send the suffering, but that through divine Love it could be dispelled. One day, while earnestly thinking on the command, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me," I determined never to take a drug again, and accordingly threw all my medicines away. I had very little understanding of the truth then, but trusted in God's care. In a few weeks the bowel difficulty was overcome and my food was better digested, so that in a little while I ate anything I wanted. Later the headaches vanished, as well as the many other ailments.
