It is with a heart filled with the deepest gratitude that I take this opportunity to write a few lines in appreciation of the good I have received from reading testimonies as given in the Sentinel and Journal. At the time I became interested in Christian Science, I had not been in a church for twelve years, because I had come to the conclusion that it made no difference how much I prayed, my prayers were never answered; therefore I quit going to church and finally got as bad as the worst of them. There had been cases of lung trouble in our family and fear of it had hit me rather hard so that I coughed night and day almost continuously, although I took every kind of medicine that was recommended to me.
A friend finally asked me why I did not try Christian Science, so I called on a practitioner. When he began to tell me what Science was I said I did not care what it taught, but wanted to know whether it was possible for me to be healed, and if so I wished to take treatment at once and would be honest and do whatever was asked of me; then if any benefit was received, Christian Science would be given the credit. He said that was all they asked, and gave me a treatment at once. I borrowed a copy of Science and Health to read and arranged for one week's treatment. At the end of that time I had stopped coughing and felt very much better, but decided to have another week's treatment in order to make sure of being rid of the cough. I told the practitioner that I drank a good deal of liquor and used a lot of tobacco but did not wish to give them up as they were a good deal of comfort to me. Well, at the end of the second week's treatment I went home from my work and actually forgot to take my regular three big drinks of liquor and have never taken any since, and the tobacco habit also left me, never to return. By that time I saw what Christian Science really is, and began to study, and the more I studied the clearer it became to me that Christian Science was what I wanted, and the belief of pleasure in the senses vanished.
It has been twenty-six years since I was healed of the lung disease and it has never troubled me since, and I do so enjoy reading the testimonies, as they help me wonderfully. I do not know what I should do at the present time without Christian Science. I became a member of The Mother Church in 1894 and also of our local society here. I find since becoming a member of the Christian Science church that there is no limit to the good we can do if only we hold to Principle. Hardly a day passes but what I thank God that Mrs. Eddy was good and pure enough to give Christian Science to the world.— Lisbon, N. H.
