Before Christian Science came into my life, existence held for me little of happiness. Everything seemed so objectless and futile, and the seeming preponderance of evil over good presented a problem utterly disheartening and depressing, because apparently insoluble. To me agnosticism seemed the only rational attitude. One day a very dear friend, who had been wonderfully healed in Christian Science when all else had failed, explained something of the law of right thinking so clearly that I was enabled to see that Christian Science does furnish a definite, sure, and practical way of escape from all trouble. Afterwards something was glimpsed of the impersonal nature of error, and this lifted from me all hatred of persons and awakened a desire to be of more use to my fellow man. I was convinced that Christian Science was the truth, but although this brought much comfort there was still not much of joy in my life. Then one day came a Sentinel containing an article showing the absolute necessity, in self-protection as well as in justice to others, for intelligent obedience every day to Sections 1, 4, and 6 of Article VIII of the Manual. From that day slowly but surely the clouds began to lighten, and although problems continue to come up for solution, I have experienced something of the "joy no man taketh from you."
Our home has been wonderfully protected in every way during the past six years, and when, on a very few occasions, sickness has attempted to manifest itself it has been speedily ruled out by Christian Science. Sometimes it has been necessary to call upon other students for help, and the need has always been met. Time and again when epidemics of so-called contagious and infectious diseases of childhood have been raging round our home, our two boys have been fully exempt, although they have in some . instances played with children afterwards found to have been affected at the time.
Sometime ago our eldest boy, who was then about two years old, had been ailing for about two days. Help had been asked in Science, but there had been little or no improvement and the little chap commenced to cry most piteously. My wife and I were both full of fear. Then I rose in rebellion. "Why," the question presented itself, "should that pure little fellow suffer like that?" It was horribly unjust and wrong. It was not God's will, for God's law was the unchangeable law of perfection, peace, health, and harmony to all His ideas; therefore, as the child was under the operation of this law only, I vehemently demanded his freedom instantaneously. The crying ceased and from that moment there was peace. The next day the boy was well.
