It is with joy and gratitude that I testify to what Christian Science has done for me. I was an extremely nervous child, so much so that I was unable to attend the public schools; and as this was considered an evidence of ill health, I was almost constantly under the care of a physician. As I grew older, these conditions did not abate, and I bade fair to become a nervous if not a physical wreck. I was very much depressed much of the time, and was always crossing bridges before I got to them.
Finally, about five years ago, I met with a bereavement in my family; and I soon found that the only human prop on which I had to lean was gone. I struggled along for about six months; and then one Sunday I went to the Christian Science church, not because I wanted to, but because I had just about got to the end of my mental endurance. It all seemed very strange to me, and I cannot honestly say that I liked it, for I did not; but I continued to go, and began to read the literature as well as I could. I had simply been pushed against the wall so hard that I did not know which way to turn. For a long time I had very little faith; but I had seen the remarkable healing of a friend who had been in a nervous condition, and the hope that I too could be relieved kept me going. It has always seemed to me that my healing has been very slow; but I have come to see wherein I have cause to be grateful that it has been so, because I have had to study constantly to get help, with the result that I have a better understanding of the truth.
Six months ago I lost another member of my family; and I am more than grateful for the manner in which I have been able to go through a trying situation. I have had no depression or discouragement; and though I am much alone, I never know what it means to be lonely. The various mesmerisms attendant on the passing away of a member of a household, and to which humanity is commonly subjected, have not troubled me; and I have been enabled to take up added responsibilities and to accustom myself to many changes very easily. One especially beautiful thing which has come to me since turning to Christian Science is the wonderful love I have had manifested to me by every one, both in and out of the church. Instead of being estranged from my old friends, they seem to feel more kindly than ever, which proves to me that if we can only reflect love we will receive love in return.
