I did not come to Christian Science primarily for healing from sickness, but because I was discontented and unhappy and an orthodox creed had failed to satisfy me. I was at that time (and as far as I remember always had been) a prey to mental depression and a violent temper. If Christian Science had done no more for me than to relieve the one and tame the other, it would have been of inestimable benefit; but it has done far more. All my human experience is gradually coming under its harmonizing influence. A false sense of loneliness, which at one time burdened me, gave way as the human clinging to personal friends began to disappear before a better understanding of Truth. A truer sense of daily tasks also enables me to perform them not only more efficiently, but more easily. My work sometimes necessitates my being on duty at half past four in the morning and again at half past ten at night, with a good many hours of hard work between. In former days this work was carried on under the smart of irritability and weariness; now it is performed with equanimity and very little fatigue.
Though I did not come to Christian Science for physical healing, I have been healed of a painful internal trouble, which is believed dangerous, and also of a severely poisoned foot. These two demonstrations were made through the faithful work of a practitioner. Minor ailments have also been healed.
Often during my daily tasks I have been protected from injury by the power of Truth. One of my duties is to look after a steam boiler. One day the glass tube which indicates the amount of water in the boiler broke, followed by a rush of steam and boiling water. In a moment it was impossible to see across the boiler house on account of the escaping steam. It was necessary that the leak should be stopped, and this could be done by closing two valves; but as they are situated one at each end of the broken tube, material sense claimed that I should be badly burned in trying to close them. At first I was afraid to try. Then I saw clearly that it was my duty to do what was necessary, because I was the one in charge; and I remembered that Mrs. Eddy says in "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" (p. 385), "Whatever it is your duty to do, you can do without harm to yourself." Immediately fear vanished; I saw that there was nothing which could harm me. Though the boiling water was running over my hand during the time it took to close the valves, I was not burned at all, and felt no pain. I should mention that I was not wearing gloves or anything else for protection.
