It is about eleven years since I attended my first Christian Science service. I did not come to Christian Science for healing. A friend left some Christian Science pamphlets in my room, and I read them and became interested in the subject before realizing" what I was reading, for I had been brought up with a prejudice against Mrs. Eddy and her teaching. I was living in a small town where there was no Congregational church,—of which denomination I was at that time a member,—and when my friend asked me if I would like to go to church with her, I gladly consented. There was so much love expressed by the members of that little society that I continued to attend the services even after my friend went away.
Although I early purchased a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, through the advice of my friend, and read parts of it and read sections of the Lesson-Sermons in the Christian Science Quarterly more or less regularly, I understood very little of what I read. I did enjoy the testimonies given in the Wednesday evening meetings, however, and those printed in the periodicals, and through them I was convinced that Christian Science is the truth. Gradually, as I continued to attend the services and read more and more of the literature, some understanding came to me and I experienced healings, sometimes through my own reading and sometimes through the help of practitioners; but I could not seem to get the joy and happiness out of Christian Science that other people talked about. I studied more from a sense of duty than anything else. I wanted Christian Science, though, and prayed earnestly that I might gain understanding and might learn to love the truth; but I was still looking for happiness in material things.
There came a time, however, when material things failed to satisfy. I had been led to try Christian Science for the birth of my baby, and both the baby and I were wonderfully blessed. The care of a little baby was a new experience to me, and I constantly had to ask advice and help from the practitioner. The severest trial came when the baby was about three months old. For five days the child had no bowel movement, and then, as the treatments were continued, there were two and three days between each movement. I seemed to be passing through a period of great mental stress at this time, and as the trouble with the baby did not yield, I became more and more discouraged and could get no rest day or night. One afternoon the practitioner came to see me, and while she was with me the healing took place in my consciousness: all at once my burdens just dropped away and I found peace. The next day the physical healing of the baby took place.
