It was about fifteen years ago that I first became interested in Christian Science, out in India, through staying with a friend who was a Christian Scientist. I could not help seeing that she had something in her life which I had not, and I asked her if I might read some of her books and literature. At that time I had practically no religious belief, and was far from happy and not at all strong. I became very much interested, and read "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy through several times. I also got in touch with several other Christian Scientists and we met on Sundays at our houses and held services. This went on for quite a long time during the war, and I received a great deal of help, both through my own reading and through the loving help of others; in fact, I know that it saved my life in two very dangerous illnesses I had. My nurse said to me once, not knowing that I believed in Christian Science, that my recovery was more like the results of Christian Science than anything she had ever seen.
In spite of all this I still clung to materia medica, always arguing that I did so to please my husband. Directly after the armistice, with my small son I was sent home on one of the first boats, a physical and mental wreck.
I struggled on for several years, always clinging to my reading and longing to be healed, but not making any real stand; and then I was suddenly stricken down once more and was dangerously ill. I was in bed and attended by doctors and nurses for weeks, and was finally sent to a nursing home to have an operation which, it was supposed, would cure me, but did not. After months of misery, like the woman in the Bible who "had suffered many things of many physicians, . . . and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse," threatened with another operation, I suddenly heard from some friends who were coming to Cheltenham for a Christian Science lecture. They asked me to go with them, which I did; and I shall never forget that lecture. It was the choosing of the way for me. I chose God, and I have never looked back since, or used any drugs or material remedies.
