I first heard of Christian Science in 1912, when I was instantaneously healed of a very badly sprained ankle. I attended church services a few times, and when, about July, 1913, a dear little sister was taken violently ill with gangrenous appendicitis and the attending physician gave us no hope of her recovery, I told her of the Lord's Prayer as understood in Christian Science. I could not repeat the spiritual interpretation of this prayer as given on pages 16 and 17 of the textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy, but through having heard it I had gained something of its meaning; and as we clung to this she began to improve. Though she was in a hospital, I spent each day with her, and we would repeat and ponder this prayer until we realized that it was not God's will that she should die. We attended church services a few times after her recovery, and my husband bought me a copy of the textbook; but worldly cares and pleasures soon came in, and the little book was entirely forgotten for several years.
In 1919 the time came when I myself was on the operating table and was told by the attending physician that there was very little hope for me and none for my baby. He told me to say good-by to my husband. I said nothing; but again my thought turned to the Lord's Prayer, although I did not seek help in Christian Science. The ether was given, but in my very last conscious moments I was thinking of God, and that the doctor could not give or take away my life.
The baby was delivered and pronounced dead, but my husband and one of the nurses would not accept that thought, and at last the baby showed signs of life. There followed a period of four months filled with terrible suffering and constant worry and fear for the baby. When she was three weeks old I suffered a nervous collapse, being utterly depleted. I then turned to Christian Science through the advice of a friend whom I had not seen for many years, and who had been healed of being an infidel. His testimony so impressed me that I immediately began to read Science and Health, which had lain on the bookshelf unthought of all those years; and two days later I declared my healing. My husband thought at first that I had lost my mind, as that was held over me; but I was soon able to convince him that I had just found the only Mind there really is —divine Mind.
