A number of statements, quite bitter against what the writers believed to be Christian Science, published in the newspapers of more than twenty years ago were instrumental in leading me into an investigation of the subject; for, I thought, there is surely something good in a thing against which so much is said.
I did not know a Christian Scientist, or anything about the Reading Room which was located in the city. First, I went to a bookstore and asked for something on Christian Science. The clerks laughed at me. Next, I went to the public library and, unassisted, since I did not want to be laughed at again, found the shelf where the Christian Science literature was kept. All I knew of the book I wanted was that it was written by Mary Baker Eddy. "Miscellaneous Writings" by that author was selected. From the first page I felt I had found something for which I had always been searching. Never able to accept the concept of God which had been taught in the Sunday school and church I attended, now it seemed that I had found Him. Every minute which could be spared from my daily duties was spent in reading. Within a few weeks "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy and a Christian Science Quarterly were purchased. With these and the Bible, study of the Lesson-Sermons was begun.
However, no attempt was made to get in touch with a Christian Scientist, since, while I felt that Christian Science was indeed the "pearl of great price," I wanted to prove it for myself. I felt that God would do as much for me as He would for anyone else; therefore, if Christian Science was, as I believed, the truth, then with God's help this fact could be proved without human aid; and if so, there would be no doubt in my mind about its being the truth.
