About seventeen years ago I began to long to know more about God, and visited churches of different denominations; but not one of these gave me that for which I was longing. Soon after that a friend of mine lost her husband at sea, and I was dreading meeting her again, for I pictured her in a state of complete despair. Instead of this, as I walked into her room I immediately felt a sense of peace, and before I knew what I was doing, I said, "Surely you have become interested in Christian Science," to which she replied in the affirmative. This was such a revelation to me, for I knew practically nothing of Christian Science or of Mrs. Eddy, and had heard it mentioned only in a most casual manner before that day. Immediately after that I went to my first Christian Science service; and I shall never forget the encouraging words spoken to me by the librarian at the Reading Room when I bought the textbook, Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy.
I had always been very delicate from my childhood and grew worse instead of better. I was practically never free from pain, and spent at least half the year in bed. I suffered from chronic indigestion and constipation, raging headaches, rheumatism, and neuritis of the right arm, as well as serious internal derangements, for which I had undergone several operations and was faced with another very severe one, although even then the specialists could promise me no relief.
No sooner had I started reading Science and Health than I threw away all my medicine and medical devices, without which I was supposed to be too weak to exist. Although I did not appear to understand what I was reading, yet I realized that if I turned to Christian Science, I must give up all faith in materia medica, and rely on God. I became so engrossed in reading the textbook that I did not notice when the various healings took place, but I suddenly became aware that the pains had ceased and that I could eat quite normally, which had not been the case for a great many years.
