Christian Science has brought so many blessings and healings into my life that it would take innumerable pages to record them all. I shall therefore confine my remarks to my first healing.
When a little girl of eleven I received an injury that later produced so-called incurable spinal trouble, with complications. For fourteen years I was bedridden and helpless from this disease, often unable to turn myself in bed or put food into my mouth. To this condition was added an acute form of ulcerated stomach. For years I was unable to retain even water. For ten years my only food was small quantities of milk. At the end of that time I could no longer retain milk, and uncooked egg whites constituted my diet. Every available material remedy was resorted to for relief, but proved fruitless. Much time was spent in hospitals under the care of specialists, but like the woman spoken of in the Bible, I "was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse." After fourteen years had elapsed a surgical operation was performed on me which made me much worse. Words are inadequate to describe the suffering that followed. I could hardly bear the thought of living longer. The physicians could give neither hope nor relief. I was at the end of material aid. This knowledge brought a great sense of depression.
At this time Christian Science came into my life. A friend had insisted on lending me the textbook, "'Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mrs. Eddy, as I was leaving the hospital. The incident was forgotten, until three months later I observed the book lying on the table in my room. I was sleeping only a few hours out of twenty-four and was very weary. I asked to have Science and Health read to me, remarking that it would probably be dull enough to put me to sleep. I did not know that anyone had ever been healed by reading it. In the right sense of the word it awakened me. Before I had read beyond the first searching, exquisite chapter on Prayer the intense suffering had lessened. Though not then realizing it, I was becoming conscious of what Mrs. Eddy calls "the living, palpitating presence of Christ, Truth, which healed the sick" (Science and Health, p. 351). I saw for the first time that spiritual consciousness is a state which can be attained here on earth and is, in reality, the only true state of being; and I felt the bliss of being at one with all-embracing Love.
