At the close of the last war I was walking through an office building in New York City when I saw the sign "Christian Science Practitioner" on a door. I am not conscious of ever having heard the words "Christian Science" up to that time, nor had I ever seen one of the periodicals, but a tragic experience in my life caused me to endeavor to reach out for more harmony than I was then experiencing. The practitioner who opened the door for me on that memorable day seemed to me to be the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, for I felt such peace on entering her office that my voice went out to God and I cried, "Oh. Father, just let me sit here forever." It was, however, not so simple as it seemed, although the practitioner was most kind and talked to me about God and offered to give me treatment, which I gladly accepted. After a period of months, during which time work was faithfully done, conditions grew steadily worse, and, greatly discouraged, I threw the books aside and ceased treatment.
At that time I was in a profession which I loved, but which in my case brought the exploitation of human personality, and the struggle for fame and worldly success seemed of paramount importance; emotionalism and lack of control hid themselves under the guise of artistic temperament—supposedly prerequisites of my art—prerequisites to which I greedily held. After two more years of this particular phase of my life, greater unhappiness brought enough humility into my consciousness for me to apply again for Christian Science treatment, and a healing of a bodily condition came.
I have had healings of chronic insomnia, tonsillitis, ptomaine poisoning, a broken ankle, and complete paralysis of one side of my body— caused by shock at the sudden passing of a loved one. After a long struggle there came also the overcoming of grief. But what I feel is most worth recording is the change in my character. Slowly, but surely, self-will has surrendered to willingness to let God guide my every thought and action. Lack of control has yielded to the realization of the normality of the child of God; personal sense with its loneliness and fears is being ousted as God's idea is ushered in; and a human sense of love, which caused me so much suffering and sorrow, is being replaced by a more universal sense of love and completeness, and true satisfaction in the things of Spirit.
