When I was a small child Christian Science healed my mother, rescuing her from the doctor's verdict of lifelong semi invalidism. I cannot remember a time when this Science was not the most important thing in our home, and I am grateful for the protection it brought us as children and for the Sunday School teaching. However, there always comes a time when we must prove the truth of Christian Science for ourselves and cease depending on others' work. This opportunity arose for me when I joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service during World War II.
Because I was not allowed to say where in Europe I was stationed, I had a great sense of isolation. When I went home to England on leave I found that my sister had had impetigo but had been healed with the help of a Christian Science practitioner. Instead of rejoicing with her, I was very much afraid that I might contract the disease when I could not reach a practitioner for help. Mrs. Eddy says on page 411 of Science and Health, "The procuring cause and foundation of all sickness is fear, ignorance, or sin." So great was my fear that it manifested itself as impetigo as soon as I returned to France.
When the first symptoms appeared my companions urged me to be obedient to military regulations and report to the medical officer. Christian Scientists are law-abiding citizens, and it was therefore right for me to report my case, which I did. However, I did not have the moral courage to ask to be excused from taking material remedies, but accepted them. Instead of improving, I became worse; and various complications appeared, one of which was an inability to remain awake. One day when the condition was especially severe a friend begged me to accept the doctor's offer of a bed in hospital. This aroused me, and I turned to my Bible, to Science and Health, and to the Christian Science Quarterly in order to read the Lesson-Sermon. I found it very difficult to sit down for long without falling asleep; but Jacob's words came to me (Gen. 32:26), "I will not let thee go, except thou bless me," and I determined to get a blessing from the Lesson-Sermon even if I had to stand to read.
