One day my brother-in-law and I were discussing religion and our respective concepts of God. He spoke of God as Christian Scientists understand Him. At length, I told him that I was quite incapable of even thinking in that manner, and although I hoped it would not interfere with our friendship, I did not want him to bring the subject up again. Apart from my own personal clinging to material beliefs and habits, my wife had made clear to me her dislike and distrust of Christian Science.
"Never mind," my brother-in-law said, "perhaps one day, when a problem is too difficult for you to deal with, you may think of this conversation again."
That time was indeed very close at hand, for I contracted a serious condition of blood poisoning. A well-known doctor performed a surgical operation under a local anesthetic to remedy the trouble. He removed bony tissue, which appeared to be at the seat of the discordant condition. Within a few hours, however, it was clear that the operation had failed to arrest the condition, and the doctor was again called.
