Both my parents were devout Christians, and I early became familiar with the words of the Bible and their literal meaning; but as I grew older I saw that not all who professed to follow the Bible did so in daily living. I thought the Bible was a beautiful book, but I began to look for worldly interests. I turned against religion as such; but not for long, because about that time I was finishing my studies at college, and the Christian Science textbook by Mrs. Eddy was presented to me.
As I read the first chapter, which is on Prayer, I immediately accepted the truths expressed there, for I said to myself that this was what I had thought the Bible should mean. Two passages particularly appealed to me. They are: "Love is impartial and universal in its adaptation and bestowals" (p. 13), and, "The 'divine car' is not an auditory nerve. It is the all-hearing and all-knowing Mind, to whom each need of man is always known and by whom it will be supplied" (p. 7).
As I saw the need for a spiritual understanding of God, I began to study the Bible Lessons, given in the Quarterly, without any special thought of healing. At that time I had had no opportunity to get acquainted with any other student of Christian Science, but during a period of about three months of daily individual study of the textbook, a goiter, which had caused me considerable embarrassment, completely disappeared. The reading of Science and Health alone brought this about.
