Even though I was very frail, I began to teach in a rural school before I was eighteen years of age. The doctors predicted that I would have a nervous breakdown, and in a few years their predictions came true. After I had had many months of pain and sleepless nights and was starving, they gave me only a few more weeks to live. I weighed less than ninety pounds.
At this time, a relative who had been healed of cancer some two years before gave me a copy of Science and Health by Mrs. Eddy. Her healing was my only knowledge of Christian Science. That evening I hurried to my room, and although I did not usually read at night, I felt that I could wait no longer to start reading this book!
The heating system was out of order; so I got into bed before eight o'clock and started reading the chapter on Prayer. I have no idea how long I read before I fell asleep, but the next thing I knew the sun was streaming in my east window. I could not remember when I had last experienced an unbroken night's rest. There was no pain, and, impossible as it seemed, I knew I was healed. I soon regained normal weight, started attending a Church of Christ, Scientist, and in time became a member of The Mother Church and a branch church.
I had been told that I could probably never be a mother; but taking up the study of Christian Science, I was married and had four children, who had the privilege of attending a Christian Science Sunday School until they were twenty.
Because of war restrictions, we were unable to get telephones in the suburbs we had moved to during World War I; so I was not able to call a practitioner. This, in a way, was a blessing in disguise for me, and I am grateful, because I was forced to do my own prayerful metaphysical work in emergencies. Our children are all married now, and I have grown grandchildren; but these early healings are still vivid to me.
One day a number of relatives, including several children, were at my home for dinner. While playing a game on the lawn, our four-year-old daughter was thrown against the wheel of a car parked in the street. The force of the impact severed a blood vessel in her neck.
The Lesson-Sermon for that week in the Quarterly contained the Bible account of Christ Jesus' raising of Lazarus from the dead. On this particular morning the familiar account had come to me with new meaning. I had read it over and over and finally said aloud, "Dear Father-Mother God, I wonder if I shall ever have the faith to thank You before there is a visible healing!" So when I saw our child being carried into the house in a very serious condition, I knew this was my testing time. Very humbly I said, "Thank You, Father, for this opportunity to prove Your power."
While others were removing her clothing and wrapping her in towels because of the bleeding, I felt impelled to get a clean dress from her closet. By this time a crowd of neighbors and passersby had gathered, all wanting to rush her to the hospital. When they saw me advancing toward her with the dress, they forcibly tried to detain me.
But above the din of mortal mind, I could clearly hear the still small voice in my consciousness saying: "Put it on her. Where is your faith? What are you afraid of? Put it on now." Then with a feeling of humility and gratitude I had never known before, I said, "Thank You, God," and pulled the dress over her head. Not a drop of blood was on it, and there was no more bleeding. Instantly she opened her eyes, the color returned to her face, and she asked for something to eat. This was about noon. She played all afternoon just as she had in the morning. There were no aftereffects.
Christian Science means everything to me. Over a period of more than fifty years I myself have had many healings, including those of deafness due to an inner ear infection, erysipelas of the face, and psoriasis above my eyes.
I count class instruction as one of the greatest blessings of my experience. I am also increasingly grateful for our perfect Exemplar, Christ Jesus, and for Mrs. Eddy's courageous leadership in giving us the promised Comforter, Christian Science, thereby fulfilling Biblical prophecy.— Fort Worth, Texas.
