It is with humility and joy that I give this testimony. In 1920 I was forced through ill health to leave my farm and eventually to sell it. At the time, this seemed to me a drastic step to take, as I had a wife and two young children. You see, I was told by our family physician that in my physical condition I would have to work outside, as inside work would kill me; but I seemed faced with the prospect of working inside. Things looked very dark indeed. To make things worse, my wife, who had been in ill health since childhood, was also going through a difficult time.
During the next few years things went from bad to worse. Our seven-year-old son was stricken with a throat condition which we were told would have to be operated on. The doctor said that if this operation were not performed he could not be responsible for the boy's life. Our daughter, five years old, was having frequent colds which affected her lungs; and at times it seemed as though she would not survive the illness. We were indeed in a terrifying situation.
During this experience Christian Science had been presented to us several times. My wife's sister was a student of it, and I had witnessed several healings through its application. One I could not ignore was the healing of a finger broken during a basketball game. A doctor who was there at the time begged my sister-in-law to let him set it for her. I shall always remember her answer. She kindly refused, telling him that it would be all right and that she would take care of it. This healing was so complete that one could not see or feel where the finger had been broken. It was this healing which led us to borrow a copy of "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy.
