Debility and Many Illnesses Healed

I came to know of Christian Science in the following manner. In the autumn of 1899 an acquaintance told me that an American lady, passing through Stuttgart, had given her an extraordinary book about healing by Christian Science, and asked me if I would like to read it. Taking it home, I read part of it; but, though somewhat impressed, I did not find it very interesting, and returned it. This book was “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures.”

I had been a great sufferer for many years. From childhood I was subject to sick- headaches, indigestion, and debility, and these evils had been aggravated by long residence in a hot climate, where malarial fever left me with liver and kidney disease. The numerous physicians, who were consulted in different countries, agreed that there was no hope of a complete cure, and condemned me to a life of invalidism.

After my return to Europe in 1892 I was found to be suffering from gall-stones, and was sent to Karlsbad four times, but without permanent benefit; the dreadful attacks always returned after a few months. Circumstances made it necessary that I should continue my teaching, and my condition was truly wretched. It was a constant struggle to keep up some appearance of health, and to perform my duties conscientiously while suffering tortures, and I looked longingly for the end of this life as a release.

The winter 1899—1900 was a hard one for me, and the thought of what I had read in Science and Health often returned, until a great wish to know more made itself felt, and I borrowed the book again. This time I read it carefully. Then a hard struggle took place between my old beliefs and the Science taught by Mrs. Eddy, but always impelled to go on reading. By the end of that time, however, I knew that the book contained the Truth, and showed the only way to real physical and moral healing.

The next question was where to find a healer. One day, however, in a number of the Sentinel I found a short article on Christian Science work in Germany, in which the names of those engaged in the work in Berlin, Dresden, and Hannover were mentioned.

On arriving in Berlin, I found that it would not be necessary to go farther. My first interview with my kind healer confirmed all my hopes. The treatment began, and, although for the first fortnight considerable chemicalization took place, and I suffered a good deal, by the end of the third week I was completely healed of all my maladies, and great weakness in the action of the heart, which had not been mentioned to the healer disappeared with the rest.

But this bodily healing, wonderful as it was, formed only a part of the great benefit I found; all through those three weeks I was daily learning more of the beautiful truths of Christian Science, and entering on a new and higher understanding of Life as God; so that when I returned home all things seemed new, and the depression that had spread so deep a gloom over my existence was gone, and in its place there was the bright hope of pressing forward to gain the crown of life, a right understanding of God and His creation. Since then I have had good health, and have been able to do much more work than formerly; and, best of all, I have been privileged to carry the good tidings to others, and also to help some physically.

(Excerpt) From the June 5, 1902 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel