Letters August 19, 1905 Issue

Letters to our Leader

with contributions from Elizabeth R. Riddell, Elizabeth S. Rackemann, Frank King Clark, Maude O. Clark, Louise King, Ione Ashby, Lulu May Clarke

Stamford, Conn., January 30,1905. Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy.

Beloved Leader: — My heart goes out to you with unbounded love and gratitude for your untiring efforts in bringing to us this blessed truth. I was an invalid for a number of years, and through one of your most loyal and faithful students my eyes were opened, and I was not only healed, but through his beautiful teaching I have gained enough understanding to help others. I feel that I can only show my deep gratitude by consecrating my life to benefit mankind. It has been my privilege to start two churches, each in a place where Christian Science was entirely new. Three years ago our first service was held here in Stamford, in a private house, with five people in attendance. Now we have the most desirable hall in the town for our exclusive use, with a membership of over forty, and an attendance which is about double that number. Our annual meeting, which took place two weeks ago, was a very harmonious one. New Readers were elected for the next three years, also other officers for the church work. God raised up those in our midst who were well qualified to fill these positions, for which we are thankful. During the three years we have had many trials, but divine Love guided us over every wave of error, and we have learned that each trial has made us stronger. At times I have been tempted to feel a sense of loneliness and inability to meet these problems without help, but my teacher—whose address is Chicago—was so far away that I could not go to him, and I have thought so often of you, our dear Leader, how alone you have stood for the truth. "The Mother's Evening Prayer" (Miscellaneous Writings, p. 389) has been my prayer.

Words are inadequate to express my sincere love to you for showing me the way to heal the sick and to feed the hungry. I want to tell you of a lesson that you taught me under most peculiar circumstances. You may recall the incident, although it happened five years ago last October. I had at that time been interested in Christian Science about five years, and during those years had a most ardent desire to see you. but as my home, which was then in Indiana, was so far away, I had not had an opportunity, until this time. The street in front of your home was being macadamized. I drove past and then turned to go back, and as the carriage was exactly in front of your gate there was a blockade of work-teams, and I was forced to stop. Your carriage was at your door, waiting for you, and I thought, Now I can see Mrs. Eddy when she comes out. Just as you came out, the blockade was broken and my driver started, but to his surprise the horse could not go, something had happened to one foot, and he could not step. He plunged and the driver told me to get out on the sidewalk. A crowd of men gathered around, and they used a knife to see if anything had lodged in the hoof, but nothing was found that could have caused the trouble. I stood there humiliated, for I knew it a breach of etiquette to stop in front of your gate. You leaned out of your carriage and looked as if to ascertain the cause of the trouble, and then bowed to me as you drove off. Almost immediately I felt a sense of rebuke, that in my desire to see you I 'had forgotten to treat the horse, and something said to me, "Are you about your Father's business?" I felt the rebuke keenly and turned to the horse at once, but it had already been relieved. The healing thought had gone out from you; the horse was healed, and so was I, of a sense of personality. The driver said that he had never experienced anything like it before. Jesus said. "What went ye out . . . for to see?" I went to see a woman, a noted woman, and I saw love, lore beyond the description of words. On my return home I was enabled to heal, in a short time, a severe case of illness which I had been treating for some weeks.

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