It is with feelings of thankfulness to God for Christian Science...

It is with feelings of thankfulness to God for Christian Science that I write this testimony, stating the facts as briefly as possible. I had been a drinking man for nearly twenty-five years, though I took a so-called "cure" twice and was twice in an inebriates' home; but none of these things did me any good, and the lurking desire and intention to drink were ever with me. About the middle of October, 1909, I commenced to drink very heavily. I had a little money in a savings bank, and that all went; then I began to pawn things, and kept it up as long as I had anything left that I could raise any money on. The last thing that went was my artificial teeth, for which I got the price of about two drinks of whisky.

Some time before I started on this last terrible "spree" a young man who worked in the same place where I did and who knew something of my habits said to me, "Why don't you try Christian Science? It will cure you and make a man of you." I paid little attention to it at the time, but after I had lost my position, friends, and as I thought everything, I remembered his remark and where he had told me that I could find a Christian Science reading-room. I went there and was kindly treated and directed to a practitioner. I had never heard of a practitioner before, but I went there, and the man prayed for me and spoke to me in a new way. I was under the influence of liquor, but I was impressed. He noticed that I did not speak quite plainly, and I told him what I had done with my teeth. He said I must have them by all means, and gave me the money to get them; but when I left him I spent this money for the strongest milk-punches I could get made. I had been living on nothing else for weeks. I had taken no food, never sat down to a table. Next day I saw the practitioner and told him what I had done, but he did not even scold me. Instead he asked me where the teeth were, and when I told him he went over to Brooklyn and got them himself, and had them for me next morning.

I kept going to see this practitioner every day for several weeks, but I had to confess every day that I was still drinking. I went to the reading-room often, and read a good deal of that wonderful book, Science and Health; but I continued to drink. On the night of Dec. 21, 1909, I went to bed on a little cot in the "People's Hotel," near Brooklyn bridge, after drinking all the whisky I could get, and the next morning I awoke to find myself hungry. Other mornings, my first waking thoughts were how, where, and when I was going to get the next drink, but this morning I was hungry, and to my surprise I found I did not want a drink. I said to myself, "Maybe I am cured;" and I hurried into my clothes and went downstairs. The first person I met was a man with whom I had often drank, and he invited me to go with him and have a drink. I said, "If you want to spend a dime or so on me, take me to a restaurant and get me something to eat. I'm hungry;" but he would not do this, and I finally got rid of him and went round to see the practitioner. I met him just as he was going into his office, and reaching out my hand I said to him, "I'm cured. I know I'm cured. I never felt like this about it before." We had a long talk, and he told me I must go to the mid-week meeting of First Church of Christ, Scientist, and give my testimony. This was Wednesday morning, and I did not think I would have the courage to do what he asked; but I testified before the great congregation that night practically the same as I have written here.

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Testimony of Healing
My first impression of Christian Science came nearly...
March 11, 1911
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