Testimony of Healing June 15, 1912 ISSUE

From my earliest recollection I was not considered strong...

Charles A. Kinkead

From my earliest recollection I was not considered strong or healthy; there seemed to be almost constantly something wrong. I was very susceptible to colds on the lungs, scarcely ever being free from them, and many times was not able to speak above a whisper. As time passed, my lungs developed decided weakness, and when I was about fifteen the lung trouble had developed to such an extent that I frequently overheard the remark that I would die from this disease. At the age of about eighteen years I began to do for myself in every way, and desiring so much to be well and believing that medicines would cure me, I was seldom without them; but instead of curing me as I had hoped, other diseased conditions arose. I had stomach and bowel trouble, also liver, kidney, and bladder difficulties, and the more I doctored the more diseases seemed to be my lot. At length when I had a bad case of piles, and then appendicitis, it appeared to me that I could not keep up such an unequal struggle much longer, so in September, 1903, I gave up, greatly discouraged. I sold out my business (that of saw-milling) with the thought that I would never again be able to engage in it, and started with a course of treatment from a specialist. I continued with this until the last day of December, 1903, on which date I took the last dose of medicine; and being then in much worse condition than when I commenced the course of treatment, I was utterly disheartened, in the belief that medicine could do me no good, and that there was nothing left for me but to drag out a miserable existence till death should end it all, which I hoped might come soon.

In February, 1904, while visiting a relative at Anderson, Ind., I was asked why I did not try Christian Science. I had never heard of it, and asked what it was and what it could do for me; but the one who mentioned it to me, not being a Scientist, could tell me nothing more than that people were being healed by it, and I was earnestly urged to try it. For several days I contended that I could have no faith in it, as I believed what was taught in the churches, that the day of miracles was past. I also felt my condition was too serious to be helped in any way or by anything.

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