Article September 14, 1912 Issue

AMONG THE CHURCHES

CURRENT NOTES.

Walla Walla, Wash.—Through the courtesy of the state publication committee the letter which follows has been put at our disposal, and the report contains so much that is interesting and encouraging that we are glad to give it a place in our columns.—Editor.

At our work at the Washington state penitentiary, where we have permission to hold services on the second Sunday of each month, the chaplain acts as our guard and has been very kind to us, giving us one full hour. We open with a short Scriptural selection and the Lord's Prayer, followed by the Lesson-Sermon, which leaves us about ten minutes in which to talk with them or to answer their questions. Only those who have expressed an interest, or wish to come, are called to these services, and we have an average attendance of forty-five. We give them literature to read and hand on to others—Monitors, Sentinels, or whatever we have, and they always seem glad to receive them. There is an ever increasing interest shown, and they give good attention to the reading of the Lesson-Sermon. Several testimonials of healing have been given, and much gratitude is expressed for the spiritual comfort and uplift. With deepest gratitude we note the changed appearance of the men, now manifesting hope instead of condemnation and despair. One man was healed in a few treatments of tuberculosis of the glands of the neck, also of vicious habits. He asked for help, and our first reader went out to the penitentiary especially to see the man, who quickly interpreted what was told him about Christian Science to mean that he must think only pure thoughts and speak only pure words. He tried to do his part and be obedient, and soon knew his freedom.

One man told us he had been healed of an aggravated case of deafness by reading Science and Health and attending the services. Another man who was isolated in the incurable contagious ward, without the least encouragement of ever being healed or even helped, told the chaplain that if he could have Science and Health to read he would be healed. So the chaplain told the men to send him one of the copies that were too old to study the Lessons from, as it could not be brought back from that ward. The incurable man read this book about a month, and was permitted to work among the flowers. One man who had been reading the Lessons said that for some reason his tobacco did not taste good. They all express much gratitude for the uplifting truth which brings peace to troubled thought. Through the article "Words of Appreciation" published in the Sentinel of September 30, interest was awakened in this work and some money sent to the Publishing Society to be used for literature. They sent us for the men's use "Miscellaneous Writings," two subscriptions to the Monitor, one each to the Sentinel and Journal, and two to Der Herold; and for the women's room one subscription to the Sentinel and one to the Quarterly. We have read the Lesson a few times in the women's room, and they pay good attention. The assistant matron is quite interested and is reading Science and Health, and reads to the women from the Monitor. She has asked for the Sentinel, and said she would read from it. Many of the inmates cannot read, but are being taught this as well as other useful things.