Article December 20, 1919 Issue

Extracts from Letters

"During my service in the Army, Christian Science was a wonderful help to me and mine. Although I was raised in a Christian Science environment, it was not until a great sorrow came to my immediate family that I brought it into practical application in my daily life, and since then it has been our guide at all times. The particular experience of which I wish to speak began in the spring of 1918 when I was drafted from a trained position in the shipyards into service in the Army, resulting in a great sense of misplacement as well as financial limitation and separation from all those things which mean so much to us. I worked faithfully on the problem, and had help from a practitioner for my wife, who had by far the larger share of the burden to bear; but there seemed no yielding of the seemingly overpowering evidence of the senses, except in the sense of separation, which was overcome by absolute reliance on the ever presence of Truth.

"Upon going across to France I read Christian Science literature almost constantly, and this together with the application of what I learned enabled me 'to walk over, not into or with, the currents of matter, or mortal mind' (Unity of Good, p. 11). From the period of inoculation, from which I suffered no inconvenience or pain, to that of crossing the sea at the height of the submarine warfare without either fear or seasickness, all problems were solved except the one of limitation at home, and also a feeling of inactivity as regards military life, which I disliked very much. It was not until we had gone 'over the top' in the Argonne that these yielded, for there, while lying under an intense barrage, applying those pearls of great price, the truths of Christian Science, the fullness of God as Principle broke upon my consciousness with the radiance of a full day. I had reached the point where nothing but God could be of any benefit to me, and from that moment every semblance of inactivity in military work left me and I was able to be of much benefit to a number of men as well as take care of my immediate needs, one of which came in the form of an instantaneous healing of gas poisoning caused by the bursting of a gas shell in our midst which resulted in many of my companions being forced to go to the rear. Through the help of ever present Truth I was enabled to 'carry on' as well as go out on a volunteer patrol that night, which kept me in a driving rain until a very late hour, with no bad results, although doctors recommend absolute quiet for such cases.

"My debt of gratitude grew with each moment, and I wish to express at least a part of it for our Leader, Mrs. Eddy, who gave us this truth with the method of studying the same, making our help available at all times; also I wish to thank the Publishing Society for the vest pocket edition of the Bible and Science and Health, which enabled those who were interested in Christian Science to study it at all times under all conditions, even on the front line under shell fire. A fellow student of Christian Science and I went over the Lesson-Sermon under shell fire when there was a lull in the infantry work, as well as at every opportunity at each stage of our experience from the front line in the Argonne and Belgium to the peaceful confines of the Welfare Depots, so wisely planned by The Mother Church.

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