Testimony of Healing July 19, 1919 Issue

From childhood I was not what would be called healthy

Nellie V. Gressley

From childhood I was not what would be called healthy. I lived an indoor life for the most part, devoting my time to study and music, the latter becoming my life work. I was a very conscientious student, and one of my teachers asked a friend of long acquaintance to tell me to be careful, for he feared a breakdown. Some years afterwards a breakdown occurred, and after that I was never so well as before. Several years later I had another nervous collapse, the worst attack I had ever passed through, and I felt death coming. I requested the doctor to telephone for my sister, who for a number of years had been a faithful student of Christian Science, and when she came I inquired if she thought her religion would help me and asked her to send for a practitioner. A very short time after the practitioner came and gave me treatment I was able to dress. She treated me the best part of a week, but possibly fear caused me to return to the use of a tonic, and I asked that the treatment be discontinued. Not long afterwards, however, seeing that medicine was doing me no good, I again turned to Christian Science and for a few years tried to put into practice what I learned from the study of Science and Health.

Then in 1912 my physical and mental condition began to grow worse, although for about a year before that I was healthier and happier than I had been for many years. For a long time I was under Christian Science treatment daily. In November of that year my mother passed on, and after this great loss I became a physical and mental wreck; for we had been inseparable, as I had been left fatherless when only five years old. I could not be kept at home, so in January was taken to a hospital. My mental condition was terrible. I felt I had no God, not a friend in the whole world, although my family were devoted to me. I also had the terrible delusion that I had caused all the sorrow and sin and sickness there had ever been. Is it any wonder that instead of looking like a young woman I looked like an old one? But even that has been overcome through Christian Science. I was stooped, and my sisters thought I would never become erect again, but such was not the case.

Christian Science treatment was started for me about two months after I was taken to the hospital and continued until the healing was complete. Mrs. Eddy speaks especially of gratitude, and it appears to me since, that as I expressed gratitude the understanding came. One day I was sitting as usual in my listless way looking from the window, not caring for anything, when suddenly a great desire came over me to see the birds, the trees, the heavens, and I felt the peace, love, and joy that God alone gives, coming into my heart. Shortly afterwards I felt so badly again that I had to lie down awhile, but the next day the same great spiritual uplift came, and my heart was filled to overflowing with love for my Father-Mother God and for everybody on earth. My improvement was great from that time. I wanted a Bible and asked for one and the twenty-seventh psalm became my greatest comfort. Soon I asked for my Science and Health and was reading as in former years. Then early one morning I awoke filled with happiness. I felt so well and happy that I wanted to tell some one, so quickly went to the night nurse, and as I was telling her how I felt I realized that I was healed.

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