Testimony of Healing January 12, 1924 Issue

It seemed that my life had been made up of unfortunate...

Ernest E. Harriman

It seemed that my life had been made up of unfortunate experiences from the time I was three years old until about my twenty-fourth year, at which time I was ready to give up in despair. As a result of ill health, I was obliged to leave college when in my second year. Later I went from one position to another in quest of work suitable to my education and physical condition. I failed in each attempt, each time going farther down physically and mentally. Not only was I failing physically, but I was most unhappy, discouraged, and discontented.

I had been a sufferer from stomach trouble for eight years, having doctored with several physicians, trying everything that any one would suggest until I had spent all my money and time with no results. Finally, I was called for service in the World War. I was of little value to the army; for after being on a diet, suffering always from stomach trouble, it can easily be imagined how I got along. One night it seemed that all my troubles came down on me more severely than ever before. A few days later I met a boy who was studying Christian Science. It came to me that possibly there was something in Christian Science that would answer my questions, so I put my problem before him, and asked if it were possible that I could get any help from Christian Science. After a few minutes' talk he offered to lend me "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures" by Mary Baker Eddy. I was still not quite ready for Christian Science, however, as I had some faith in medicine; and so long as I had, it was useless to urge me to try any other agency.

Later I broke down both physically and mentally and lost all faith in medicine as a healing agency, at the same time deciding to try Christian Science at the first opportunity. An appointment was made for me to see a practitioner, who was interested in the Christian Science War Relief work; and as a result of that first treatment I was able to eat anything. A little incident the next day will prove my statement. Instead of leaving the camp, as I had been doing at mess time, I decided to get into the mess line with the others. By the time I got to the end of the line my mess kit was full. One of the soldiers at the end of the line was serving what looked like a dressing; so I asked him to pour it on top of my filled mess kit. Going to a bench I seasoned it well with salt and pepper, and started to eat it. To my surprise I found the fellow had poured lemon pudding in with everything else. I started to empty it, and then noticed that there were hundreds of fellows ahead of me, and that if I did not eat what I had, I would probably not be able to get more; so I ate what I had with no bad results whatsoever, my healing being complete over the fear of food.

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Testimony of Healing

Nine years ago, when all sense of human happiness and...