Like a number of other seekers for the truth I came into Christian Science only after investigating various other systems. I was led, through the loving admonition of a dear sister, to read Mrs. Eddy's textbook, "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," and was convinced I had found the truth. Having accepted a few of the fundamental facts set forth in this volume, I had made a small beginning; and the argument of Truth against error was thenceforth not to be silenced. What a wonderful setting to rights of one's mental household; what a comprehensive recataloguing of human thought; what a mass of mortal débris to be cast into the rubbish heap! As the study of Christian Science slowly progressed, one after another the long-cherished concepts, at first tenaciously preserved from demolition and set on an upper shelf for future reference, had to come down and be consigned to their inevitable doom.

Mrs. Eddy says on page 324 of Science and Health, "Gladness to leave the false landmarks and joy to see them disappear,—this disposition helps to precipitate the ultimate harmony." It was not with gladness at first that the old concepts were relinquished. There were periods in the wilderness when it was felt that, while there could certainly be no return to the fleshpots of Egypt, yet there was nothing tangible to take their place. The emotional uplift produced by the impressive services held on religious holidays at churches I had formerly attended, was also missed. But the conviction that one's religion must have a logical and spiritual basis, rather than an ornamental exterior, directed thought along the highway of reason and conscience as pointed out in the pages of our textbook.

The first physical healing experienced was of an attack of the grippe, which had prostrated me and bade fair to cause me the loss of several weeks' salary, besides expenses and much suffering. As I was living among strangers and dependent upon my earnings for a living, the prospect seemed alarming. The practitioner, whom a friend had recommended, came to see me, and her loving, compassionate attitude was balm indeed to my suffering sense. After she had gently and confidently assured me of the allness of a loving and ever present God, and of her own joy in being of service in the healing work, I fell asleep comforted, although the intense pain in my head and back seemed too real to be forgotten, and all my bones were aching.

When I awoke in the morning and cautiously tried the experiment of shifting my position, fearing the pangs of the day before, I was astonished to find that there were none. My body was free from pains and aches. After resting until nearly noon, I arose and dressed, and the next day was able to resume my office work. Various other forms of error tried to assert themselves later, but I was patiently helped with them all. A very beautiful phase of the treatment was the wonderful sense of peace and the freedom from characteristic nervousness and irritability which I experienced during this period, and which plainly proved that divine Love was doing the work.

Many other instances of physical healing during the years which have intervened since then, could be cited. Heavy colds, earache, severe pain in the eyes, and various nervous troubles are among the ills effectively healed by Science treatment. Mental disturbances, such as fear, anxiety, discouragement, personal antagonisms, sensitiveness, and grief, have also been dealt with and healed as they could not have been by any other agency. It was not at first understood by me that many of these originated in a self-justifying and very critical attitude of thought, an absence of the unselfed love which Mrs. Eddy declares essential to reformation and regeneration. By slow degrees personal sense is being eliminated in business and social relations. The inbred fear of lack of supply and lack of opportunity has been lessened. The mistaken belief that loyalty to my loved ones necessitated fear for their safety and animosity toward any persons who might seem to be their enemies, and that I could not be happy without having an active hand in all their affairs, is giving way to a larger measure of trust in God's love to care for them; and, as a consequence, I am able to reflect brotherly love to a much wider circle than before.

Upon undertaking active labor in the Christian Science Society which I had joined, I was disappointed to find that I got from it so little of the joy expressed by other workers in the field, but instead often found it, in addition to exacting professional duties, a load almost too heavy to be borne. It was some time before I realized that striving, however diligently, to present to others the letter of Science is not enough. While stressing allegiance to duty both at church and at my business office, I was not yet living up to the demands of divine Love, and felt the rebuke, "These ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone."

As thought is purified and conscience grows more keen, lapses from the standard demanded by Truth appear to be much more severely punished; but thus we are "helped onward in the march towards righteousness, peace, and purity, which are the landmarks of Science" (Science and Health, p. 323). For the slight progress I have made on this march, I am deeply indebted to the kind practitioners and other friends who have patiently helped me along the way; and with them I voice my gratitude to our Leader for her wonderful work in revealing to humanity the truth taught by Jesus. Far from deifying her, our allegiance to her teachings makes us more devout Christians, more consecrated worshipers of the only true God, "whom to know aright is Life eternal" (ibid., Pref., p. vii).—(Miss) Eleanor Royce Ingraham, Los Altos, California.