Kansas City, Mo., April 7, 1899.

Dear Editor:—A gentleman (Mr. K.) prominently connected with one of our Western railroads, has been an invalid for many years. He was finally compelled to quit work and sought relief at Hot Springs, Ark. But his seeking was in vain, and his friends and associates were becoming disheartened over his condition.

About the middle of March, the general manager of the railroad suggested to all of his (K.'s) friends, that they write to him on a certain day to "cheer him up." They did so, and various were the subjects of those letters.

Among those who wrote was one Mr. M. who is also prominently connected with the same road. Mr. M., knowing what Truth had done for members of his family, selected Christian Science as the subject of his letter. I happened to obtain a copy of that letter and enclose it here-with for your perusal, and for publication if you desire.

As Mr. M. insisted that he was not a Christian Scientist, it occurred to me that this letter is good evidence as to the hold on the people Truth is obtaining, when a man, not in Science, can preach the Gospel of Truth in such a manner.

I will add, that on the strength of this letter, Mr. K. has returned home, and is under treatment, and his health is improving; and further, that Mr. M. (the non-Scientist) has since given up the use of tobacco and pool playing. Verily, what a power is Truth!

Yours in Christ,
W. E. Benson.

Kansas City, Mo., March 14, 1899.

My dear Mr. K.:—Prompted by various reasons, I thought I would write you a letter on the efficacy of Christian Science. I am thoroughly acquainted with the fact that I am a very weak and unworthy vessel to attempt to convey such tidings as are contained in the teachings of Christian Science to those, perhaps, who have lived and are living more truthful lives than I. I have seen many who had been prostrated upon beds of affliction and who had been given up by the doctors as incurable, fully restored to health through this agency. In view of the fact that you have been for a long time incapacitated for duty, and have been unable to find help through the use of material means, I write you to say that I firmly believe you can be healed through the agency of Christian Science.

As I understand the teachings of Christian Science, God is Love, is Truth, and is Life; God is Principle, and therefore fills all space; man is a spiritual being and not a material being, and if our lives, our thoughts, and our actions harmonize with the laws of God, we shall not be subjected to all the ills of the flesh, but shall have, as the Bible tells us, dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowls of the air, and everything that creepeth upon the face of the earth.

Jesus, the Christ, declared when he was on earth that we would have power to do the works that he had done. That promise of his has been fulfilled in hundreds of thousands of cases, and is being fulfilled every day and every hour. Christian Science is looked upon as a humbug by those who have never given it a thought, but if you will procure "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," written by Mary Baker G. Eddy, you will find that it is a subject which will bear investigation. It is being studied by the more enlightened class of people of our country, and I might say of the world; and will in time revolutionize the world.

Some look upon Christian Science with a sneer, because it was discovered by a woman, but when you remember that the dearest friend on earth to you, the one in whom you placed the most confidence, the one who has suffered most for you, is your mother, and, as you well know, woman was the last to leave the cross, and the first at the sepulchre after the resurrection of our Saviour, you cannot help but bow in respect and adoration. Then again, this doctrine is found in Holy Writ. It does not teach us that God is a corporeal being, but it teaches us that God is Spirit, is Life, is Love; that God is Truth, and therefore must be Principle.

As you are well aware medicinal properties were discovered in roots and herbs by a heathen nation or an idolatrous people, four hundred years before the birth of Christ, that medicine has advanced but very little from that time to the present date, and from its inception the human race has been more or less afflicted with all the ills of the flesh, and as days go on, become weaker and weaker. Therefore, I think we should look around us for something more substantial to cling to, and I feel that if you will investigate Christian Science as I have suggested, you will find that with it alone can men live and enjoy the real life which is man's birthright.

In Genesis you will find two distinct accounts of creation. In the first chapter you will find where God made man in His own image, which was spiritual and without form, and in the second chapter where Lord God formed man out of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. In Isaiah you will find that the word of God is medicine to the flesh. In the last chapter of Mark you will find where our Saviour appeared to the eleven as they sat at meat; upon which occasion he gave his last will and testament to man. He said to the eleven: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ... if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover." And they went on their way with signs following. You will find in the book of Romans, where Paul says, "to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace;" therefore, you will understand there is no death; that the Life and the Love and the Truth that is in you and in us all never had a beginning and can never have an ending, and therefore if our lives harmonize with these, God will give us the dominion mentioned above, and we shall not be heir to all the ills of the flesh.

I believe the teachings of Christian Science to be true in every particular and the only perfect Guide, yet I make no pretensions to live such a life; but to those who are afflicted and who have employed every other means to rid themselves of the effect of sin, without avail, I feel it is my duty as well as a great privilege to point them, in my humble way, to the Source of all relief. My son was afflicted from his infancy to the age of fourteen years with a running from one of his ears, which continued to grow worse until at one time it was so bad that the doctors could not relieve it in any other manner than by administering morphia or some other remedy. I wired a Christian Scientist, giving him the condition of the boy as we believed it to be. and in a few hours he was perfectly healed and the trouble never returned. My wife had a tumor under one of her ears, and for a number of years had suffered excruciating pain with it. We applied to a Christian Scientist; the pain was relieved and has never returned. My second son was afflicted with quinsy; for several years we doctored him eight and ten weeks at a time without effecting any relief; we applied to a Christian Scientist, since which time we have not had to call in the services of a physician. When I was assigned to Springfield I visited the hospital and found lying there Doctor S., our company's physician, who was for a long time at Chicago, a young man with apparently a very bright future before him; a man who was considered by every one who came in contact with him as not only possessing more than ordinary intelligence, but a brilliant young man. He was lying on his back with what the physicians called "the decaying of the backbone." I took a great deal of interest in him; I would talk to him from time to time, and finally broached the subject of "mind cure" to him. He grasped it at once and said to me that papers on the subject were being read at all the conventions held by the physicians throughout our country. I then broached the subject of Christian Science to him, and asked him if he would read Science and Health if I would furnish him the book. He said he would. He took the book and read it, and in less than six weeks' time he left the hospital, has never returned, and is now practising his profession in the West. His healing was without the assistance of even a believer in Christian Science.

There are hundreds who have been entirely healed by reading and studying Christian Science works. I know a gentleman in Logansport, Ind., who was in the last stages of consumption, had sold out his business, and had given up to die, when he was healed by Christian Science. I corresponded with a lady who was sick for eleven years, confined to her bed for this length of time, and was blind for five years, who was healed by Christian Science. A Scientist in Fort Wayne, went into a room where a madman was strapped down to a bunk, having been thus placed by six stalwart men, ordered every one out of the room but the patient, unloosed the straps, and healed him immediately. I could go on for an unlimited time and tell of just such cases as I have mentioned above, but with a man of your intelligence, I feel this is not necessary.

When Jesus was on earth he said that the believer in every age would be able to do the works he had done. This promise is being fulfilled every day, and has so thoroughly convinced me of the truthfulness and the efficacy of Christian Science that I take great pleasure in pointing any one to the method of healing that was practised by our Saviour. The Bible says the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God; but regardless of this assertion, we strive to gain worldly knowledge; we strive to gain as large a portion of this world's goods as lies in our power; we strive to gain worldly honors; we strive for worldly pleasures, and, to sum the whole matter up in a nutshell, we live lives of selfishness. If we would expect any benefits from the teachings of Scripture, we should live lives of humility, of obedience to God's law: lives of Truth and Love. We should then be in a position to do what the Saviour has said we should do, and to exercise the power that is in us.

You are a man who is blessed with more than ordinary intelligence, with a goodly portion of this world's wisdom, and as this class of people especially are taking up the teachings of Christian Science and making a study of it and thereby reaping the benefits that are natural from such a course, I cannot see why you should not be enlisted in this cause. You are certainly aware of the sorrows, sufferings and bereavements that come to all who are heirs of the flesh, but if you will follow my advice, I feel confident that you will soon begin to realize there is no life, substance, or intelligence in matter; that man is a spiritual being and not a material being; that God is Life, and Truth, and Principle,—omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.

As I have said in the first place, prompted by various reasons to write to you on this subject, I trust you will realize and appreciate my sincerity. I believe that man is his brother's keeper, and I believe the Bible teaches that all the life and the love and the truth that was in Jesus Christ, is in us; that we are all one in Christ, and that it becomes us all to relieve one another of the burdens that sin has placed upon us; and as my heart has gone out after you in sorrow for the various afflictions that you have been called upon to bear, especially during the past few years, I feel to-day like enforcing upon you all the life and truth and sympathy that my finite being commands.

I trust that you may be brought out of the darkness of the carnal life, into the bright sunlight of a spiritual life, which you will find to be one of pleasure and peace.

Trusting that I may learn at an early date of your restoration to perfect health, and that your paths have been through green pastures and beside still waters, I remain,

Very sincerely yours,
M.

A letter from Mr. K. has come to hand dated April 10, 1899, a little over one month from the time he received the letter Mr. M. wrote, from which we quote the following:—

"Our mutual friend M. was in to see me this morning, wearing a smiling face and thoroughly imbued with the Christian Science idea and determined to live as well as to preach it in the future, which he says he has never done in the past. I am feeling exceedingly well and am more glad every day that I was wise enough to follow your advice."