My testimony to the value of Christian Science during my girlhood and early married life was published in the Sentinel in 1936. The years since then have added to my deep gratitude to God for Mrs. Eddy and her revelation and proof of the timelessness of the Science of Christianity practiced by our Way-shower, Christ Jesus.

Among my richest blessings I count a happy marriage to one who, though not a Christian Scientist, honors individual freedom so highly that he supports my relying on Science for myself, permitted our daughters to be brought up as Christian Scientists, and has encouraged me to serve the local branch church in many capacities through the years. This freedom for individual unfoldment has enriched us all.

Most of the growing years of our two daughters were totally free of disease. When they had some of the so-called communicable diseases, these were quickly healed through Christian Science treatment. Later, when they left home to enter college, the medical histories they were required to give were notably brief.

A few accidents were encountered, but the effects were quickly and completely healed. One daughter fell from a loaded bicycle while going downhill on a stony, gravel road. A relative picked her up and offered to take her to a hospital. She reported that the girl said: "I am a Christian Scientist and do not want to go to a hospital. But I am in your care and will do what you think right."

The relative took her home and put her to bed, frightened at her lack of color and the amount of gravel embedded in her face. I was notified, and Christian Science treatment was started at once. By the time I reached her an hour later, normal color had returned, and she was able to drive home with me. Two days later she was sufficiently improved to take an all-day bicycle trip. Within a month all the pebbles had come out, the redness was gone, and the skin was normal.

Our other daughter was healed of an extremely serious skin condition. The child showed both courage and steadfastness in her loyalty to Science throughout this trying experience.

After all these years during which I had seen healings result either from my own work or with the help of a practitioner, there came a time when my own need of physical healing was not met. I was patiently assisted by several practitioners at different times as occasion offered. Each time misconceptions were cleared and new views of man's spiritual nature gained; but the normal degree of health did not appear, and new problems arose.

During these weeks and months, which drew on to years, the difficulties, severe hemorrhaging and a stomach condition, were not evident to others; so the demands made on me were the usual ones made upon a woman caring for growing children and a busy husband and serving a branch church during the time it was building an edifice. I tried to maintain as normal a life as possible in public and to pray and rest and study whenever the opportunity was given.

A sentence that was very helpful during this time is from "The First Church of Christ, Scientist, and Miscellany" by Mrs. Eddy and reads (p. 242), "You can never demonstrate spirituality until you declare yourself to be immortal and understand that you are so."

Gradually the light dawned, the necessary spiritualization of thought took place, and the erroneous conditions faded away. Looking back I am grateful that in a degree I was able to express joy and usefulness throughout and that my courage was sustained through some of the dark moments of discouragement and loneliness when there was a strong temptation to give up and stop trying, I am sure that nothing but the study and practice of Christian Science could have brought me through those years feeling better and stronger than before they began.

A crowning proof of the completeness of my healing was a trip around the world lasting three months. Again Christian Science helped me to manifest strength and loving-kindness during an extremely busy schedule. Best of all, it helped me to see what Mrs. Eddy means when she says (Poems, p. 22), "Love hath one race, one realm, one power." The rewards from basing my thinking on this truth are immeasurable.—(Mrs.) Dorothy Hunt Smith, Princeton, New Jersey.