AN EVER-PRESENT HELP FOUND
24 On the 23rd of March, 1900, I received from one of my
daughters a copy of Science and Health on my seventy-first
birthday. Although a constant reader of all kinds of papers
27 and books, I had never heard anything of Christian Sci-
ence, except a short notice that spring in a San Francisco
newspaper, from an orthodox clergyman, referring to the
30 Christian Science people in not very complimentary style.
1 In Mrs. Eddy's book I came across a great deal of
thought that was not readily understood at the first read-
3 ing, but by continued and careful study, and a good deal
of help from my knowledge of chemistry and natu-
ral philosophy, I soon shook off the belief of sensation
6 in matter, — the so-called elementary substance. One
afternoon I put the belt on my circular saw to cut blocks
of firewood and also to split a small stick of frame tim-
9 ber. In doing this the stick closed and pinched the saw.
I picked up a small wooden wedge and tried to drive
it into the saw kerf, but a bit of ice let the stick on to the
12 back of the saw and instantly it flew, with heavy force,
into my face, and bouncing off my left cheek fell about
twenty feet off on the snow. The blood spattered on the
15 snow next the saw table, and on feeling with my hand
there were two wounds, one on the lock of the jaw and
another forward, as big as a doll...ar, on the cheek bone.
18 "Now," I thought to myself, "there is a case of surgery
for you," and without further ceremony, I began to
treat the case to the best of my knowledge, with the
21 result that the bleeding stopped almost instantly, and
so did a thumping pain, which had commenced. I
paid no more attention to the matter, but finished my
24 work, and then went to supper. When I washed my
face, I felt a big lump on the jawbone where the block
of wood struck, but after my usual reading I went to
27 bed and slept all night until near daylight, when a pain
on the right side awoke me. On feeling with my hand
there was another big lump on the right side, but I
30 treated it and went to sleep again. I never lost an
hour from the hurt, although I found out that my jaw
was broken. There is no scar, only a little red spot on
1 the cheek, and the lumps on the bone have long since
disappeared.
3 In summing up the benefits I have received from
the reading of Science and Health, I can but refer to
a condition of sickness dating back to the war (1862),
6 when chronic and malignant diarrhoea came near
making an end of my material existence. My hearing,
also, was seriously impaired from the effect of cannon
9 firing at Shiloh, but it has come back to me, and where
I formerly dared not eat an orange, or grapes, I can now
eat anything without being hurt. My peace of mind
12 is giving me a rest which I never experienced before
during my life, and I have ceased to look away off for
the divine presence that was always near, though I did
15 not know it. — L. B., Baldy, N. M.
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