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and the knife for seven years。
He calls it his 〃claim。〃 A surface…miner would think it was not his
claim at all； but the property of the doctor and his pal the surgeonfor
he would be misled by that word； which is Christian…Science slang for
〃ailment。〃 The Christian Scientist has no ailment； to him there is no
such thing； and he will not use the hateful word。 All that happens to
him is that upon his attention an imaginary disturbance sometimes
obtrudes itself which claims to be an ailment but isn't。
This witness offers testimony for a clergyman seventy years old who had
preached forty years in a Christian church； and has now gone over to the
new sect。 He was 〃almost blind and deaf。〃 He was treated by the C。 S。
method； and 〃when he heard the voice of Truth he saw spiritually。〃 Saw
spiritually？ It is a little indefinite； they had better treat him again。
Indefinite testimonies might properly be waste…basketed； since there is
evidently no lack of definite ones procurable； but this C。 S。 magazine
is poorly edited； and so mistakes of this kind must be expected。
The next witness is a soldier of the Civil War。 When Christian Science
found him； he had in stock the following claims ：
Indigestion；
Rheumatism；
Catarrh；
Chalky deposits in
Shoulder…joints；
Arm…joints；
Hand…joints；
Insomnia；
Atrophy of the muscles of
Arms。
Shoulders；
Stiffness of all those joints；
Excruciating pains most of the time。
These claims have a very substantial sound。 They came of exposure in the
campaigns。 The doctors did all they could； but it was little。 Prayers
were tried； but 〃I never realized any physical relief from that source。〃
After thirty years of torture； he went to a Christian Scientist and took
an hour's treatment and went home painless。 Two days later； he 〃began to
eat like a well man。〃 Then 〃the claims vanishedsome at once； others
more gradually〃； finally； 〃they have almost entirely disappeared。〃 And
a thing which is of still greater valuehe is now 〃contented and happy。〃
That is a detail which； as earlier remarked； is a Scientist…Church
specialty。 And； indeed； one may go further and assert with little or no
exaggeration that it is a Christian…Science monopoly。 With thirty…one
years' effort； the Methodist Church had not succeeded in furnishing it to
this harassed soldier。
And so the tale goes on。 Witness after witness bulletins his claims；
declares their prompt abolishment； and gives Mrs。 Eddy's Discovery the
praise。 Milk…leg is cured； nervous prostration is cured； consumption is
cured； and St。 Vitus's dance is made a pastime。 Even without a fiddle。
And now and then an interesting new addition to the Science slang appears
on the page。 We have 〃demonstrations over chilblains〃 and such things。
It seems to be a curtailed way of saying 〃demonstrations of the power of
Christian…Science Truth over the fiction which masquerades under the name
of Chilblains。〃 The children； as well as the adults； share in the
blessings of the Science。 〃Through the study of the 'little book' they
are learning how to be healthful； peaceful； and wise。〃 Sometimes they
are cured of their little claims by the professional healer； and
sometimes more advanced children say over the formula and cure
themselves。
A little Far…Western girl of nine； equipped with an adult vocabulary；
states her age and says； 〃I thought I would write a demonstration to
you。〃 She had a claim； derived from getting flung over a pony's head and
landed on a rockpile。 She saved herself from disaster by remembering to
say 〃God is All〃 while she was in the air。 I couldn't have done it。 I
shouldn't even have thought of it。 I should have been too excited。
Nothing but Christian Science could have enabled that child to do that
calm and thoughtful and judicious thing in those circumstances。 She came
down on her head； and by all the rules she should have broken it； but the
intervention of the formula prevented that； so the only claim resulting
was a blackened eye。 Monday morning it was still swollen and shut。 At
school 〃it hurt pretty badlythat is； it seemed to。〃 So 〃I was excused；
and went down to the basement and said； 'Now I am depending on mamma
instead of God； and I will depend on God instead of mamma。'〃 No doubt
this would have answered； but； to make sure； she added Mrs。 Eddy to the
team and recited 〃the Scientific Statement of Being；〃 which is one of the
principal incantations； I judge。 Then 〃I felt my eye opening。〃 Why；
dear； it would have opened an oyster。 I think it is one of the
touchingest things in child…history； that pious little rat down cellar
pumping away at the Scientific Statement of Being。
There is a page about another good childlittle Gordon。 Little Gordon
〃came into the world without the assistance of surgery or anaesthetics。〃
He was a 〃demonstration。〃 A painless one； therefore； his coming evoked
〃joy and thankfulness to God and the Discoverer of Christian Science。〃
It is a noticeable feature of this literaturethe so frequent linking
together of the Two Beings in an equal bond； also of Their Two Bibles。
When little Gordon was two years old； 〃he was playing horse on the bed；
where I had left my 'little book。' I noticed him stop in his play； take
the book carefully in his little hands； kiss it softly； then look about
for the highest place of safety his arms could reach； and put it there。〃
This pious act filled the mother 〃with such a train of thought as I had
never experienced before。 I thought of the sweet mother of long ago who
kept things in her heart；〃 etc。 It is a bold comparison； however；
unconscious profanations are about as common in the mouths of the lay
member ship of the new Church as are frank and open ones in the mouths of
its consecrated chiefs。
Some days later； the family libraryChristian…Science bookswas lying
in a deep…seated window。 This was another chance for the holy child to
show off。 He left his play and went there and pushed all the books to
one side； except the Annex 〃It he took in both hands； slowly raised it to
his lips； then removed it carefully； and seated himself in the window。〃
It had seemed to the mother too wonderful to be true； that first time；
but now she was convinced that 〃neither imagination nor accident had
anything to do with it。〃 Later； little Gordon let the author of his
being see him do it。 After that he did it frequently； probably every
time anybody was looking。 I would rather have that child than a chromo。
If this tale has any object； it is to intimate that the inspired book was
supernaturally able to convey a sense of its sacred and awful character
to this innocent little creature； without the intervention of outside
aids。 The magazine is not edited with high…priced discretion。 The
editor has a 〃claim；〃 and he ought to get it treated。
Among other witnesses there is one who had a 〃jumping toothache；〃 which
several times tempted her to 〃believe that there was sensation in matter；
but each time it was overcome by the power of Truth。〃 She would not
allow the dentist to use cocaine； but sat there and let him punch and
drill and split and crush the tooth； and tear and slash its ulcerations；
and pull out the nerve； and dig out fragments of bone； and she wouldn't
once confess that it hurt。 And to this day she thinks it didn't； and I
have not a doubt that she is nine…tenths right； and that her Christian…
Science faith did her better service than she could have gotten out of
cocaine。
There is an account of a boy who got broken all up into small bits by an
accident； but said over the Scientific Statement of Being； or some of the
other incantations； and got well and sound without having suffered any
real pain and without the intrusion of a surgeon。
Also； there is an account of the restoration to perfect health； in a
single night； of a fatally injured horse； by the application of Christian
Science。 I can stand a good deal； but I recognize that the ice is
getting thin； here。 That horse had as many as fifty claims； how could he
demonstrate over them？ Could he do the All…Good； Good…Good； Good…
Gracious； Liver； Bones； Truth； All down but Nine； Set them up on the
Other Alley？ Could he intone the Scientific Statement of Being？ Now；
could he？ Wouldn't it give him a relapse？ Let us draw the line at
horses。 Horses and furniture。
There is plenty of other testimonies in the magazine； but these quoted
samples will answer。 They show the kind of trade the Science is driving。
Now we come back to the question； Does the Science kill a patient here
and there and now and then？ We must concede it。 Does it compensate for
this？ I am persuaded that it can make a plausible showing in that
direction。 For instance： when it lays its hand upon a soldier who has
suffered thirty years of helpless torture and makes him whole in body and
mind； what is the actual sum of that achievement？ This；。I think： that it
has restored to life a subject who had essentially died ten deaths a year
for thirty years； and each of them a long and painful one。 But for its
interference that man in the three years which have since elapsed； would
have essentially died thirty times more。 There are thousands