Discoverer: Science of Christianity
Recovery, “all through prayer.” 1866
House on Paradise Road, Swampscott, Mass., where her healing took place
In Swampscott, Massachusetts, on the evening of February 1, 1866, Mrs. Patterson sustained serious internal injuries from a fall on an icy sidewalk. The next day, the doctor brought her home in a sleigh and carried her upstairs to the Pattersons’ second-floor apartment. She was placed on a cot in the kitchen near the heat of the stove. There she lay, unable to stand or walk, the slightest movement causing intense pain.
The attending physician offered little hope she would recover. Anxious friends gathered in the parlor, fearing the worst. Her minister was sent for. Her husband, away at the time, was telegraphed to come home immediately. Three days passed with no improvement.
On Sunday, turning to her Bible, she became deeply inspired by an account of one of Jesus’ healings. In a moment of profound spiritual insight, she found herself suddenly able to get up from the cot and cross the room unaided. Her friends were amazed. “This is all through prayer,” she told them. * As her health improved in the months ahead, she realized that moment had been a turning point.
* Reminiscence of George Newhall, Longyear Museum
