“Why not stay here？” Mrs. Webster replied. “I’m all alone inthis big house.” Mrs. Glover might have remained indefinitelywith “Mother” Webster， if the latter’s son-in-law， Bill Ellis， hadn’tcome up from New York for a vacation. When he discovered Mrs.
Glover’s presence， he shouted：“I’ll have no vagabonds in thishouse”； and he shoved this homeless woman out of the door. Adriving rain was falling. She stood shivering in the rain for a fewminutes， and then started down the road， looking for shelter.
Here is the astonishing part of the story. That “vagabond”
whom Bill Ellis put out of the house was destined to have as muchinfluence on the thinking of the world as any other woman whoever walked this earth. She is now known to millions of devotedfollowers as Mary Baker Eddy—the founder of Christian Science.
Yet， until this time， she had known little in life except sickness，sorrow， and tragedy. Her first husband had died shortly aftertheir marriage. Her second husband had deserted her and elopedwith a married woman. He later died in a poor-house. She hadonly one child， a son； and she was forced， because of poverty，illness， and jealousy， to give him up when he was four years old.
She lost all track of him and never saw him again for thirty-oneyears.
Because of her own ill health， Mrs. Eddy had been interestedfor years in what she called “the science of mind healing”.
But the dramatic turning point in her life occurred in Lynn，Massachusetts. Walking downtown one cold day， she slipped andfell on the icy pavement—and was knocked unconscious. Herspine was so injured that she was convulsed with spasms. Eventhe doctor expected her to die. If by some miracle she lived， hedeclared that she would never walk again.
Lying on what was supposed to be her deathbed， Mary BakerEddy opened her Bible， and was led， she declared， by divineguidance to read these words from Saint Matthew： “And， behold，they brought to him a man sick of the palsy， lying on a bed： andJesus ... said unto the sick of the palsy： Son， be of good cheer； thysins be forgiven thee.... Arise， take up thy bed， and go unto thinehouse. And he arose， and departed to his house.”
These words of Jesus， she declared， produced within her sucha strength， such a faith， such a surge of healing power， that she“immediately got out of bed and walked”.
“That experience，” Mrs. Eddy declared， “was the falling applethat led me to the discovery of how to be well myself， and howto make others so.... I gained the scientific certainty that allcausation was Mind， and every effect a mental phenomenon.”
Such was the way in which Mary Baker Eddy became thefounder and high priestess of a new religion： Christian Science—the only great religious faith ever established by a woman—areligion that has encircled the globe.
You are probably saying to yourself by now： “This manCarnegie is proselytising for Christian Science.” No. You arewrong. I am not a Christian Scientist. But the longer I live，the more deeply I am convinced of the tremendous power ofthought. As a result of thirty-five years spent in teaching adults， I know men and women can banish worry， fear， and variouskind of illness， and can transform their lives by changing theirthoughts. I know！ I know！！ I know！！！ I have seen such incredibletransformations performed hundreds of times. I have seen themso often that I no longer wonder at them.
For example， one of these transformations happened to one ofmy students， Frank J. Whaley， of 1469 West Idaho Street， SaintPaul， Minnesota. He had a nervous breakdown. What brought iton？ Worry. Frank Whaley tells me：
“I worried about everything： I worried because I was too thin；because I thought I was losing my hair； because I feared I wouldnever make enough money to get married； because I felt I wouldnever make a good father； because I feared I was losing the girlI wanted to marry； because I felt I was not living a good life. Iworried about the impression I was making on other people.
I worried because I thought I had stomach ulcers. I could nolonger work； I gave up my job. I built up tension inside me untilI was like a boiler without a safety valve. The pressure got sounbearable that something had to give—and it did. If you havenever had a nervous breakdown， pray God that you never do，for no pain of the body can exceed the excruciating pain of anagonised mind.
“My breakdown was so severe that I couldn’t talk even to myown family. I had no control over my thoughts. I was filled withfear. I would jump at the slightest noise. I avoided everybody. Iwould break out crying for no apparent reason at all.
“Every day was one of agony. I felt that I was deserted byeverybody—even God. I was tempted to jump into the river andend it all.
“I decided instead to take a trip to Florida， hoping that achange of scene would help me. As I stepped on the train， my father handed me a letter and told me not to open it until Ireached Florida. I landed in Florida during the height of thetourist season. Since I couldn’t get in a hotel， I rented a sleepingroom in a garage. I tried to get a job on a tramp freighter out ofMiami， but had no luck. So I spent my time at the beach. I wasmore wretched in Florida than I had been at home； so I openedthe envelope to see what Dad had written. His note said：‘son，you are 1，500 miles from home， and you don’t feel any different，do you？ I knew you wouldn’t， because you took with you theone thing that is the cause of all your trouble， that is， yourself.
There is nothing wrong with either your body or your mind. It isnot the situations you have met that have thrown you； it is whatyou think of these situations. “As a man thinketh in his heart， sois he.” When you realise that， son， come home， for you will becured.’
