Lately appeared a very able and earnest deffense Corrected: defense in behalf of your wonderful bookEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy, in the New Church IndepenceEditorial Note: The New Church Independent was a publication of the New Church, a church based on the teachings of Emmanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772).. Being blind on the left eyes deaf on the left right ear, from scarled fever, from early childhood, very feeble in spine, and entirely unable to use my left arm, in consequence of a fracture of the radius and the dislocation of the ulna from its socket, badly satCorrected:set. Rheumatism completed to the brim of what was needed to make me an almost useless man in society. In this condition, after I had read the above mentioned article, I grew greatly anxious to get the bookEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. I wrote to the author of said article, at Williamsport, Pa.Expanded:Pennsylvania Telling her all about me, which I thought necessary to introduce myself to her, and requested the favor of lending me the book. And lo, she immediately sent me — an entire stranger— the books; allowing me three months time for its study, and if need be, even longer. At the first few pages I found myself in an entirely foreign realm of thought. Being these twelve years a believer in the New Church doctrines, the impersonality of God shocked or nearly repulsed me from the tenor of your teaching; still I resisted my own feeling, since I intended to learn and not to dispute. The more I read, the more fascinated and attached to your teachings I grew, and the more hopeful I felt to finally find retemption Corrected: redemption from all my physical frailities Corrected: frailties. ("errors)". Had I eagerly longed before to go to better hopeHeb 7:19 For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. now I longed to live on to see the "arm of the Lord", the healing efficacy of Mind, "the Glory of Omnipotence". In reading I took many written notes and after I was through with the first vol. I wrote to my new friend; for I could not help doing so. You cannot think how thankful I felt for her kindness. To cause her some pleasure in return I composed an acrostic on her name and added in to the letter. I am now too well acquainted with her, by correspondence as not to know that she would allow me, to add it also to this letter, in order to give you some idea of my then hopeful and jubilant frame of mind.

Acrostic to my new friend; a stearn and able advocate of metaphysics.

"Mind — only entity – whose power I did not know, Most surely the redemptive work on me will do: Making from sickening deadening "error" free Me — even me – groaning in grievous captivity. "All that existists Corrected: exists is Mind" and is immortal, An axiom is; perhaps the timeless portal And only entrance to redemptive ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science; As it, for demonstration only needs appliance. Hail, Truth Divine! Almighty Liberator! In Thee, to all, the "Star of Hope" appears. No sickness, sin nor death, nor human traitor Can stand Thy saving presence without fears. King of all kings, with healing in Thy pinion, Let all the world Thy grand Salvation see! "Error," through ages, man's adopted minion, Yielding to Life, flees Immortality."

Not knowing the initials (of the names) I used them in quartettsCorrected:quartets.

She is a great help to me, by her instructive letters, to make me your teachings more plain. And yet, in spite of her help I seem not be fully empowered by the degree of "understanding" attained, to get rid of my "mortal beliefs," errors, as you call these human miseries, under whose grasp I groan; in spite of all my mental exertions day and night and to the best of my "understanding," I am now through with both volumnsCorrected:volumes, and as I am allowed to keep them still longer, I shall resume a second deliberate perusal of them, to get, if possible, a better understanding " of this " Divine Science". But now to the purpose of my addressing you personally: Pray, Dear Madam, have mercy on me, a poor human sufferer; remembering, "as every man has received the gift, even so minister unto the minister some one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" 1 Peter 4:10I Pet 4:10 As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. . "Silver or gold"Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. I cannot promise you in pay, most of my life I worked in wool-mills, the last what I did to make a living was, to work, a cobbler, in a shoe shop; now that I cannot work, I give lessons to a boy in German language, earning 60 ctsEditorial Note: $0.60 in 1885 is the equivalent of $15.81 in 2019. a week if he comes regular if not, some times 30Editorial Note: $0.30 in 1885 is the equivalent of $7.91 in 2019. and sometimes 40 ctsEditorial Note: $0.40 in 188t is the equivalent of $10.54 in 2019. a week. This week I got another scholar for a month or two, a young lady who is now at home from college, avails herselfs Corrected: herself of the opportunity, to pursue her German study under my assistance. If both both will be regular in coming, I may possibly earn $1.20Editorial Note: $1.20 in 1885 is the equivalent of $31.63 in 2019. a week Yet, whether you will "minister unto me with the Divine gift received or not, I might nevertheless be of some service, though not you, yet to suffering humanity, if only you willed it: by translating your salutary work, into the GermanEditorial Note: In 1910, Mary Baker Eddy authorized a translation of Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures into German. It was published in 1912., to benefit my suffering country men on this side of ocean, and in my own dear Fatherland–Germany.

It would not be the first of my translations that ever was published. The last of them which I translated for. The German New Church Tract Society in BrooklynEditorial Note: Brooklyn, New York was "The true idea of God;" by the Rev. Chancey Giles in PhiladelphiaEditorial Note: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Last May another of my translations was published by Sahaefer & Koradi in Philadelphia "Aphorisms of the New Life" by Dr. Wm H. Holcombe.

Of course if you should deem me worthy and competent for the translation of so momentous a work, as "Science and Health"Editorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy and employ me for its translation, the publication of it I should leave entirely I in your hands, except the correction of the proof-sheets.

As to the terms, under which I should make the translation for you, I would wholly submit them to your own Christian conscience to make, and to deduct what you might deem equitable for healing me.

And if you only would "destroy" the weakness in the spine near the kidniesCorrected:kidneys, the dislocation onf my left wrist and the rheumatism in both arms and my hard hearing, which later often perplexing me when listening to my scholars or conversing with a neighbor, so that I give answers sometimes, not at all corresponding to the questions put to me. As to my left eye; what shall I say; that I would be almost rather too glorious, ever to see again through that [?] Unclear or illegible , Yet: "Behold I am the Lord's hand - servant, be it unto me, according to His word"Luke 1:38 And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. Pray, I beseech you, answer soon to your awkward student