were the invalids of the family, we naturally sympathized a great deal with
each other, opened our hearts to each other, shared all our troubles and
sorrows.

During the summer of the year I have just mentioned, my brother came home
and began to tell how well he was. "Jeremiah, what patent medicine have you
been taking?" He looked at me, smiled and said, "Mary, if you will take the
kind of medicine I have, you will be well too." "What kind is that?" "It is
faith and prayer--the Lord's word received by faith." This was all new to
me--just like a strange language. I asked no more questions, for I did not
know what to say.

Finally, Mother, who had been listening to the conversation, said to him,
"Can you eat a raw egg if I get it for you?" His health had been so poor
that at times he could eat nothing but a raw egg, and frequently he would
refuse even that. "Mother," he replied, "I can eat two eggs if you can
spare that many, and you may cook them for me." When Mother cooked the
eggs, he looked at her and said, "Mother, have you any meat?" She looked at
him doubtfully, and not comprehending what God had done for his body, said,
"I don't believe I will give you any meat this time." He made no reply,
knowing that she did not understand.

It was October before I saw my brother again. Another swelling had appeared
on my jaw, stopping my mouth so that I could take my food only in a liquid
form, sucking it through my teeth. My brother again encouraged me to trust
the Lord, quoting God's promises to heal the body and relating a number of
instances that he had witnessed where persons were healed of fits and other
serious afflictions. I told my brother that I did not doubt that the Lord
had healed others, but said that I did not know whether or not he wanted to
heal me. "Perhaps," said I, "he is leaving me afflicted to keep me humble.