Testimonies Blog

A more careful account was afterwards prepared by the mother, and also by the father, with whom the author has conversed personally, in respect to his daughter. The parents are Rev. Albert Connett and Mrs. Anna E. W. Connett. At the time referred to, he was settled at Carbondale, Kansas, but has since removed to Solsberry, Ind. The mother’s account is as follows: ” About the middle of September, 1871, our eldest girl, Nettie, then nearly eight years old, began complaining of her left leg. The physicians pronounced it sciatic rheumatism. At times her sufferings were very great. Frequently she would not walk for a week. She was lame all the time, and never free from pain. In the fall of 1872, she seemed worse; one limb seemed higher than the other, and that limb
shrinking away. It was not nearly so large as the other. We called in the physicians again. They said the indications were, that it was hip-disease. We wrote to the Surgical Institute, at Indianapolis, in regard to her. They thought she could be cured there; but that if she did not have treatment soon, she would be a suffering cripple for life. We wanted to send her there, for treatment, but found it impossible to raise the means.

The child grew worse, and on the 29th of December, 1872, she had not left her bed for several days, and her sufferings were intense. That Sabbath morning we read an article in The Advance, `Prayer for Healing: A Remarkable Case’. Then came the thought, Why cannot we have faith to believe that Jesus will cure our child? Myrie and Orthie, of seven and five years, talked together about asking Jesus to cure Nettie. She told one of the children to come to her, and I kept on reading, as though I had read nothing remarkable; though I am sure that I knew not what I was reading about. I dreaded any conversation with the children. At length I could stand it no longer, but left the room, and prayed for faith to believe that my child could be cured. I then went to Nettie. She asked me if I
would pray, and ask Jesus to cure her? She thought he would, and the little ones expressed the same opinion. My faith was growing stronger. I told them that we would read about Jesus curing sick folks. I then read aloud all the instances of healing recorded in Matthew. We all felt, then, that all we had to do was, to ask Jesus to cure her.

I prayed, and was followed in prayer by Nettie. We asked for her cure that day. After prayer, I discovered that a change had come over the child, She looked worse than ever before. The thought occurred to me, that God was going to answer the prayer by taking her to himself. At her request, I read to her awhile. She then wanted to be helped into the
rocking chair, though she could sit only on one side. I helped her up, and, while doing so, such a sense of weakness came over me, as I never felt before. I lay down on her bed, and immediately fell into a deep sleep. How long I slept, I know not; perhaps half an hour; or may be an hour. I was then awakened by Nettie telling me she was cured. She would say: ‘O mamma, I am a new girl: Jesus has cured me. How I do love Jesus!’
She was the happiest person I ever saw. For the first time in fifteen months she was entirely well, and free from pain. She could run, jump, stand on one foot; in short, do any of the many things a well child could. I then took off the plaster, which the doctor put on her hip, a few days before, to make a sore, and we quit giving the medicines. That night we were a happy family, and it was late before the child could compose
herself to sleep.

On Wednesday following, the doctor came to see her. He could find nothing ailing the child. He seemed to think Mesmerism, or something of the kind, had been used; but after we gave him a plain statement of the case, he said he wished his daughter, who is an invalid, could be cured by prayer, or any other way. When he was ready to go, I brought him the medicines, which he took, but said I had better keep the plaster, as I
might need it. He has been here two or three times since. He always questions her closely. The last time he was here, a few days ago, he found her with a big apron on, doing work in the kitchen. He said: `Nettie, does your limb pain you much?’ She said: ` No, sir; it doesn’t pain me any at all.’ Mr. Connett was away, at his appointments, when
the child was restored. She continues well of the disease up to the present time.”

About eight months after the cure, the physician M. T. Perrine, M. D., gave the following statement in writing: CARBONDALE, Sept. 22, 1873. The Rev. Mr. Connett’s daughter was lame from sciatica, fifteen months before I was called to treat her. I used the common homeopathic remedies. They heard of the prayer-cure, and resorted to it. She seemed to become better, at once. She has continued better since —with the
exception of a few days, caused by slipping down. They now consider her well.” The author of this book has heard quite recently of the continued health of this little girl, from a friend who has visited the family at their present home in Indiana, and also from the father, who writes, Oct. 11, 1875: “Our girl, whose case you published in The Advance, still continues well. She is now twelve years old, large of her age, and doing
most of the work for our family of six persons.”

Excerpt from “Prayer and Its Remarkable Answers; Being a Statement of Facts in the Light of Reason and Revelation” by William W. Patton.