BOOKII
TherewereremarkablethingsaboutthestrangercalledtheMan——Mystery-
thingssoveryextraordinarythattheymonopolizedattentionandmadeallofhimseemextraordinary;butthiswasnotso,themostofhisqualitiesbeingofthecommon,every-daysizeandlikeanybodyelse\'s。Itwascurious。Hewasoftheordinarystature,andhadtheordinaryaspects;
yetinhimwerehiddensuchstrangecontradictionsanddisproportions!
Hewasmajesticallyfearlessandheroic;hehadthestrengthofthirtymenandthedaringofthirtythousand;handlingarmies,organizingstates,administeringgovernments——thesewerepastimestohim;hepubliclyandostentatiouslyacceptedthehumanraceatitsownvaluation——
asdemigods——andprivatelyandsuccessfullydealtwithitatquiteanotherandjustervaluation——aschildrenandslaves;hisambitionswerestupendous,andhisdreamshadnocommercewiththehumbleplain,butmovedwiththecloud-rackamongthesnow-summits。Thesefeaturesofhimwere,indeed,extraordinary,buttherestofhimwasordinaryandusual。
Hewassomean-minded,inthematterofjealousy,thatitwasthoughthewasdescendedfromagod;hewasvaininlittleways,andhadaprideintrivialities;hedotedonballadsaboutmoonshineandbruisedhearts;ineducationhewasdeficient,hewasindifferenttoliterature,andknewnothingofart;hewasdumbuponallsubjectsbutone,indifferenttoallexceptthatone——theNebularTheory。Uponthatonehisflowofwordswasfullandfree,hewasageyser。Theofficialastronomersdisputedhisfactsanddeededhisviews,andsaidthathehadinventedboth,theynotbeingfindableinanyofthebooks。Butmanyofthelaity,whowantedtheirnebulositiesfresh,admiredhisdoctrineandadoptedit,anditattainedtogreatprosperityinspiteofthehostilityoftheexperts。\"——
TheLegendoftheMan-Mystery,ch。i。
CHAPTERI
JANUARY,1903。Whenwedonotknowapublicmanpersonally,weguesshimoutbythefactsofhiscareer。WhenitisWashington,weallarriveataboutoneandthesameresult。Weagreethathiswordsandhisactsclearlyinterprethischaractertous,andthattheyneverleaveusindoubtastothemotiveswhencethewordsandactsproceeded。ItisthesamewithJoanofArc,itisthesamewithtwoorthreeorfiveorsixothersamongtheimmortals。ButinthematterofmotivesandofafewdetailsofcharacterweagreetodisagreeuponNapoleon,Cromwell,andalltherest;andtothislistwemustaddMrs。Eddy。Ithinkwecanpeacefullyagreeastotwoorthreeextraordinaryfeaturesofhermake-
up,butnotupontheotherfeaturesofit。Wecannotpeacefullyagreeastohermotives,thereforehercharactermustremaincrookedtosomeofusandstraighttotheothers。
Nomatter,sheisinterestingenoughwithoutanamicableagreement。Inseveralwayssheisthemostinterestingwomanthateverlived,andthemostextraordinary。Thesamemaybesaidofhercareer,andthesamemaybesaidofitschiefresult。Shestartedfromnothing。HerenemieschargethatshesurreptitiouslytookfromQuimbyapeculiarsystemofhealingwhichwasmind-curewithaBiblicalbasis。Sheandherfriendsdenythatshetookanythingfromhim。Thisisamatterwhichwecandiscussby-and-by。Whethershetookitorinventedit,itwas——
materially——asawdustminewhenshegotit,andshehasturneditintoaKlondike;itsspiritualdockhadnexttonocustom,ifanyatall:fromitshehaslaunchedaworld-religionwhichhasnowsixhundredandsixty-
threechurches,andshechartersanewoneeveryfourdays。Whenwedonotknowaperson——andalsowhenwedo——wehavetojudgehissizebythesizeandnatureofhisachievements,ascomparedwiththeachievementsofothersinhisspeciallineofbusiness——thereisnootherway。Measuredbythisstandard,itisthirteenhundredyearssincetheworldhasproducedanyonewhocouldreachuptoMrs。Eddy\'swaistbelt。
Figurativelyspeaking,Mrs。EddyisalreadyastallastheEiffeltower。
Sheisaddingsurprisinglytoherstatureeveryday。Itisquitewithintheprobabilitiesthatacenturyhenceshewillbethemostimposingfigurethathascastitsshadowacrosstheglobesincetheinaugurationofourera。Igrantthataftersayingthesestrongthings,itisnecessarythatIoffersomedetailscalculatedtosatisfactorilydemonstratetheproportionswhichIhaveclaimedforher。Iwilldothatpresently;butbeforeexhibitingthematuredsequoiagigantea,Ibelieveitwillbebesttoexhibitthesproutfromwhichitsprang。Itmaysavethereaderfrommakingmiscalculations。ThepersonwhoimaginesthataBigTreesproutisbiggerthanotherkindsofsproutsisquitemistaken。
Itistheordinarything;itmakesnoshow,itcompelsnonotice,ithasn\'tadetectiblequalityinitthatentitlesittoattention,orsuggeststhefuturegiantitssapissuckling。ThatisthekindofsproutMrs。Eddywas。
Fromherchildhooddaysuptowhereshewasrunningahalf-centuryacloseraceandgainingonit,shewasmosthumanlycommonplace。
SheisthewitnessIamdrawingthisfrom。Shehasrevealeditinherautobiographynotintentionally,ofcourse——Iamnotclaimingthat。Anautobiographyisthemosttreacherousthingthereis。Itletsouteverysecretitsauthoristryingtokeep;itletsthetruthshineunobstructedthrougheveryharmlesslittledeceptionhetriestoplay;itpitilesslyexposeshimasatinheroworshippinghimselfasBigMetaleverytimehetriestodothemodest-unconsciousnessactbeforethereader。Thisisnotguessing;Iamspeakingfromautobiographicalpersonalexperience;I
wasneverabletorefrainfrommentioning,withastudiedcasualnessthatcoulddeceivenonebutthemostincautiousreader,thatanancestorofminewassentambassadortoSpainbyCharlesI。,northatinaremotebranchofmyfamilythereexistsaclaimanttoanearldom,northatanuncleofmineusedtoownadogthatwasdescendedfromthedogthatwasintheArk;andatthesametimeIwasneverabletopersuademyselftocallagibbetbyitsrightnamewhenaccountingforotherancestorsofmine,butalwaysspokeofitasthe\"platform\"——puerilelyintimatingthattheywereoutlecturingwhenithappened。
ItisMrs。Eddyoveragain。Asregardsherminorhalf,sheisascommonplaceastherestofus。Vainoftrivialthingsallthefirsthalfofherlife,andstillvainofthematseventyandrecordingthemwithnaivesatisfaction——evenrescuingsomeearlyrhymesofhersofthesortthatweallscribbleintheinnocentdaysofouryouth——rescuingthemandprintingthemwithoutpityorapology,justastheweakestandcommonestofusdoinourgrayage。More——shestillfranklyadmiresthem;andinherintroductionofthemprofanelyconfersuponthemtheholynameof\"poetry。\"Sample:
\"AndlaudthelandwhosetalentsrockThecradleofherpower,AndwreathsaretwinedroundPlymouthRockFromerudition\'sbower。\"
\"Minerva\'ssilversandalsstillAreloosedandnoteffete。\"
Younoteitisnotashadeabovethethingwhichallhumanbeingschurnoutintheiryouth。
Youwouldnotthinkthatinalittleweeprimer——forthatiswhattheAutobiographyis——apersonwithatumultuouscareerofseventyyearsbehindhercouldfindroomfortwoorthreepagesofpaddingofthiskind,butsuchisthecase。Sheevidentlyputsnarrativetogetherwithdifficultyandisnotathomeinit,andisgladtohavesomethingready-
madetofillinwith。Anothersample:
\"Herefame-honoredHickoryrearshisboldform,Andbearsabravebreasttothelightningandstorm,WhilePalm,Bay,andLaurelinclassicalglee,ChaseTulip,Magnolia,andfragrantFringe-tree。\"
Vivid?Youcanfairlyseethosetreesgallopingaround。Thatshecouldstilltreasureup,andprint,andmanifestlyadmirethosePoems,indicatesthatthemostdaringandmasculineandmasterfulwomanthathasappearedintheearthincenturieshasthesamesoft,girly-girlyplacesinherthattherestofushave。
Whenitcomestoselectingherancestorssheisstillhuman,natural,vain,commonplace——ascommonplaceasIammyselfwhenIamsortingancestorsformyautobiography。ShecombsoutsomecreditableScots,andlabelsthemandsetsthemasideforuse,notoverlookingtheonetowhomSirWilliamWallacegave\"aheavyswordencasedinabrassscabbard,\"andnaivelyexplainingwhichSirWilliamWallaceitwas,lestwegetthewrongonebythehassock;thisistheone\"fromwhosepatriotismandbraverycomesthatheart-stirringair,\'Scotswhahaewi\'Wallacebled。\'\"
HannahMorewasrelatedtoherancestors。SheexplainswhoHannahMorewas。
WheneverapersoninformsuswhoSirWilliamWallacewas,orwhowrote\"Hamlet,\"orwheretheDeclarationofIndependencewasfought,itfillsuswithasuspicionwellnighamountingtoconviction,thatthatpersonwouldnotsuspectusofbeingsoemptyofknowledgeifhewasn\'tsufferingfromthesame\"claim\"himself。Thenweturntopage20oftheAutobiographyandhappenuponthispassage,andthathastysuspicionstandsrebuked:
\"Igainedbook-knowledgewithfarlesslaborthanisusuallyrequisite。
AttenyearsofageIwasasfamiliarwithLindleyMurray\'sGrammaraswiththeWestminsterCatechism;andthelatterIhadtorepeateverySunday。MyfavoritestudieswereNaturalPhilosophy,Logic,andMoralScience。FrommybrotherA1bertIreceivedlessonsintheancienttongues,Hebrew,Greek,andLatin。\"
Youcatchyourbreathinastonishment,andfeelagainandstillagainthepangofthatrebuke。Butthenyoureyefallsuponthenextsentencebutone,andthepainpassesawayandyousetupthesuspicionagainwithevilsatisfaction:
\"AftermydiscoveryofChristianScience,mostoftheknowledgeIhadgleanedfromschool-booksvanishedlikeadream。\"
Thatdisappearanceaccountsformuchinhermiscellaneouswritings。AsI
wassaying,shehandlesher\"ancestralshadows,\"asshecallsthem,justasIdomine。Itisremarkable。Whensherunsacross\"arelativeofmyGrandfatherBaker,GeneralHenryKnox,ofRevolutionaryfame,\"shesetshimdown;whenshefindsanothergoodone,\"thelateSirJohnMacneill,inthelineofmyGrandfatherBaker\'sfamily,\"shesetshimdown,andremembersthathe\"wasprominentinBritishpolitics,andatonetimeheldthepositionofambassadortoPersia\";whenshediscoversthathergrandparents\"werelikewiseconnectedwithCaptainJohnLovewell,whosegallantleadershipanddeathintheIndiantroublesof1722-25causedthatprolongedcontesttobeknownhistoricallyasLovewell\'sWar,\"shesetstheCaptaindown;whenitturnsoutthatacousinofhergrandmother\"wasJohnMacneill,theNewHampshiregeneral,whofoughtatLundy\'sLaneandwondistinctionin1814atthebattleofChippewa,\"shecataloguestheGeneral。(AndtellswhereChippewawas。)Andthensheskipsallherplatformpeople;nevermentionsoneofthem。Itshowsthatsheisjustashumanasanyofus。
Yet,afterall,thereissomethingverytouchinginherprideintheseworthysmall-fry,andsomethinglargeandfineinhermodestyinnotcaringtorememberthattheirkinshiptohercanconfernodistinctionuponher,whereashermerementionoftheirnameshasconferreduponthemafacelessearthlyimmortality。
CHAPTERII
Whenshewrotethislittlebiographyhergreatlife-workhadalreadybeenachieved,shewasbecomerenowned;tomultitudesofreverentdisciplesshewasasacredpersonage,afamiliarofGod,andHisinspiredchannelofcommunicationwiththehumanrace。Also,tothemthesefollowingthingswerefacts,andnotdoubted:
ShehadwrittenaBibleinmiddleage,andhadpublishedit;shehadrecastit,enlargedit,andpublisheditagain;shehadnotstoppedthere,buthadenlargeditfurther,polisheditsphrasing,improveditsform,andpublishedityetagain。Itwasatlastbecomeacompact,grammatical,dignified,andworkman-likebodyofliterature。Thiswasgoodtraining,persistenttraining;andinallartsitistrainingthatbringsthearttoperfection。WearenowconfrontedwithoneofthemostteasingandbafflingriddlesofMrs。Eddy\'shistory——ariddlewhichmaybeformulatedthus:
Howisitthataprimitiveliterarygunwhichbeganasahundred-yardflint-locksmooth-boremuzzle-loader,andinthecourseoffortyyearshasacquiredonenotableimprovementafteranother——percussioncap;fixedcartridge;rifledbarrel;efficiencyathalfamilehowisitthatsuchagun,sufficientlygoodonanelephanthunt(ChristianScience)fromthebeginning,andgrowingbetterandbetterallthetimeduringfortyyears,hasalwayscollapsedbacktoitsoriginalflint-lockestatethemomentthehuntresstraineditonanyothercreaturethananelephant?
SomethingmorethanagenerationagoMrs。Eddywentoutwithherflint-
lockontherabbitrange;andthiswasapartoftheresult:
\"Afterhisdecease,andaseverecasualtydeemedfatalbyskilfulphysicians,wediscoveredthatthePrincipleofallhealingandthelawthatgovernsitisGod,adivinePrinciple,andaspiritualnotmateriallaw,andregainedhealth。\"——PrefacetoScienceandHealth,firstrevision,1883。
N。B。Notfromthebookitself;fromthePreface。
YouwillnoticetheawkwardnessofthatEnglish。IfyoushouldcarrythatparagraphuptotheSupremeCourtoftheUnitedStatesinordertofindoutforgoodandallwhetherthefatalcasualtyhappenedtothedeadman——astheparagraphalmostasserts——ortosomepersonorpersonsnotevenhintedatintheparagraph,theSupremeCourtwouldbeobligedtosaythattheevidenceestablishednothingwithcertaintyexceptthattherehadbeenacasualty——victimnotknown。
Thecontextthinksitexplainswhothevictimwas,butitdoesnothingofthekind。Itfurnishessomeguessing-materialofasortwhichenablesyoutoinferthatitwas\"we\"thatsufferedthementionedinjury,butifyoushouldcarrythelanguagetoacourtyouwouldnotbeabletoprovethatitnecessarilymeantthat。\"We\"areMrs。Eddy;afunnylittleaffectation。Shereplaceditlaterwiththemoredignifiedthirdperson。
ThequotedparagraphisfromMrs。Eddy\'sprefacetothefirstrevisionofScienceandHealth(1883)。Sixty-fourpagesfurtheralong——inthebodyofthebook(theelephant-range),shewentoutwiththatsameflint-lockandgotthisfollowingresult。ItsEnglishisverynearlyasstraightandcleanandcompetentasistheEnglishofthelatestrevisionofScienceandHealthafterthegunhasbeenimprovedfromsmooth-boremusketuptoglobe-sighted,longdistancerifle:
\"MancontrolledbyhisMakerhasnophysicalsuffering。Hisbodyisharmonious,hisdaysaremultiplyinginsteadofdiminishing,heisjourneyingtowardsLifeinsteadofdeath,andbringingoutthenewmanandcrucifyingtheoldaffections,cuttingthemoffineverymaterialdirectionuntilhelearnstheuttersupremacyofSpiritandyieldsobediencethereto。\"
InthelatestrevisionofScienceandHealth(1902),theperfectedgunfurnishesthefollowing。TheEnglishisclean,compact,dignified,almostperfect。Butitisobservablethatitisnotprominentlybetterthanitisintheaboveparagraph,whichwasaproductoftheprimitiveflint-lock:
\"Howunreasonableisthebeliefthatwearewearingoutlifeandhasteningtodeath,andatthesametimewearecommuningwithimmortality?Ifthedepartedareinrapportwithmortality,ormatter,theyarenotspiritual,butmuststillbemortal,sinful,suffering,anddying。Thenwhereforelooktothem——evenwerecommunicationpossible——
forproofsofimmortalityandacceptthemasoracles?\"——Editionof1902,page78。
Withtheaboveparagraphscomparethesethatfollow。ItisMrs。Eddywriting——afteragoodlongtwentyyearsofpen-practice。ComparealsowiththeallegedPoemsalreadyquoted。TheprominentcharacteristicofthePoemsisaffectation,artificiality;theirmakeupisacomplacentandpretentiousoutpouroffalsefiguresandfinewriting,inthesophomoricstyle。Thesamequalitiesandthesamestylewillbefound,unchanged,unbettered,inthesefollowingparagraphs——afteralapseofmorethanfiftyyears,andafter——asaforesaid——longliterarytraining。Theitalicsaremine:
1。\"Whatplaguespotorbacilliwere[sic]gnawing[sic]attheheartofthismetropolis……andbringingit[theheart]onbendedknee?
Why,itwasaninstitutethathadentereditsvitals——that,amongotherthings,taughtgames,\"etcetera。——C。S。Journal,p。670,articleentitled\"ANarrative——byMaryBakerG。Eddy。\"
2。\"Parkssprangup[sic]……electric-carsrun[sic]merrilythroughseveralstreets,concretesidewalksandmacadamizedroadsdotted[sic]theplace,\"etcetera。——Ibid。
3。\"Shorn[sic]ofitssuburbsithadindeedlittlelefttoadmire,saveto[sic]suchasfancyaskeletonabovegroundbreathing[sic]slowlythroughabarren[sic]breast。\"——Ibid。
ThisisnotEnglish——Imean,grown-upEnglish。Butitisfifteen-year——
oldEnglish,andhasnotgrownamonthsincethesamemindproducedthePoems。ThestandardofthePoemsandoftheplague-spot-and-bacillieffortisexactlythesame。Itismoststrangethatthesameintellectthatwordedthesimpleandself-containedandclean-cutparagraphbeginningwith\"Howunreasonableisthebelief,\"shouldintheverysamelustrumdischargeupontheworldsuchaverbalchaosastheutteranceconcerningthatplague-spotorbacilliwhichweregnawingattheinsidesofthemetropolisandbringingitsheartonbendedknee,thusexposingtotheeyetherestoftheskeletonbreathingslowlythroughabarrenbreast。
TheimmensecontrastbetweenthelegitimateEnglishofScienceandHealthandthebastardEnglishofMrs。Eddy\'smiscellaneouswork,andbetweenthematurityoftheonedictionandthejuvenilityoftheother,suggests——compels——thequestion,Aretheretwoguns?Itwouldseemso。
Isthereapoor,foolish,old,scatteringflint-lockforrabbit,andalong-range,centre-driving,up-to-dateMauser-magazineforelephant?Itlookslikeit。ForitisobservablethatinScienceandHealth(theelephant-ground)thepracticewasgoodatthestartandhasremainedso,andthatthepracticeinthemiscellaneous,outside,small-gamefieldwasverybadatthestartandwasneverlessbadatanylatertime。
IwishtosaythatofMrs。EddyIamnotrequiringperfectEnglish,butonlygoodEnglish。NoonecanwriteperfectEnglishandkeepitupthroughastretchoftenchapters。Ithasneverbeendone。Itwasapproachedinthe\"wellofEnglishundefiled\";ithasbeenapproachedinMrs。Eddy\'sAnnextothatBook;ithasbeenapproachedinseveralEnglishgrammars;Ihaveevenapproacheditmyself;butnoneofushasmadeport。
Now,theEnglishofScienceandHealthisgood。InpassagestobefoundinMrs。Eddy\'sAutobiography(onpages53,57,101,and113),andonpage6ofhersqualidprefacetoScienceandHealth,firstrevision,sheseemstometoclaimthewholeandsoleauthorshipofthebook。ThatshewrotetheAutobiography,andthatpreface,andthePoems,andthePlague-spot-
Bacilli,wearenotpermittedtodoubt。Indeed,weknowshewrotethem。
ButtheverycertaintythatshewrotethesethingscompelsadoubtthatshewroteScienceandHealth。SheisguiltyoflittleawkwardnessesofexpressionintheAutobiographywhichapracticedpenwouldhardlyallowtogouncorrectedinevenahastyprivateletter,andcouldnotdreamofpassingbyuncorrectedinpassagesintendedforprint。Butshepassesthemplacidlyby;asplacidlyasifshedidnotsuspectthattheywereoffensesagainstthird-classEnglish。Ithinkthatthatplaciditywasbornofthatveryunawareness,sotospeak。IwillciteafewinstancesfromtheAutobiography。Theitalicsaremine:
\"IrememberreadinginmychildhoodcertainmanuscriptscontainingScripturalSonnets,besidesotherversesandenigmas,\"etc。Page7。
[Onpage27。]\"ManypalecrippleswentintotheChurchleaningoncrutcheswhocameoutcarryingthemontheirshoulders。\"
Itisawkward,becauseatthefirstglanceitseemstosaythatthecrippleswentinleaningoncrutcheswhichwentoutcarryingthecripplesontheirshoulders。Itwouldhavecosthernotroubletoputher\"who\"
afterher\"cripples。\"Iblameheralittle;Ithinkherproof-readershouldhavebeenshot。WemaylethercapitalCpass,butitisanotherawkwardness,forsheistalkingaboutabuilding,notaboutareligioussociety。
\"MarriageandParentage\"[Chapter-heading。Page30]。Youimaginethatsheisgoingtobeginatalkabouthermarriageandfinishwithsomeaccountofherfatherandmother。Andsoyouwillbedeceived。
\"Marriage\"wasright,but\"Parentage\"wasnotthebestwordfortherestoftherecord。Itreferstothebirthofherownchild。Afteracertainperiodoftime\"mybabewasborn。\"MarriageandMotherhood-MarriageandMaternity-MarriageandProduct-MarriageandDividend——eitherofthesewouldhavefittedthefactsandmadethematterclear。
\"Withoutmyknowledgehewasappointedaguardian。\"Page32。
Sheisspeakingofherchild。Shemeansthataguardianforherchildwasappointed,butthatisn\'twhatshesays。
\"Ifspiritualconclusionsareseparatedfromtheirpremises,thenexusislost,andtheargumentwithitsrightfulconclusions,becomescorrespondinglyobscure。\"Page34。
Weshallneverknowwhysheputtheword\"correspondingly\"inthere。Anyfine,largewordwouldhaveansweredjustaswell:psychosuperintangibly——electroincandescently——oligarcheologically——sanchrosynchro-
stereoptically——anyofthesewouldhaveanswered,anyofthesewouldhavefilledthevoid。
\"Hisspiritualnoumenonandphenomenonsilencedportraiture。\"Page34。
Yetshesayssheforgoteverythingsheknew,whenshediscoveredChristianScience。Irealizethatnoumenonisadaisy;andIwillnotdenythatIshalluseitwheneverIaminacompanywhichIthinkIcanembarrasswithit;but,atthesametime,Ithinkitisoutofplaceamongfriendsinanautobiography。There,Ithinkapersonoughtnottohaveanythinguphissleeve。Itunderminesconfidence。Butmydissatisfactionwiththequotedpassageisnotonaccountofnoumenon;itisonaccountofthemisuseoftheword\"silenced。\"Youcannotsilenceportraiturewithanoumenon;ifportraitureshouldmakeanoise,awaycouldbefoundtosilenceit,buteventhenitcouldnotbedonewithanoumenon。Notevenwithabrick,someauthoritiesthink。
\"Itmaybethatthemortallife-battlestillwages,\"etc。Page35。
Thatisclumsy。Battlesdonotwage,battlesarewaged。Mrs。Eddyhasoneverycuriousandinterestingpeculiarity:whenevershenoticesthatsheischortlingalongwithoutsayinganything,shepullsupwithasudden\"Godisoverusall,\"orsomeothersoundingirrelevancy,andforthemomentitseemstolightupthewholedistrict;then,beforeyoucanrecoverfromtheshock,shegoesflittingpleasantlyandmeaninglesslyalongagain,andyouhurryhopefullyafterher,thinkingyouaregoingtogetsomethingthistime;butassoonasshehasledyoufarenoughawayfromherturkeylotshetakestoatree。Whenevershediscoversthatsheisgettingprettydisconnected,shecouples-upwithanostentatious\"But\"
whichhasnothingtodowithanythingthatwentbeforeoristocomeafter,thenshehitchessomeemptiestothetrain-unrelatedversesfromtheBible,usually——andsteamsoutofsightandleavesyouwonderinghowshedidthatcleverthing。Forstrikinginstances,seebottomparagraphonpage34andtheparagraphonpage35ofherAutobiography。Shehasapurpose——adeepanddarkandartfulpurpose——inwhatsheissayinginthefirstparagraph,andyouguesswhatitis,butthatisduetoyourowntalent,nothers;shehasmadeitasobscureaslanguagecoulddoit。
Theotherparagraphhasnomeaningandnodiscoverableintention。ItismerelyoneofherGod-over-alls。Icannotspareroomforitinthisplace。
\"IbeheldwithineffableaweourgreatMaster\'smarvelousskillindemandingneitherobediencetohygieniclawsnor,\"etc。Page4I。
Thewordislooselychosen-skill。Sheprobablymeantjudgment,intuition,penetration,orwisdom。
\"Naturally,myfirstjottingswerebuteffortstoexpressinfeebledictionTruth\'sultimate。\"Page42。
Oneunderstandswhatshemeans,butsheshouldhavebeenabletosaywhatshemeant——atanytimebeforeshediscoveredChristianScienceandforgoteverythingsheknew——andafterit,too。Ifshehadput\"feeble\"infrontof\"efforts\"andthenleftout\"in\"and\"diction,\"shewouldhavescored。
\"……itswrittenexpressionincreasesinperfectionundertheguidanceofthegreatMaster。\"Page43。
Itisanerror。Noteveninthoseadvantageouscircumstancescanincreasebeaddedtoperfection。
\"Evilisnotmasteredbyevil;itcanonlybeovercomewithGood。Thisbringsoutthenothingnessofevil,andtheeternalSomethingnessvindicatestheDivinePrincipleandimprovestheraceofAdam。\"Page76。
Thisistooextraneousforme。ThatisthetroublewithMrs。Eddywhenshesetsouttoexplainanover-largeexhibit:theminuteyouthinkthelightisburstinguponyouthecandlegoesoutandyourmindbeginstowander。
\"NooneelsecandrainthecupwhichIhavedrunktothedregs,asthediscovererandteacherofChristianScience\"Page47。
Thatissayingwecannotemptyanemptycup。Weknewitbefore;andweknowshemeanttotellusthatthatparticularcupisgoingtoremainempty。Thatis,wethinkthatthatwastheidea,butwecannotbesure。
Shehasaperfectlyastonishingtalentforputtingwordstogetherinsuchawayastomakesuccessfulinquiryintotheirintentionimpossible。
Shegenerallymakesusuneasywhenshebeginstotuneuponherfine-
writingtimbrel。ItcarriesmebacktoherPlague-SpotandPoetrydays,andIjustdreadthose:
\"Intomortalmind\'smaterialobliquityIgazedandstoodabashed。
Blanchedwasthecheekofpride。MyheartbentlowbeforetheomnipotenceofSpirit,andatintofhumilitysoftastheheartofamoonbeammantledtheearth。BethlehemandBethany,GethsemaneandCalvary,spoketomychastenedsenseasbythetearfullipsofababe。\"
Page48。
TheheartofamoonbeamisaprettyenoughFriendship\'s-Albumexpression——letitpass,thoughIdothinkthefigurealittlestrained;buthumilityhasnotint,humilityhasnocomplexion,andifithaditcouldnotmantletheearth。Amoonbeammight——Idonotknow——butshedidnotsayitwasthemoonbeam。Butletitgo,Icannotdecideit,shemixesmeupso。Ababehasn\'t\"tearfullips,\"it\'sitseyes。YoufindnoneofMrs。Eddy\'skindofEnglishinScienceandHealth——notalineofit。
CHAPTERIII
Settingasidetitle-page,index,etc。,thelittleAutobiographybeginsonpage7andendsonpage130。Myquotationsarefromthefirstfortypages。Theyseemtometoprovethepresenceofthe\'prenticehand。Thestyleofthefortypagesislooseandfeebleand\'prentice-like。Themovementofthenarrativeisnotorderlyandsequential,butramblesaround,andskipsforwardandbackandhereandthereandyonder,\'prentice-fashion。Manyajourneymanhasbrokenuphisnarrativeandskippedaboutandrambledaround,buthediditforapurpose,foranadvantage;therewasartinit,andpointstobescoredbyit;theobservantreaderperceivedthegame,andenjoyeditandrespectedit,ifitwaswellplayed。ButMrs。Eddy\'sperformancewaswithoutintention,anddestituteofart。Shecouldscorenopointsbyitonthoseterms,andalmostanyreadercanseethatherworkwastheuncalculatedputteringofanovice。
IntheaboveparagraphIhavedescribedthefirstthirdofthebooklet。
Thatthirdbeingcompleted,Mrs。Eddyleavestherabbit-range,crossesthefrontier,andstepsoutuponherfar-spreadingbig-gameterritory——
ChristianScienceandthereisaninstantchange!Thestylesmartlyimproves;andtheclumsylittletechnicaloffensesdisappear。Inthesetwo-thirdsofthebookletIfindonlyonesuchoffence,andithasthelookofbeingaprinter\'serror。
Ileavetheriddlewiththereader。Perhapshecanexplainhowitisthataperson-trainedoruntrained——whoontheonedaycanwritenothingbetterthanPlague-Spot-Bacilliandfeebleandstumblingandwanderingpersonalhistorylitteredwithfalsefiguresandobscuritiesandtechnicalblunders,canonthenextdaysitdownandwritefluently,smoothly,compactly,capably,andconfidentlyonagreatbigthunderingsubject,anddoitaseasilyandcomfortablyasawhalepaddlesaroundtheglobe。
Asforme,IhavescribbledsomuchinfiftyyearsthatIhavebecomesaturatedwithconvictionsofonesortandanotherconcerningascribbler\'slimitations;andthesearesostrongthatwhenIamfamiliarwithaliteraryperson\'sworkIfeelperfectlysurethatIknowenoughabouthislimitationstoknowwhathecannotdo。IfMr。HowellsshouldpretendtomethathewrotethePlague-SpotBacillirhapsody,Ishouldreceivethestatementcourteously;butIshouldknowitfora——well,foraperversion。IfthelateJoshBillingsshouldriseupandtellmethathewroteHerbertSpencer\'sphilosophies;Ishouldanswerandsaythatthespellingcastsadoubtuponhisclaim。IfthelateJonathanEdwardsshouldriseupandtellmehewroteMr。Dooley\'sbooks,IshouldanswerandsaythatthemarkeddifferencebetweenhisstyleandDooley\'sisargumentagainstthesoundnessofhisstatement。YouseehowmuchI
thinkofcircumstantialevidence。Inliterarymatters——inmybelief——itisoftenbetterthananyperson\'sword,betterthananyshadycharacter\'soath。ItisdifficultformetobelievethatthesamehandthatwrotethePlague-Spot-BacilliandthefirstthirdofthelittleEddybiographywrotealsoScienceandHealth。Indeed,itismorethandifficult,itisimpossible。
Largelyspeaking,IhavereadacresofwhatpurportedtobeMrs。Eddy\'swritings,inthepasttwomonths。Icannotknow,butIamconvinced,thatthecircumstantialevidenceshowsthatheractualshareintheworkofcomposingandphrasingthesethingswassoslightastobeinconsequential。Wheresheputsherliteraryfootdown,hertrailacrossherpaidpolisher\'spageisasplainastheelephant\'sinaSunday-schoolprocession。Herverbaloutput,whenleftundoctoredbyherclerks,isquiteunmistakableItalwaysexhibitsthestronglydistinctivefeaturesobservableinthevirginpassagesfromherpenalreadyquotedbyme:
Desertvacancy,asregardsthought。
Self-complacency。
Puerility。
Sentimentality。
Affectationsofscholarlylearning。
Lustaftereloquentandfloweryexpression。
Repetitionofpetpoeticpicturesquenesses。
Confusedandwanderingstatement。
Metaphorgoneinsane。
Meaninglesswords,usedbecausetheyarepretty,orshowy,orunusual。
Sorrowfulattemptsattheepigrammatic。
Destitutionoforiginality。
ThefatvolumecalledMiscellaneousWritingsofMrs。Eddycontainsseveralhundredpages。Ofthefivehundredandfifty-fourpagesofproseinitIfindtenlines,onpage319,tobeMrs。Eddy\'s;alsoaboutapageoftheprefaceor\"Prospectus\";alsoaboutfifteenpagesscatteredalongthroughthebook。Ifshewroteanyoftherestoftheprose,itwasrewrittenafterherbyanotherhand。HereIwillinserttwo-thirdsofherpageoftheprospectus。Itisevidentthatwhenever,undertheinspirationoftheDeity,sheturnsoutabook,sheisalwaysallowedtodosomeofthepreface。Iwonderwhythatis?Italwaysmarsthework。
IthinkitisdoneinhumorousmaliceIthinktheclerksliketoseehergiveherselfaway。Theyknowshewill,herstockofusablematerialsbeinglimitedandherprocedureinemployingthemalwaysthesame,substantially。Theyknowthatwhentheinitiatedcomeuponherfirsteruditeallusion,oruponanyoneofherotherstage-properties,theycanshuttheireyesandtellwhatwillfollow。SheusuallythrowsoffaneasyremarkallsoddenwithGreekorHebreworLatinlearning;sheusuallyhasapersonwatchingforastar——shecanseldomgetawayfromthatpoeticidea——sometimesitisaChaldee,sometimesaWalkingDelegate,sometimesanentirestranger,butbehewhathemay,heisgenerallytherewhenthetrainisreadytomove,andhashispassinhishat-band;shegenerallyhasaBeingwithaDomeonhim,orsomeothercoverthatisunusualandoutofthefashion;shelikestofireoffaScripture-versewhereitwillmakethehandsomestnoiseandcomenearesttobreakingtheconnection;sheoftenthrowsoutaForefelt,oraForesplendor,oraForeslanderwhereitwillhaveafinenauticalforeto\'gallantsoundandmakethesentencesing;afterwhichsheisnearlysuretothrowdiscretionawayandtaketoherdeadlypassion,IntoxicatedMetaphor。AtsuchatimetheMrs。Eddythatdoesnothesitateislost:
\"TheancientGreeklookedlonginglyfortheOlympiad。TheChaldeewatchedtheappearingofastar;tohimnohigherdestinydawnedonthedomeofbeingthanthatforeshadowedbysignsintheheavens。ThemeekNazarene,thescoffedofallscoffers,said,\'Yecandiscernthefaceofthesky;butcanyenotdiscernthesignsofthetimes?\'——forHeforefeltandforesawtheordealofaperfectChristianity,hatedbysinners。
\"Tokindleallmindswithagleamofgratitude,thenewideathatcomeswellingupfrominfiniteTruthneedstobeunderstood。Theseerofthisageshouldbeasage。
\"Humilityisthestepping-stonetoahigherrecognitionofDeity。Themountingsensegathersfreshformsandstrangefirefromtheashesofdissolvingself,anddropstheworld。Meeknessheightensimmortalattributes,onlybyremovingthedustthatdimsthem。Goodnessrevealsanothersceneandanotherselfseeminglyrolledupinshades,butbroughttolightbytheevolutionsofadvancingthought,wherebywediscernthepowerofTruthandLovetohealthesick。
\"Prideisignorance;thoseassumemostwhohavetheleastwisdomorexperience;andtheystealfromtheirneighbor,becausetheyhavesolittleoftheirown。\"——MiscellaneousWritings,page1,andsixlinesattopofpage2。
ItisnotbelievablethatthehandthatwrotethoseclumsyandaffectedsentenceswrotethesmoothEnglishofScienceandHealth。
CHAPTERIV
ItisoftensaidinprintthatMrs。EddyclaimsthatGodwastheAuthorofScienceandHealth。Mr。Peabodystatesinhispamphletthat\"shesaysnotshebutGodwastheAuthor。\"Icannotfindthatinherautobiographyshemakesthistransferenceoftheauthorship,butIthinkthatinitshedefinitelyclaimsthatshedidherworkunderHisinspiration——definitelyforher;forasarulesheisnotaverydefiniteperson,evenwhensheseemstobetryingherbesttobeclearandpositive。SpeakingoftheearlydayswhenherSciencewasbeginningtounfolditselfandgatherforminhermind,shesays(Autobiography,page43):
\"ThedivinehandledmeintoanewworldoflightandLife,afreshuniverse——oldtoGod,butnewtoHis\'littleone。\'\"
ShebeingHislittleone,asIunderstandit。
Thedivinehandledher。Itseemstomean\"Godinspiredme\";butwhenapersonusesmetaphorsinsteadofstatistics——andthatisMrs。Eddy\'scommonfashion——onecannotalwaysfeelsureabouttheintention。
[Page56。]\"EventheScripturegavenodirectinterpretationoftheScientificbasisfordemonstratingthespiritualPrincipleofhealing,untilourHeavenlyFathersawfit,throughtheKeytotheScriptures,inScienceandHealth,tounlockthis\'mysteryofgodliness。\'\"
Anotherbafflingmetaphor。IfshehadusedplainforecastleEnglish,andsaid\"GodwrotetheKeyandIputitinmybook\";orifshehadsaid\"GodfurnishedmethesolutionofthemysteryandIputitonpaper\";orifshehadsaid\"Goddiditall,\"thenweshouldunderstand;butherphraseisopentoanyandallofthosetranslations,andisaKeywhichunlocksnothing——forus。However,itseemstoatleastmean\"Godinspiredme,\"
ifnothingmore。
Therewaspersonalandintimatecommunion,atanyratewegetthatmuchoutoftheriddles。Theconnectionextendedtobusiness,aftertheestablishmentoftheteachingandhealingindustry。
[Page71。]\"WhenGodimpelledmetosetapriceonmyinstruction,\"etc。
Furtherdown:\"Godhassinceshownme,inmultitudinousways,thewisdomofthisdecision。\"
Shewasnotabletothinkofa\"financialequivalent\"——meaningapecuniaryequivalent——forher\"instructioninChristianScienceMind-
healing。\"Inthisemergencyshewas\"led\"tochargethreehundreddollarsforatermof\"twelvehalf-days。\"Shedoesnotsaywholedher,sheonlysaysthattheamountgreatlytroubledher。Ithinkitmeansthatthepricewassuggestedfromabove,\"led\"beingatheologicaltermidenticalwithourcommercialphrase\"personallyconducted。\"She\"shrankfromaskingit,butwasfinallyled,byastrangeprovidence,toacceptthisfee。\"\"Providence\"isanothertheologicalterm。Twoledsandaprovidence,takentogether,makeaprettystrongargumentforinspiration。Ithinkthatthesestatisticsmakeitclearthatthepricewasarrangedabove。Thisviewisconstructivelysupportedbythefact,alreadyquoted,thatGodafterwardsapproved,\"inmultitudinousways,\"
herwisdominacceptingthementionedfee。\"Multitudinousways\"——
multitudinousencoring——suggestsenthusiasm。Businessenthusiasm。Anditsuggestsnearness。God\'snearnesstohis\"littleone。\"Nearness,andawatchfulpersonalinterest。Awarm,palpitating,Standard-Oilinterest,sotospeak。Allthisindicatesinspiration。Wemayassume,then,twoinspirations:oneforthebook,theotherforthebusiness。
TheevidenceforinspirationisfurtheraugmentedbythetestimonyofRev。GeorgeTomkins,D。D。,alreadyquoted,thatMrs。EddyandherbookwereforetoldinRevelation,andthatMrs。Eddy\"isGod\'sbrightestthoughttothisage,givingusthespiritualinterpretationoftheBibleinthe\'littlebook\'\"oftheAngel。
IamawarethatitisnotMr。Tomkinsthatisspeaking,butMrs。Eddy。
ThecommissionedlecturersoftheChristianScienceChurchhavetobemembersoftheBoardofLectureship。(By-lawsSec。2,p。70。)TheBoardofLectureshipisselectedbytheBoardofDirectorsoftheChurch。
(By-laws,Sec。3,p。70。)TheBoardofDirectorsoftheChurchisthepropertyofMrs。Eddy。(By-laws,p。22。)Mr。Tomkinsdidnotmakethatstatementwithoutauthorizationfromheadquarters。HenecessarilygotitfromtheBoardofDirectors,theBoardofDirectorsfromMrs。Eddy,Mrs。
EddyfromtheDeity。Mr。Tomkinswouldhavebeenturneddownbythatprocessionifhisremarkshadbeenunsatisfactorytoit。
Itmaybethatthereisevidencesomewhere——ashasbeenclaimed——thatMrs。EddyhaschargedupontheDeitytheverbalauthorshipofScienceandHealth。Butifsheevermadethecharge,shehaswithdrawnit(asitseemstome),andinthemostformalandunqualified;ofallways。SeeAutobiography,page57:
\"Whenthedemandforthisbookincreased……thecopyrightwasinfringed。IenteredasuitatLaw,andmycopyrightwasprotected。\"
ThusitisplainthatshedidnotpleadthattheDeitywasthe(verbal)
Author;forifshehaddonethat,shewouldhavelosthercase——andwithrudepromptness。ItwasintheolddaysbeforetheBerneConventionandbeforethepassageofouramendedlawof1891,andthecourtwouldhavequotedthefollowingsternclausefromtheexistingstatuteandfrownedheroutoftheplace:
\"NoForeignercanacquirecopyrightintheUnitedStates。\"
Tosumup。Theevidencebeforemeindicatesthreethings:
1。ThatMrs。Eddyclaimstheverbalauthorshipforherself。
2。ThatshedeniesittotheDeity。
3。That——inherbelief——shewrotethebookundertheinspirationoftheDeity,butfurnishedthelanguageherself。
InoneplaceintheAutobiographysheclaimsboththelanguageandtheideas;butwhenthiswitnessistestifying,onemustdrawthelinesomewhere,orshewillprovebothsidesofhercase-ninesides,ifdesired。
Itistootrue。Muchtootrue。Many,manytimestootrue。Sheisamosttryingwitness——themosttryingwitnessthateverkissedtheBook,I
amsure。Thereisnokeepingupwithhererratictestimony。Assoonasyouhavegothershareoftheauthorshipnailedwhereyouhalfhopeandhalfbelieveitwillstayandcannotbejoggledlooseanymore,shejogglesitlooseagain——orseemsto;youcannotbesure,forherhabitofdealinginmeaninglessmetaphorsinsteadofinplain,straightforwardstatistics,makesitnearlyalwaysimpossibletotelljustwhatitissheistryingtosay。Shewasdefinitewhensheclaimedboththelanguageandtheideasofthebook。Thatseemedtosettlethematter。Itseemedtodistributethepercentagesofcreditwithprecisionbetweenthecollaborators:ninety-twopercent。toMrs。Eddy,whodidallthework,andeightpercent。totheDeity,whofurnishedtheinspirationnotenoughofittodamagethecopyrightinacountryclosedagainstForeigners,andyetplentytoadvertisethebookandmarketitatfaminerates。ThenMrs。Eddydoesnotkeepstill,butfetchesaroundandcomesforwardandtestifiesagain。Itismostinjudicious。Forsheresortstometaphorthistime,anditmakestrouble,forsheseemstoreversethepercentagesandclaimonlytheeightpercent。forherself。IquotefromMr。Peabody\'sbook(Eddyism,orChristianScience。Boston:15CourtSquare,pricetwenty-fivecents):
\"Speakingofthisbook,Mrs。Eddy,inJanuarylast(I901)said:\'IshouldblushtowriteofScienceandHealth,withKeytotheScriptures,asI
have,wereitofhumanorigin,andI,apartfromGod,itsauthor;butasIwasonlyascribeechoingtheharmoniesofHeavenindivinemetaphysics,IcannotbesupermodestoftheChristianSciencetext-
book。\"\'
Mr。Peabody\'scomment:
\"Nothingcouldbeplainerthanthat。HereisadistinctavowalthatthebookentitledScienceandHealthwastheworkofAlmightyGod。\"
Itdoesseemtoamounttothat。Shewasonlya\"scribe。\"Confoundtheword,itisjustaconfusion,ithasnodeterminablemeaningthere,itleavesusintheair。Ascribeismerelyapersonwhowrites。Hemaybeacopyist,hemaybeanamanuensis,hemaybeawriteroforiginals,andfurnishboththelanguageandtheideas。AsusualwithMrs。Eddy,theconnectionaffordsnohelp——\"echoing\"throwsnolightupon\"scribe。\"A
rockcanreflectanecho,awallcandoit,amountaincandoit,manythingscandoit,butascribecan\'t。Ascribethatcouldreflectanechocouldgetoverthirtydollarsaweekinaside-show。Manyimpresarioswouldratherhavehimthanacowwithfourtails。Ifweallowthatthispresentscribewassettingdownthe\"harmoniesofHeaven\"——andcertainlythatseemstohavebeenthecasethentherewasonlyonewaytodoitthatIcanthinkof:listentothemusicandputdownthenotesoneafteranotherastheyfell。InthatcaseMrs。Eddydidnotinventthetune,sheonlyentereditonpaper。Thereforedroppingthemetaphor——shewasmerelyanamanuensis,andfurnishedneitherthelanguageofScienceandHealthnortheideas。Itreduceshertoeightpercent。(andthedividendsonthatandtherest)。
Isthatit?Weshallneverknow。ForMrs。Eddyisliabletotestifyagainatanytime。Butuntilshedoesit,IthinkwemustconcludethattheDeitywasAuthorofthewholebook,andMrs。EddymerelyHistelephoneandstenographer。Grantingthis,herclaimastheVoiceofGodstands-forthepresent——justifiedandestablished。
POSTSCRIPT
Ioverlookedsomething。ItappearsthattherewasmoreofthatutterancethanMr。Peabodyhasquotedintheaboveparagraph。ItwillbefoundinMrs。Eddy\'sorgan,theChristianScienceJournal(January,I901)andreadsasfollows:
\"Itwasnotmyself……whichdictatedScienceandHealth,withKeytotheScriptures。\"
Thatiscertainlyclearenough。ThewordswhichIhaveremovedfromthatimportantsentenceexplainWhoitwasthatdidthedictating。Itwasdoneby\"thedivinepowerofTruthandLove,infinitelyaboveme。\"
Certainlythatisdefinite。Atlast,throughherpersonaltestimony,wehaveasuregripuponthefollowingvitalfacts,andtheysettletheauthorshipofScienceandHealthbeyondperadventure:
1。Mrs。Eddyfurnished\"theideasandthelanguage。\"
2。Godfurnishedtheideasandthelanguage。
Itisagreatcomforttohavethematterauthoritativelysettled。
CHAPTERV
Itishardtolocateher,sheshiftsaboutsomuch。Sheisashiningdropofquicksilverwhichyouputyourfingeronanditisn\'tthere。
ThereisaparagraphintheAutobiography(page96)whichplacesinseeminglydarklysignificantprocessionthreePersonages:
1。TheVirginMary2。JesusofNazareth。
3。Mrs。Eddy。
Thisistheparagraphreferredto:
\"NopersoncantaketheindividualplaceoftheVirginMary。NopersoncancompassorfulfiltheindividualmissionofJesusofNazareth。NopersoncantaketheplaceoftheauthorofScienceandHealth,thediscovererandfounderofChristianScience。Eachindividualmustfillhisownnicheintimeandeternity。\"
Ihavereaditmanytimes,butIstillcannotbesurethatIrightlyunderstandit。IftheSaviour\'snamehadbeenplacedfirstandtheVirginMary\'ssecondandMrs。Eddy\'sthird,IshoulddrawtheinferencethatadescendingscalefromFirstImportancetoSecondImportanceandthentoSmallImportancewasindicated;buttoplacetheVirginfirst,theSavioursecond,andMrs。Eddythird,seemstoturnthescaletheotherwayandmakeitanascendingscaleofImportances,withMrs。Eddyrankingtheothertwoandholdingfirstplace。
Ithinkthatthatwasperhapstheintention,butnonebutaseasonedChristianScientistcanexaminealiteraryanimalofMrs。Eddy\'screationandtellwhichendofitthetailison。Sheiseasilythemostbafflingandbewilderingwriterintheliterarytrade。