MRS. EDDY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 80, 6 April 1910, Page 4

MRS. EDDY.

_♦ A WONDERFUL WOMAN. Written for The Post by A. G. Stephens. Georgine Milinine's "Life of Mary Baker O. Eddy : »ud the History of Christian Science" gives a clear account of the life of a wonderful woman. Its weaknebs, in a cosmopolitan view, is insistence on detail that is valued in America. There is room for a shorter account that will place the subject in historical and philosophical perspective. Yet many people will find the book of absorbing interest. Mark Twain has deified Joan of Arc and defamed Mary Ed«ly. Nevertheless, Mary Eddy belongs to tho class of Joan of Arc, Joanna Southcote, Ann Lee, and the rest — the class of hysterical women endowed at crises with superhuman energy — dreaming dreams, seeing visions, and working wonder*. But Mary Eddy was not born in v mystical age, and tune has not yet enciicled her head with a halo of traditional reverence—though her devotees adore her and future superstition may canonise her. Nor has Mary Eddy ended in religious ecstasy. Her American environment has diverted religious material to business uses; and at the age of 89 she is virtually a millionaire at the head of the most business-like religion of America, AMERICA'S RICHEST AUTHOR. She is America's most successful author commercially. Her annual royalties on "Science and Health" and other books have reached a figure that puts all other American authors to financial shame. "Science and Health," read every Sunday with the Bible in Christian SfieiK-e churches, sells at $5 19c. a copy — say, 12j; 9d — 12s for the book and 9d for postage. Since 1875 "Science and Health" has been through nearly five hundred editions. And the beauty of Mary Eddy's publishing scheme is that only the latest edition, containing the Last revelations of the prophetess, has full virtue. The faithful Christian Scientists are enjoined to buy every edition as it appears, and pay 12s 9d for it. It doesn t matter if you have just Joined the brotherhood, and paid 12i 9d for edition 480 lost week. The Christian Science Journal exhorts you to buy edition 481, and plank down another 12s 9d. If you are a true Christian Scientist, you invariably do so— gladly. What shall it profit a Christian Scientist to gain 12r 3d, and lose "Science and Health" ! CHRISTIAN SCIENCE SPOONS. Derides the profit from "Science and Health" and other books, there is a profit from the Christian Science Journal. Mrs. Eddv'x picture is another fruitful source of revenue— -tho cheapest sells for one dollar. Christian Sciencejewellery is sold ; and the sale of Christian Science teaspoons was especially profitable. The "Mother Spoon," an ordinary silver spoon, Fold for $5.00. Mrs. Eddy's portrait was embossed npon It, a picture of her residence, her snrnature, and the motto : "Not Matter but Mind Satwfieth." Mrs. Eddy stimulated the sale of thin spoon by inserting the following request in tho journal : On each of these mo*t beautiful spoons is a motto in bas-relief that every person on earth need* to liold in thon^ht. Mother requests that Christian Scientists shall not ask what this motto is, I but each Scientist vhall purchase at least one spoon, and those who can afford it a dozen spoons, that their families may read this motto at every meal, and their guesta ba mode partakers of its simple truth. — Mary Baker G. Eddy. SCRATCH ME, SCRATCH THEE. As it is the first duty of Christian Scientists to do vrhat "Mother" tells them, advertising in the Christian Science Journal is valuable. Mrs. Eddy grants reciprocal favours to such publications as afford her space and praise. The Gianite Monthly, a little journal published at Concord, printed Mrs. Eddy's poem, "East«r Morn," and a highly laudatory article upon her. Mrs. Eddy responded in the Christian Science Journal with a request that all Christian Scientists subscribe to the Granitemonthly, which they promptly did. Colonel Oliver C. Sabin, a politician ! in Washington, was editor of a purely political publication, the- Washington News Letter. A Congressman one day attacked Christian Science in a speech. Colonel Sabin, whoM paper was ju»t then making things unpleasant for that j Congressman, wrote an editorial in defence of Christian Science. Mr*. Eddy inserted a card in the Journal requesting all Scientists to rubscribe to the News Letter. This brought Colonel Sabin such a revenue that no dropped politics altogether and turned his political paper into a religious periodical. j Mr. James T. White, publisher of the National Encyclopaedia of American biography, gave Mrs. Eddy a generoui place in hi* encyclopaedia, and wrote a poem to her. Mrs. Eddy requested, through the Journal, that all Christian Scientists buy Mr. White* volume of verse for Christmas presents, and the Christian Science Publication Society marketed Mr. White's verses. FOUNDING A CHURCH. The result of Mrs. Eddy's planning, •ays Miss Milmine, i« that she nas bunt up the largest and most powerful organisation ever founded by any woman in America Probably no other woman so handicapped — so limited in intellect, so uncertain in conduct, so tortured by hatred and hampered by petty animosities — has ever ripen from a state of helplessness and dependence to a position of such power and authority. , All that Christian Science comprises to-day — the Mother Church, branches, churches, healer*, teachers, readers, boards, committees, societies — are as completely under Mrs. Eddy's control as if she were their tempoial as well at spiritual ruler. And Mrs. Eddy was fifty years of age before the knew what she- wanted to do ; sixty when she bethought herself of the most effective way to do it — by founding a church; and seventy when fho achieved ber greatest triumph — the leorganisation and perfect control of the Mother Church. The Mother Church is in Boston, where Mrs. Eddy resides. It cost oTer one million dollar*. The auditorium is capable of holding over five thousand people ; the walls are deoorateel with texts signed, "Jesiifc, the Christ," nnd "Mary Baker O. Eddy"— these names standing ride by side. In June, 1967, there were in nil 710 branches. Fifty -eight of these aie outside the Usnted States— twenty-five in tht Dominion ot Canada, fourteen in Great Britain, two in Ireland, four in Australia, one in South Africa, eight in Mexico, two m German y, one in Holland, and one in France. There are al*o 295 Christian Science societies, not yet incorporated into churches, thirty of which are ontside the United States. In reading the*© figure* one must bear in mind the fact that thirty y«ars ago | the only Christian Science church in the world was struggling to pay its lent in Boston. HOW CHRISTIAN SCIENCE WORKS. Miiiy EiMy wit* a daughter of v New England farmer: slu- claim* Scotch ancestry. Her docliinc of Clint-tiun Scicino \\u.« atUpUHI fiom P. P. Quiniby —only iiei bnsine*-* ciignnifntioii is ciiix'"")- The e*3*m c of Christian Science i* simply the dogma that the mind tan herfl many disorder* of tl>» body— one of tbe moil ancient of til dogmas.

The. -.growth of Christian Science, says Miss Slilmine, must be attributed puwnifK- to it-, stimulating influence on tho nek ;ukl discontented. In rdation to tht-ir nhv-iral existent e and Mirroundinjr.i, ytxs. Eddy and all Christian Scientists Hyp exactly ns other people do; and wwhilo thoy write and teach that physical conditions should be ignored, and tho warning life of tho material world denk*', they daily recognise their own mortolfiv. and hoxo a very lively een6© of worlilly thrift and prosperity. Mrs. Eddy*6 philosophy makes a double appeal to hitman nature, offering food both to the inherent craving for the mystical, and to the desire to do well in a worldly -way, and teaching that there extremes .are not incompatible in "science." Such is Miss Miknine's conclusion, supported by a very caicful record of fact 6.