Musings on starting a new book ...from Joyce Voysey 4^th June 2012

When I start a new book, I look at the pages which do not have pages numbers although they are actually numbered - for instance Science and Health's third page (i.e. iii) isn't printed as such. What a lovely page!  I have been known to finish my Wednesday Testimony Meeting readings with Mrs. Eddy's beautiful prayer/poem which appears there:

Oh! Thou hast heard my prayer;
And I am blest!
This is Thy high behest: -
Thou here, and everywhere.

So...our book – Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy – isn't like that;
the numbering of pages doesn't begin till the Forward, and there are 10 pages before that, not including the end pages.  On the first of those pages, we have the book's full title:  

Twelve Years with Mary Baker Eddy
Recollections and Experiences

Two blank pages follow – we won't examine those too closely! – then a signed photograph of our author, Irving C Tomlinson.  (Men's fashion hasn't changed much, has it?)  Next I think it is called the Title Page: it gives the full title of the book, Reverend Tomlinson's full educational credits, including C.S.B. which means that he is a Christian Science practitioner and teacher, the Publisher is included and place of origin: The Christian Science Publishing Society in Boston, USA.

The last of these pages – on the edition I have - gives Library reference, date of copyright and its renewal and the Board of Directors of The Mother Church as owners of that copyright, and where it is printed.  Then we have "Publisher's Note" for two pages, illustrations, and another blank page.  Quite a lot to take in and appreciate.

Before we start on the Publisher's Note, we turn to the back of the book where we find that, yes, there is an Index; always a good thing to have for students and careful readers. There are also some pages where we can make our own notes, e.g. my first note (written on a previous reading of the book) is, "See p. 134 'Think before you act...'".  Now I wonder about that.