A bright report on the life of Mary Baker Eddy

A World More Bright by Isabel Ferguson and Heather Vogel Frederick

What interesting women wrote this book!  I just looked up their short bios at the back of the book. They seem to be well qualified and they have given us a “bright” report of the life of Mary Baker Eddy.

I do not have the book in my collection, so was glad to be able to have it on loan from our Reading Room.  I suppose I have read it before, but have registered no impression from that reading, if I have.

It must be very difficult to find a different angle from which to come at a new biography of the Founder of the Christian Science movement.  Much of the early part of the book records matter which is quite familiar to the student of Christian Science.  But the recounting of Asa Gilbert Eddy's place and influence on the Christian Science movement, puts a new light on that significant period of her life for me.

My first note relates to page 84's first paragraph.  It tells us something of the struggle it cost this author to put Science and Health's statement into words for humanity's benefit. “Putney” (Samuel Putnam Bancroft) wrote of her persistence: “I have known her when nearly crushed with sorrow, but she wrote on.  I have known her when friend after friend deserted her, but she wrote on.  I have seen student after student bring ridicule and reproach upon her, but still she wrote on.”

I am reminded at how little I give for the cause of Christian Science.

And there is a different angle in the picture of the attic room in Lynn where she wrote (page 84).  I love the thought that the only light came from above – the skylight in this tiny room.

On page 87 we find a hint of how to be successful in business.  Daniel Spofford was in charge of book sales for this precious volume.  He was assured that, “Love, meekness, charity and patience with everybody” would increase his success.

Mary's marriage to Gilbert Eddy was a big surprise to her students.  However, as we read of the important place he had in the founding of the Christian Science movement, we are so glad he came. 

What a modern-day-like couple they were.  He healed patients while she revised her book.  He did the cooking and other household chores; she preached and lectured. 

The recounting of the visit from Mary's son George gives a glimpse of the home and family life that was enjoyed by this family of three for three months in 1879.  George seems to have accepted Gilbert as his step-father.  We hear that he wrote back to his mother from his home, referring to Gilbert as father.

I finished reading about Gilbert Eddy feeling so grateful that he had been there to steady the ark at that crucial time in the development of the Christian Science movement.  He seems to have been the means whereby chaos was changed to calm in many directions.

Page 93 tells us that Mrs. Eddy's Communion Hymn was first published as Hymn of Science. It begins, “Saw ye my Savior?” It was published in the Lynn Transcript in December, 1876, and seems to be one poem that wasn't revised over the years. One is surprised to hear that the poem  Christ my Refuge was first published in 1868, but was revised and republished for nearly 40 years; the last edit was made by Mary in 1909.

I love the phrase, “white-winged angel throng of thoughts” -- my emphasis, of course.  And I was thrilled that it was the same in the original, as in the very final version.

Page 94 -- advice to Christian Scientists from Mrs. Eddy:  “Christian Scientists should so live that they will not need to tune themselves like a violin when they are called upon to help – they always should be prepared and ready to meet the need.”

Joyce Voysey