An Interlude

(Joyce Voysey)

The name Frances Thurber Seal, author of Redcliffe Book Club’s book for August “Christian Science in Germany”, had me wondering about James Thurber, the author.  Is he any connection to Frances Thurber Seal?  Why do I remember his name?

  Possibly from being mentioned in The Christian Science Monitor. 

On consulting Wikipedia, I find that James Thurber was the author of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.  This story was made extra famous by Danny Kaye in the movie of the same name.  It is his most famous work, and was published in The New Yorker magazine.

The name Walter Mitty and the derivative word "Mittyesque" have entered the English language, denoting an ineffectual person who spends more time in heroic daydreams than paying attention to the real world, or more seriously, one who intentionally attempts to mislead or convince others that he is something that he is not.  [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Life_of_Walter_Mitty]

Besides being a famous author, Thurber was also a cartoonist and celebrated wit.  So famous was he that two of his homes are on the National Register of Heritage Places in the USA.  He died in 1961 with the words “God bless…God damn,” as well as repeatedly saying, “God.”

His mother was called Mame (Mary Agnes).  She was a practical joker, on one occasion pretending to be crippled and attending a faith healer revival, only to jump up and proclaim herself healed.

The name Mame reminds one of the stage-show of that name, in which Carol Channing starred.  Her father was George Channing, a well known Christian Science teacher and lecturer, and editor of the Christian Science periodicals.  The story goes that George was born of mixed parentage, his father having been German American and his mother African American.  Carol is said to have given credit to her Negro heritage for at least some of her talent – movement, eyes, voice.

I found no connection between Frances Thurber Seal and James and Mame Thurber and Christian Science.

Further to the interlude: Back in 1972, my daughter, Julie and I travelled with the Queensland Youth Orchestra to Switzerland for an International Festival of Youth Orchestras, Julie as a violinist, me as secretary.  I kept a travel diary which I have since handed to the orchestra’s historian as an historic record.  This morning (15/8/12) I came across a page torn from that notebook before I handed it on.  Here is what it says,

A remarkable thing!  On a guided tour in Rome, the guide mentioned the legend of the Apostle Peter leaving Rome some years after the crucifixion of Jesus.  Discouraged by difficulties he encountered in spreading Christianity.  As he was walking down the Appian Way, Jesus appeared to him and Peter asked, “Quo Vadis Domine?”  Where goest thou Master?  And the Master replied that he was going to be crucified again.  As a Christian Scientist, I pricked up my ears at this story – the guide had some explanation according to Roman Catholic teaching.  But my thought, after seeing the superstition and paganism of that church in Italy, was that the teaching of that church was still crucifying the Christ.

While in Florence (Julie and I went to church – Julie to Sunday school actually), bought an Italian Herald of Christian Science, and what do you know?  A story Quo Vadis by George Nay, giving the Christian Science viewpoint of the legend (not proved true). 

In my internet travels looking for Quo Vadis references, I found this extract at http://jsh-online.com:

Signs of the Times

Topic: The Way of Peace

with contributions from Cordell Hull, George Lansbury, C. J. Griggers, Ernest H. Cherrington

From the March 26, 1938 issue of the Christian Science Sentinel

[George Lansbury, M. P., as quoted in the Scotsman, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland]

I said to Mussolini that I had been in the Quo Vadis Chapel, at the beginning of the Appian Way, and for nearly half the night had lain awake thinking of the catacombs, the crucifixions, the Roman triumphs, and the glories the remains of which lay all around.

I said to him: "Empires come and go, but these truths that martyrs and men like Peter and others died for still live. Imperialism, whether British, French, German, or Italian, cannot last. You cannot build a new Roman Empire, and you cannot restore the ancient glories of Rome. These cannot last, because if mankind continues to put its trust in domination and force civilization will pass away."

Signor Mussolini tried to persuade me that Britain, Germany, France, and Italy were the custodians of civilization, and I said: "You cannot take care of a civilization built on force or domination, or on the shifting sands of greed, ambition, and avarice. You can only do it on these principles of love and conduct which Christ [Jesus] came to earth to teach—love your neighbor as yourself; do unto others as you would be done by."

[Readers will note that Cordell Hull, the US Secretary of State and two others besides George Lansbury contributed to the piece “Signs of the Times – The Way of Peace”, of which we have reproduced just a small section here.] 

It is noticeable that here is another famous name - Lansbury.  Wikipedia again: George Lansbury, Labour Party leader of his day, is the grandfather of actress Angela Lansbury.  And she is related to Malcolm Turnbull of Australia’s Liberal Party.  We see that George Lansbury’s piece (above) originally appeared in the Scotsman, Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland.  Philip Kerr, Marquess of Lothian, was a Christian Scientist, a writer for the CS Monitor, and close friend of Nancy Astor.