"Captain, why don't you heal your wife yourself?"

Page 113 gives a warm account of sea captain Joseph Eastaman and his wife Mary, their entry into Christian Science and subsequent dedication to the healing work. The page also offers information about Christian Science Class Instruction, a topic of special interest this year, with new Christian Science teachers having recently graduated.

Other students mentioned in the book include Gilbert Eddy (pp. 88 ff), Calvin Frye, Janet Colman and Laura Sargent. In recalling her lessons with Mrs. Eddy, Janet Colman remarked: "She mothered us so kindly" (p. 107). Laura Sargent was to join Mrs. Eddy's household staff as personal assistant, companion, and sometimes courier for 20 years (p. 131).

The household also included animals, and horses seemed to be Mary's favourites. The book lists the names of 10 (p. 134): Duke and Prince, Dolly and Princess, Jerry and Jean, Eckersall and Tattersall, Nellie and Major, and notes that a sign above the stable door read: "Always speak to the horses before entering the stalls".

Julie Swannell

A new world

The phrase "a world more bright", which gives us the title of this month's book, appears in the third verse of a now famous poem by Mary Baker Eddy. It was published in its present form in 1868. Its title is Christ My Refuge. This extraordinary poem now appears in various musical settings, including several included in current editions of the Christian Science hymnal.

The poem's message continues to be a source of healing, many of which have been recorded in the Christian Science periodicals during a period of more than one hundred years. For instance, Nancy Paton of New South Wales, Australia, sent in a testimony regarding the healing of back pain. It appeared in the August 6, 2018 edition of the Christian Science Sentinel.

During the late 1860s, Mary was forced to move house frequently. Her stay with the Wentworth family is especially interesting. Thirteen-year old Lucy recalled that "Her manners were beautiful and I imitated her in everything" (page 73. Perhaps she too had glimpsed "a world more bright".

longing for "a world more bright"

The title of this month's book intrigued me, so I was pleasantly surprised to find its source in a poem written by Mary Patterson (as she was at the time) during the American Civil War. Mary had received word that her "lost" son Georgy Glover, who was now almost seventeen years old, was alive and well. He had enlisted in 1861. A fellow soldier, David Hall, "wrote letters home for illiterate soldiers like Georgy who couldn't write themselves", and tracked down Georgy's relieved mother - Mary Patterson.

Mary's poem - written not long after hearing about her son's whereabouts - was titled "The Heart's Unrest". Our book quotes its first verse (page 52):

O give me wings and the flight of a dove
   Unfasten these fetters of clay
And sing me the song of a seraph's love
   While the spirit is passing away
 I gaze on the beautiful orbs of night
   Hung out on the boundless blue
And long to inhabit a world more bright
   And say to this false one Adieu

How aptly named is this book in the light of Mary Baker Eddy's later discoveries, the seeds of which were being sown even in this period, as evidenced by her healing an infant with inflamed eyes (page 49). In the meantime, by 1865, her world would appear to be growing rather darker, as she would lose several people close to her.

Julie Swannell

Joyful reading

In a side panel on page 152 of our book "A world more bright - the life of Mary Baker Eddy", we learn that William McKenzie was on the Lesson-Sermon Committee for 21 years. Also that, it was understood that the topics for the Lesson-Sermons covered the course of instruction given by Mrs. Eddy in class teaching.

I like the emphasis on beginning rightly - see page 165. This was an admonition to Eddy's adopted son Ebenezer Foster Eddy in regard to publishing her works: “...see that you start rightly in publishing this year (for much depends on right beginnings).” This echoes Mrs. Eddy's statement in Science and Health, “To begin rightly is to end rightly” (page 262). The next sentence is rather telling, “Every concept which seems to begin with the brain begins falsely.”

That same page gives us the surprising (to me anyway) information that Mrs. Eddy gave Foster Eddy the copyright to Science and Health – this included the royalties.

In reading about the newspapers of Mrs. Eddy's day, we often hear the phrase “yellow journalism.”

We finally have it explained on page 175 in a side-bar.

We have read of Mrs. Eddy's early morning turning to the Bible for inspiration. On page 183 we have a phrase that covers its usefulness. She said that it enabled her to meet “the cares that infest the day.”

There is a picture of a phonograph on page 190, and a side-bar about that instrument. This speaks of Edison's original phonograph which used cylinders to reproduce sound. I have actually used one of these. In 1942 my family rented a house at Coorparoo, a suburb of Brisbane. Its furnishings included a phonograph and some cylinder recordings. I think they included Enrico Caruso's singing. Perhaps he sang, “O! For the wings of a dove.” I am left to wonder how old it was...and what happened to it.

What a joy it has been to read this book!

Joyce Voysey

Caroline & Edward Bates and the 120 foot tower

I am thrilled to hear about Caroline and Edward Bates' contribution to the building of the original Mother Church in Chapter 17 of our book, "A world more bright - the life of Mary Baker Eddy". I thought I knew the story from having read Joseph Armstrong's account in his book about that building project. The Bates do get a mention in the Armstrong account, but their outstanding service is more fully described in our book this month.

Edward intuitively knew that his church needed him. He offered his services as on-site manager. The Board of Directors, of which Joseph Armstrong was a member, accepted his offer. The work seemed to be stalemated, with little work proceeding on the building, and there were only seven weeks to go till Mrs. Eddy's proclaimed date for the first service to be held in the new church. Here was an opportunity to demonstrate that “all things are possible”. Soon Edward had 20 contractors and over 200 men working simultaneously.

The report of Caroline's contribution to the project is so thrilling – it needs to be read and appreciated. Her climbing of a ladder to the 120 foot tower has a legendary place in the history of Christian Science, and was written about by Mrs Eddy. 

Mrs. Eddy's orders about the work seemed impossible to accomplish, but accomplished they were, under the direction of this supremely obedient couple. Here is an example of the way the work was accomplished: the contractors had agreed that it would take 12 weeks to apply both coats of plaster to the inside of the church – it was done in 12 hours.

We are told that obstacles arose constantly, but each time Edward reports that, “I would lift my thought and know that God governed and I could witness Mrs. Eddy's work.”

The work was finished at midnight – the church was ready. Edward wrote, “I was surprised. Every person in that room finished his work at the same moment. There were cleaners, masons, carpenters, brick layers electricians, and so on, – all manner of work going on, and all finished and went to the stairways to place their tools in the lower vestry at the same moment” Remarkable!

The chapter ended, “Noted Edward, "Mrs. Eddy's demonstration was complete to the minute.""

I hope all readers of this blog will have the opportunity to read the wondrous story.

Joyce Voysey

Note: Copies of this book are available in the Redcliffe Reading Room.

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