A breath of fresh air

The Christian Science Journal dated October 1991* includes a lovely tribute to Joseph Armstrong, the author of this month's book The Mother Church. It describes him as a tall man of six feet who, in his thirties, rose in commerce to achieve the position of president of his own bank. No amount of worldly success or money, however, had been able to cure his wife Mary. When Christian Science did cure her, their lives changed forever. Both took primary and normal class instruction in Christian Science from Mary Baker Eddy, and both became obedient and loyal students during the tumultuous years at the turn of last century. The Journal article offers insight into Mr Armstrong's role:

In late 1892 Mr. Armstrong was called to Boston. The Christian Science Publishing Society was in turmoil. Its Publisher had resigned in opposition to Mrs. Eddy's leadership, and over the previous three years the fledgling Journal had lost a large percentage of its subscribers...Within four months [with Armstrong at the helm**] the Journal recouped the three-year loss and increased subscriptions by an additional 15 percent.

The Journal article also quotes from Sibyl Wilbur's reminiscences that

One reporter's first impression of the man in 1905 captures [a] likeness: "Here is Saint Peter, I do believe, . . . greatly humble and humbly great." With only a few words to the reporter, Mr. Armstrong departed, leaving the sense that a breath of fresh air had been felt in the room.

For me, one of the appealing features about Armstrong's book is the inclusion of Scriptural passages that obviously inspired the building work through challenges and triumphs. For instance, on page 15, he quotes II Chronicles 13: 'The pressure to go forward and do something became more imperative every day, while at the same time everything material claimed to discourage and hinder the Directors, "fears within and foes without"'. But despite those fears and foes, the work continued apace and a touchingly 'simple ceremony' saw the laying of the corner stone on May 21, 1894, the date designated by their Leader, Mary Baker Eddy, and achieved through the faithful efforts of the Directors, whose 'voice was not heard in the street' (Isa 42:2 and Matt 12:19). This suggests a marked unobtrusiveness; methods that are quiet and gentle, yet firm and focused. Definitely a breath of fresh air.

Julie Swannell

*See jsh-online or visit your local Christian Science Reading Room.

** William Dana Orcutt writes that 'During the regime of Mr. Armstrong, the office of publisher really began to function for the first time. His imprint first appears on the one hundred and eleventh edition, and extended into 1907...' (Mary Baker Eddy and her Books p. 59).