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
