The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-22
OUT AND ABOUT.

w AMI A6S ~
The large attendance at the League
of Unitarian Women, which met yes
terday, at the First Unitarian Church,
goes to prove that the interest in THE
influence Of mind over matter" was
stronger than dislike of the threatening
weather and treacherous walking.
Taken as a whole, the meeting was
eingularly vague, aetherial and costa
tic for league meeting, but this in
clination to soar was undoubtedly due
in part to the nature of the topic under
discussion. 1t must also be added that
the league meetings are few which see
the discussions so animated and earn
est 1t was a day of exceptional in
terest.
Much interest was aroused before the
subject of the day was preached by
bright, comprehensive and lucid pa
per on the George Junior Republic,
which was presented by Miss Florence
A. Rider, under the auspices of the
current events committee This Re
public takes the children of the slums
and educates them by a series of du-
ties and responsibilities, to take a
creditable part in the life of the great
mother republic, to which, after a few
months, it returns them. Miss Riders
stance in the next issue of The Sun
day Spy.
christian Science" was the first
sub topic of the general subject to be
presented, and Miss Mary e. Hampson,
who is a professional healer and one
of those who learned the art direct
from Mrs. Eddy, set forth some of its
leading tenets and implications, in an
able paper. She defined Christian
Science as the revelation of God mani
Tested in Jesus Christ. Christian
Science teaches the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood of man;
fits value consists in giving US a new
relation to life. Man is created in
Gods likeness. hence is Of the same
substance; but God is a spirit, there
fore, man must also be a spirit In
fact mans real existence is a spiritual
one and his material body has no
existence outside the mind any more
than evil has. Evil seems to exist, it
Is true, but that is simply because the
material has greater power over us
than the spiritual. Death is only q
change; all life is continuous. Chris
tan Scientists believe that it is possible
TO live here on earth that spiritual life
which most people expect to live only
after death. 1t has been said that
Christian Science is will power, but the
only will power in 1t is the power Of
the divine will that all creation should
slorify Him.
A vigorous discussion followed Miss
Hampson's remarks, which showed
that the ladies had followed intelligent
ly the line of thought presented by the
essayist. AS a rule, those who spoke
displayed scepticism Of the points made
by Miss Hampson. One lady wanted to
know what a Christian Science healer
4, Z e, 4
artery, but the essayist did not feel it
incumbent on her to reply. Another
suggested that there was considerable
Christian Science in Mrs. Whitney's
books, and a third thought the same Of
Watt Whitman's poems. Then the talk
drifted to more practical issues, and
some one commented on the unwilling
ness of professional Christian Science
healers to cure for charity, and asked
If 1t was true that no one was allowed
to heal without pay. Miss Hampson
said she was sorry this question had
come up; that she and others had Sc
ceded from Mrs. Eddy in consequence
of being hampered in this and other
ways. But lady in the audience arose
and contradicted the idea that healers
were not allowed to heal without pay.
Miss Jennie Patrick of Hopedale was
the next speaker; her subject was
metaphysical healing" She first
sketched its development through such
forms as the miracles of the Old and
New Testaments and the miraculous
cures at Lourdes, until now, she said,
psychical therapeutics takes its place
beside materia medica. The belief in a
cure which the healer gives the patient
is what underlies the healing. Jesus
first recognized the power Of mental
healing and his teachings are filled
with references to the power of faith.
Passivity on the part of the patient is
one essential in mental healing; sug-
gestion is the other.
Continuing, Miss Patrick said scien-
fists have discovered that mental states
effect certain chemical changes in the
body Evil emotions produce chemical
results that are life depressing and
poisonous, while benevolent emotions
produce life promoting influences. Self
help is most ilmportantforrn of mental
healing. You may get up i'll, but con
centrate your mental power on your
self and say to yourself that your ego
is well, and you will be we'll"
These interesting facts and opinions
as these were not allowed to pass un-
challenged. One member of the league
asked if her neuralgia was the result of
seihshness or jealousy, or some other
hateful state of mind? If so, why did
going TO a dentist who filed a cavity
or pulled a tooth prevented a re
currence of the pain? Another, the
wife of a well known physician, arose
30 remark that there is nothing more
pernicious than a half truth The mind
does exercise an influence over the