The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-30

But must not be supposed that the be-
Hevers are fraudulent because they are
slightly fatuous. On the contrary, most OF
the women who attended the convocation
are honest people, who have made the dis
covery that they are, in reality, half mys-
tics. The impulse that moved them took
its rise in the womanly desire to heal and
to teach, and in 80 far ought to be respect
ed, but in its practical working, it is GAR
ingly disembodied, as is always the case
when the masculine element Is ignored.
In so far as this cult has any spiritual
or religious significance, 1t is strangely
contradictory. Mrs. Mary Baker c. Eddy
claims to have brought men back to the
primitive Christian simplicity Of faith
with what one of her deciples called "a
Christ pathway" But the fact IS that she
has assailed the fundamental concept Of
Christianity, which Is the helplessness and
unwort Illness of man without divine re-
construction. Humility Of mind and self
abnegation have from time An-memorial
been the assumption and the reward OF
CHRISTIAN mysticism. The new cult plants
Itself squarely on intellectual self-asser-
ton and an infallible egoism. No mea
culpa escapesfrom these charming mouths
pureed austerely to tn new utterance of
ideal '..prunes and prisms." Every one Of
the delightful disciples that encountered
was trying to lift herself by her own
waistJband, to the infinite personality and
potency of self-hood. Some of them prac-
tised for hours in centring the universe
Jpn themselves. The operation reminded
you of the Brahmaic contemplation of the
"Om."
In bringing this interpretive system to
bear upon healing. the femininity Of it Is
unimpea enable. The process Is exactly
the same as that instinctfvely employer
by the female sensibilities in dealing with
the disssreeabie persons and things of or.
binary lie. Tina. Is to say, sickness IL
snu5ced. and Is expected to retire prompt
l. from tine presence of superior peson,
who first refuses to recognize it and then
threatens to scold 1t. 1t is useless to deny
that the s:cAnoss very often does retire.
Nervous headSclle and neuralgia frequent
y sneak cut of sight rather than w;estle
with the otdurate mentality OF the p-dc-
tlti3ner, very much as you have seen the
master Of the house Sink away when the
spiritual part of the establishment th.eA:-
ened to become iInplacably oracular.
think t1a:, with due respect TO Mat.
thew Arnold, we are entitled to call this a
sweet unreasonableneSs. IF men were not
afraid of DEATH" says Mrs. Mary Baker
G. Eddy, ''men would not die" Fire
would not burn nor water drown, IL man
would assert his selfhood. Does any one
need to be told that such bolts Of wisdom
cannot be shot from a masculine mind that
has had some experience with fire and
water? II one should be informed that
two parallel lines will enclose space. and
a part will become greater than the whole,
If one will only bring to bear upon them
the might of ones selfhood. 1t would not
dislooge materialism; it would only CON-
fuse the standards by which We arrive at
any truth whatever, and there Is some
thing IN the texture OF such claims that
takes them over from the human complex
to the painfully isolated divine feminine.
Ard in al cases, the dicipies retain the
sentiment which outwits. II II does not
battle, reason. Tn. most interesting OF
them get behind Mother when they see
realism or logic approaching. and hide
under the wing Of sex. II Is a ;ledgling
trick. AID makes realism feel Ike night
hawk.
Durias my stay IN Boston, a copy OF the
Christian Science Monthly was put into
nv hands, and on its editorial page read
She following: Christian Science Spoons
-On each OF these most beautiful spoons
is a motto in bas-relief that every person
on earth needs to hold in thought Mother
requests that Christian Scientists shall not
ask 10 be Informed what this motto Is. but
each Scientist snail purchase at least one
spoon. and those who can afford Il. one
dozen sp.on<. mat their families may read
this motto aeeyery neal'and their guests
Oe made partakers Of its simple truth.
MARY BAKER q. EDDY"
looked at the young woman who point
ed this out 10 me. she seemed 10 be wait
ing for an expression Of my opinion. /
thought afterwards OF Anlsl's remark
thsS the sexes do not speak the same
language. Thsy are constantly trying 10
interpes each other. What / said TO the
young woman was this: -lf Mrs. E1dy =
In possession Of erath that every PERSIA
@ earn neeas &c hold IA thought. ana yin
not gre il up sni khs zorla basa nse
sposua ehan Asr sEasassky Is sasrs ga.