The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-11

IL
THE Seekers" by Stanley Waterloo Is
a novel which deals with Christian Science
subject which has been handled rather
gingerly by the average writer OF hctloh-
Some time ago it was reported that MI
Waterloo was gathering material LOT
story on this subject. and the boohtneH
waited with considerable interest 10 see
what his brain would evolve, since IL was
reasonably certain that his view would De
unprejudiced.
The result is in some ways disappoiht-
ing. The Seekers" does not compare IN
artistic merit with Eggleston's The Faith
Doctor" the only previous novel oil any
consequence which has dealt with this mat
ter, nor is il equal to "A Man ana
Woman" whose rugged strength ana
wholesome atmosphere caused Mr. wafer
loo to take place in American literature.
Scraps of it are bright and amusing, ana
the view taken of the subject is sane ana
healthy. but the story as whole is shad-
owy and badly jointed. There is no SUD
tlety of character drawing, and not much
plot
All the same the book is worth read
ing. if only for the pieces of it that are
good We have one delicious episode in the
career of Billy Dodge. a small boy VINO
lived i'll the midst of household OF Chrls-
tian Scientists and became imbued with the
doctrine so far as TO fix his mind upon
thought when he undertook to fight an
other boy bigger than himself. He won
and became a firm adherent of the .sys-
tem'' carving bits Of paper about his
person with thoughts" written upon them.
He was convinced that by holding the
thought he could have what he called
the bulge" on his antagonist. At first he
Fight the good fight,
Never give up.
He never fails who dies in good cause.
Never say die.
But later he changed his plan:
He discovered that most of the scientists in the
house who held thought themselves prepared
their own little bit of manuscript to be carried
and read during the day, and that the text was
made TO apply TO their special needs. Billy,
after much meditation, concluded that this was
the thing for him, and with great travail he
composed and wrote out the texts which
he should carry constantly and which should be
his bulwark. Here they are:
Kctch hold prompt and hang on.
Strike from The shoulder.
When you get good thing. keep it-keep it,
When you get black cat, skin it to the tail.
But presently Billy encountered a boy
who had been camping in the woods with
party of young men, and had been taught
by them the principles of self-defence.
The result was sad-for Billy. When he
had been taken home, put to bed, and
ministered to by his mother, a devout
Scientist, he opened his mind TO her.
"No more boldin' the thought, and all that.
I'm through. Had too much. That's what done
up. Ii hadn't been trying to think that
blamed thought. I'd "a seen Jim comm"
Bur. Willy" eNpostulsted Mrs. Dodge, you
must hold fast"
Hold notbin'!r said Billy He arose and sat
f-f.r lai till I am,
goin' 10 have no more nonsense. Gimme quinine
hell. 4 gold basis, and capital punishment!
That's my platform from this on. I'm gOin 10
look up a good sunday school tomorrow. in
minister, and all the hxin's. Remember, mother
after this travel my muscle week days, and
keer Sunday like a clock!'
There is considerable fun scattered
through the book, another amusing inc dent
being that Of a French cooks courtship OF
a pretty maid who was devout disciple OF
fowler, one Of the more blatant and vul-
gar expositors of the creed of Christian
Science. The woes of the poor cook when
assured that to eat or to use pork or lard
is wicked beyond all words. his wild ques-
tionings as to what he should use in pie
crust if this useful substance was forbid
den, and his general bewilderment between
love and business, are very funny.
As TO the more serious aspects of this
cult, MI Waterloo seeiHs 10 tame lle VIC"
that it gains its adherents partly through
the credulity which loves miracles and
stories Of miracles, and partly through use
of philosophical and speculative ideas new
to those who hear them. Another element
of strength is the apparent departure from
settled creeds and churches. And this
seems TO be very sensible view.
The character OF Zadsk, an East Indian
teacher who promulgates doctrine of his
OWE. is handled with considerable skill,
and the denouement Of the story, in which
Ladsh and his followers are mobbed by
the inhabitants of a rude Indiana COM
munity, has certain strength in the
telling. But as a whole, the book cannot
be said to be other than a disappoint-
ment. Chicago: Herbert s. Stone & Co.
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