The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-06-14
A VISIT TO
MRS. EDDY
Her Views on VitalKQues-
ti0ns.
AS TOLD TO A REPORTER
States Her Principles Regarding Power
ty, Disease, Use of Surgery, Food,
Physical Culture and Other
Matters.
AS TOLD TO A REPORTER

The Boston Herald, after continued
efforts has secured an interview with
Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy, head of the
Christian Scientists, through its reporter,
Miss Sibyl Wilbur. The interview was
published in Sundays Herald, and below
will be found some extracts from Miss
Wilbur's story of her visit to Concord
and interview with Mrs. Eddy.
] have seen Mrs. Mary Baker G. Eddy.
have conyersed with her and secured
her answers to number of questions
concerning Christian Science. | have
held her hand in mine, felt the pressure
of her fingers on my forehead, listened
to her kindly blessing, and received from
her lips message to the world.
Mrs. Eddy is alive and well, she is in
full possession of her mental and physi-
cal powers. She has no visible physical
malady; she is beautifully poised,
physically etherealized, exquisitely fash
Toned woman of advanced years. Her
mind is clear and energetic, marvellously
alert and delicately attuned. Her eyes
are radiant, her voice like bell. In
word, Mrs. Eddy seems to have reach
ed an adjustment between her physical
and spiritual powers which promises to
carry her existence through many years
to come.
The secret which the world has been
trying to wrest from the closely guarded
home at Pleasant View. the secret which
for several years has been construed by
suspicion to mean illness, physical or
mental collapse, and even, by the ex-
tremists of world-mindedness, the actu-
al dissolution of Mrs. Eddy and the
substitution in her place Of a represen-
tatiye-this secret has been disclosed
and in its disclosure is a rebuSe for all
the petty suspicious which have been
heaped against blameless life.
The secret of Pleasant View is nc
secret at all 1t is the plain and simple
truth, which any well ordered mind
might readily have fathomed without
the necessity OF painful intrusion upon
the well earned seelusion of a woman
who gave the full measure of her SER
vices to humanity before retiring from
the theatre of human activities.
The writer is not Christian Scien.
fist. 1t is necessary to confess at the
outset that the interview with Mrs
Eddy was desired, because Mrs. Eddy
had become the object OF the most in
tense curiosity of the public press il
America. Every great newspaper in thu
country has striven within the pas
| few years to get an audience with thu
head Of the Christian Science church
and, failing in this quest universally
| they have built up an Office tradition
which is as monstrous as it is sill,
when touched with the dissolvent O
| truth.
The story which has gradually beer
| built up since Mrs. Eddy retired from
active life, over 10 years ago, has beer
that the Christian Science church wa
founded on the doctrine of everlasting
| life on earth; that it has declared thai
death shall be overcome; that it has no
the courage to face the inevitable physi
cal dissolution of its founder. There
| fore, as the world no longer had The
privilege of seeing Mrs. Eddy, it was
likely, nay, probable, that Mrs. Eddy
had fallen into physical disability OF
had become weak-minded, if indeed sht
had not already passed away.
There were other stories to the effect
| that Mrs. Eddy was alive, but thai
she was daily treated by masseurs anC
| beauty doctors; that the dignity O.
years was travestied by the application
| to her person of hair dyes, facial EN-
| bellishment of rouges and powders; that
her figure was corseted and padded AMI
dressed up in Partisan costumes of ga,
coIors and marvellous fabrics; in a word
that she was tricked out by artificial
means to keep up a semblance of you'll
for the bolstering Of the impossible
dogma of everlasting youth.
That the Christian Science ehurcl
win not be placed in any predicamen
for its philosophical teachings in tn
ultimate demise of its leader is mad
clear by the explanation OF the rea
teaching of Christian Science on thi
subject Of everlasting life which has BEEF
given the writer by an authoritative
statement from member of the pub
! LEGATION committee. This statemen
shows the absurdity Of the popular mis-
| conception Of the doctrine.
/ we do not claim" said this Chris
tan Scientist, that it is possible TO
one to live externally in the flesh. w
accept the spiritual prophecy that event
/ ually mankind will have attained t
such high degree of spirituality tina
death viii cease to be phenomenon 0
human experience. But centuries ma,
pass before such an exalted state i
attained by any mortal. Christian Sci
entists believe, however, that alread
longevity has increased through thei
religious teachings, and that it will con
tinne to increase in each successive gen
| Grafton
4 This explanation answers effectuall
the critic who delighted in imaginin
that the Christian Scientists had go
themselves into corner; and as to til
more hippant comment on the artificial
| ity of Mrs. Eddy's personal appearance
it is possible for the writer to assur
the loving followers Of Mrs. Eddy tina
no indignities have been perpetrate
|, against their leader; that she is sun
rounded by loving and devoted friends
. that she is the mistress Of her ow
house in an undeniable way; that sh
is growing old as beautifully as an
. woman ever did
And after meeting her and her famil
believe that when, in the fitness {
time, the curtain Of death is drawn bac
for her, the world will know of it, an
that she will pass out to greater glor