The Somerset reporter., 1906-11-08

1t appears to be a diversion, taken
up at more or less regular intervals
by certain section of the American
press, to publish grossly fantastic and
entirely false statements concerning
the personality of the Rev. Mary
Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and
Founder of Christian Science. These
efforts share in periodicity with the
appearance of Torricelli's comet or
the revival of the rumor of war be-
tween Japan and the United States.
Just now it seems to be the function
of the New York World to put forth,
in its Sunday edition of October %, a
most amazing tissue of falsehoods in
which it is alleged that Mrs. Eddy is
at the point of death from an incur
able malady; that she is kept practi-
cally in durance at her home in this
city; that another woman disguised
to resemble the Christian Science
leader, rides in her carriage as it
makes its daily round through Con
cord streets; together with assertions
regarding Mrs. Eddy's fortune, in
come and repute in Concord-all of
which are miles away from even the
most distant approach to the truth.
The Worlds story, as we are told, is
the result of long Investigations i'll
Concord by the Worlds representa-
tives. If this is SO, their time here
was ill-spent; for no honest inVesti-
gator could have stayed here even so
short time as a single day without
learning from indisputable sources
that Mrs. Eddy is alive-and very
keenly alive-to all that takes place
in the world, and that she is constant
ly alert and thoughtful to do good to
everybody, especially to the city OF
Concord.
For more than fifteen years Mrs.
Eddy has made her home among us;
and she leads a simple and well-or-
dered life-as BELTS one who has a
daily routine filled with great duties
to a great cause. That she fulfills
these duties to the last degree is
evidenced by the growth and advance
of the movement which she heads !;
and that she finds time for other
good works, for charity, for helpful
ness and for public spirited co-opera-
ton in the affairs of the community
where her home is fixed, thousands
of Concord people are ready cheer
fully to attest. And they have now
come forward with glad alacrity to
refute the falsehoods of the New
York World.
Some of these refutations we are
publishing'in our news columns to-
day. To them we can add our per-
sonal testimony.
The editor of this paper has enjoy
ed the privilege of Mrs. Eddy'a
friendship for more than ten years.
During that time he has met her tre-
quently and has corresponded with
her almost continuously. Her con-
versation and her letters-numbering
hundreds and written almost entirely
with her own pen-are pulsating with
but one desire, the desire to do good,
to do good to individuals, to communi-
ties, and to the human race. Within
a very short time the editor of this
paper has seen Mrs. Eddy and with
her taken counsel upon public affairs
in Concord. She was then in q
strength of spirit, mind and body far
beyond what anyone would have a
right to expect from woman of her
age. Her words were direct and sim
pie, her discernment acute and sym
pathetic, her manner cordial and I'M
affected. Since then the writer has
met her carriage almost daily upon
our streets and it's distinguished oc
cupant has never failed to return a
smiling greeting of recognition. This
has happened within four days, when,
in a narrow street where recognition
was certain, we met the real Mrs.
Eddy, the Mrs. Eddy we have known
for years, almost face to face. We
knew her and we were known by her.
We are moved to believe that testi
mony of this sort, which arises spon-
taneously on every hand in Concord,
is more enduring and worthy than
that of any newspaper ''investiga-
tors" whose work shows only too
clearly that they trust to their own or
somebody else's imagination for their
facts. Concord people may buy the
New York World, but they do not
believe what it says. When anyone
tells Concord that Mrs. Eddy is not
one of our busiest, most helpful and
most beloved and respected citizens,
in full possession of her illustrious
faculties of mind and in bodily