The Washington herald., 1906-12-30
MRS. EDDY AS A GIRL
Remarkable Story of Early
Life and Marriage.
WAS e SUBJECT OF HYsTERIA
For Years After Her First Matri-
mOniaI Experience the Founder of
an InvnIId-Much Interested in
SpiritumIism and Mesmerism.

the Christian Science Church Was
an InvnIid-Much Interested in
SpiritumIism and Mesmerism.
From McClure's
Outwardly. Mary Bakers early life was
sufficiently humdrum. In December, 1913.
when twenty-five, she married her first
husband. George Washington Glover
Wash Glover was close personal
friend of Mary's eldest brother, Samuel
The two young men had learned the
bricklayer's trade together at Boston,
and Samuel Baker had married Glover's
sister. Eliza. George Glover left home
and settled in Charleston. S. G.. where
Northern labor then commanded high
prices. On one Of his visits home TO Til
/ ton. ne fell deeply I'm love with Mary
/ Baker. He was big. knd-hearted young
fellow, unquestlonably the most manly Of
| Mrs Eddys husbands He took his bride
10 Wilmington. S. c., and in June, lS4i.
six months after his marriage, he died Of
yellow fever. He left his young wife IN
! a miserable plight She was far from
home and entirely without money or
/ friends. Glover. however was a Free
! Mason, and thus received decent burial.
/ The MasOns also paid Mrs. Glover's fare
/ TO Now York City, where she was met
and taken to her fathers home by her
brother, George. Here. the following Sep
| TENDER her only child, a son. was born.
She named him George Washington after
/ his father
| Now begins the second period Of Mrs.
/ Eddys life-her ten years widowhOOd.
( Her position was an embarrassing one.
She was "a grown woman. with a child.
/ but entirely without means of support.
7 Her brothers and sisters had all married
and left home; her mother was old and
I incapacitatcd; her father, too had passed
( his prime. Mrs. Glover made only one
effort at self-suport For brief season
she taught school
Long Period of Hysterin-
After this she went back and forth be-
tween her fathers house and that Of her
sister, Abigail, staying a few months az
time with each. Upon these two relatives
she was dependent for shelter. clothes.
and such money as she had. She never,
however. showed that she felt any hui
initiation. Her attitude was not that OF a
poor relation. She almost made her fam
lily feel her presence a privilege They
gave her the best room in each house and
showed her every personal attention. She
had long periods of illness and at times
could not stand the slightest noise. The
rumbling Of wagons. the play OF children
almost cTaZed her. Mark Baker for weeks
at a time spread the road in front of his
house with tanbaTk and straw. Now Al
last Mrs. Glover subdued her father to
her every caprice. He waited on her as on
a child. Mrs. Tiiton's husband and chill
dren also accommodated themselves TO
her nerves. They tiptoed around the house
that they might not disturb Mrs Glover
and placed covered bricks against every
sill that the doors might close softly.
Mrs Gl0ver's hysterical spells became
more violent as she grew older For
months at a time she lived IN an almost
continuous state Of collapse. She was
given 10 long and lonely wduderings, es-
peCially AT night. During her many ill
nesSes her family would leave her in bed
apparently helpless, and, returning a mo-
ment later find that she had disappeared
One manifestation Of her pathological con
dition was mania for being rocked or
swung. Mark Baker frequently took the
grown woman in his arms. dropped into
sleep like "a baby. Then he carried her TO
bed gently tucked her in and stealthiIy
tiptoed out of the room. Mrs Tilto1 when
Mary stayed at her house performer like
service. Usually at the Tilton house the
task fell 10 one John Earney. the man OF
all work. He. like the members Of her
own family. rocked her 10 sleep IN his
arms. To put an end 10 this proceeding.
which they regarded as unseemiy, the Til
tons constructed huge cradle. Il was
built just like "a babys with a decorated
balUstrade. soft cushions. and other es-
Sentials Of comfort II had at one end a
platform; upon this Varney sat and. rock
ing himself also rocked the cradle At
times the Tiltons put UP large swing in
Mrs. Glover's room. Her nephew. Albert
Tilton, would swing her for hours In the
daytime Sometimes. with small coins, he
would hire certain village boys as substi-
tutes. Swinging Mrs. Glover" became a
popular way of turning an honest penny.
DabbIed In MeSmeriSm.
Mrs. Glover now dabbled in mesmerlsm
on her own account She started as an
amateur clairvoyant: the superstitious
country folk frequently sought her ad-
vice. Occasionally in the course of a So
cial call she would go into a trance. She
closed here eyes, sank backward. appa-
rently lost consciousness. and while in
this state described scenes and events.
Old Boston John Clark a mesmerist Of
some local fame, experimental upon her.
He used her to trace lost or stolen arti-
eles; once he tried through her to locate
drowned body John Farney sought to
turn this talent to practical account. At
his suggestion Mrs. Glover described the
hiding place of Capt Kids treasure.
then a subject Of particular excitement.
She indicated a spot near the city Of
Lynn Narney and several Of his cronieS
took the train and dug diligently for sew
erai days. without result. Mrs Glover
showed much interest in spiritualism.
which in the early fifties began to attract
general attention. Like the Fox sisters.
she heard TaTpings at night An old lady
still survives who remembers spending a
night with her and having her peace of
mind constantly disturbed by these mys-
ferrous noises.
Mrs. Glover by no means lacked engag-
ing qualities. At times she appeared the
very soul of genteness, patience, and hui
mility Her beauty increased with years.
yet she showed a constant inclination to
improve on nature. Though she had a
fine complexion, she roughed her face;
though she had excellent teeth. she had
several extracted, and false ones put IN.
This artiiciality she carried into her
speech and manner. She queened 1t at the |
Tllton sewing circles, and figured con-
spicuOusly at prayer meetings.
Now, also, she began to compose" She
wrote verses that appeared in the poets
corners" Of local newspapers: she also in
in iqh