Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1907-07-07
BY Edwin j. Park.
From The Boston Globe.

| Discoverer and Founder of Christian
Science, for the first time in six year
gave a real newspaper interview, ant
for forty minutes talked not only en-
| tertainingly but with animation an,
keen intelligence on number o
subjects in which she is concerned.
When | make the statement tina
this was the first real interview Mrs
Eddy has given to a newspaper NAL
in six years, | use the word real
because | have in mind the ffty-fiv,
second meeting which about a dozel
eleven | think was the actual mum
ber-of newspaper writer's had will
Mrs. Eddy at her home on the 30tl
of last October. At that time Mrs
Eddy was in the presence of the re
porters for less than a full minute
and only few questions, three o.
four, as | now recall it, were asked
of her. The questions on that occa
sion were asked by young woman
who had been selected to perform
that duty, and while Mrs. Eddy an
swered them readily no opportunity
was given any of the other writer:
present to PROFOUND any queries Of
lDSll ONA VI W near nSI par I'LL dIt
in a sustained conversation.
This afternoon l met Mrs. Eddy
under far different and more salts
factory conditions. 1 was admitted
to her study, and sitting in front
of and close to her had for forty
minutes an opportunity for uninter.
rupted conversation with the famous
woman and for observation of her
Mrs. Eddy Did the Talking.
In the interest of strict accuracy
| desire to state at this point that
most of the talking was done by Mrs
Eddy, and that my role was prin-
cipally that of most interested and
earnest listener The principal part
took in the conversation was oc-
casionally to PROFOUND q question
Mrs. Eddy talked fluently and in
cisively At no time was she at loss
for word or an idea in conveying
her meaning to me. Considering her
age-she will be eighty-siX years old
the 10th day of July-Mrs. Eddy's
memory for dates, names, and cir
cumstances seemed to me to be mar
velous. In fact her memory in that
regard is far superior to mine, as
took occasion to tell her, and | am
a great way from being eighty-six
years of age.
1t is not my purpose to write a
brief for Mrs. Eddy nor in her be-
half, but to relate with entire truth
fitness and as much accuracy as pos
sible what occurred between us at
Pleasant View this afternoon. l am
not an alienist, and my experience
with women eighty-six years of age
has been nil, but | do desire to say
here that if the mental competency
of Mrs. Eddy had not been called in
question by the next friends" and
if | had met her and talked with her
as | did this afternoon, the thought
that she was not fully competent
mentally would have been the last
one that ever would have entered
my mind.
1t is true that Mrs. Eddy is not
robust, physically, and that her hear
ing is not acute, but her brain is
keen and active, and there never is
a moment of hesitation in replying
to a question nor delay in forming
the phraseology in which she an
swers. The trend of her thoughts
remains unbToken, and her alert
mind turns instantly from one line
of suggested thought to another one
put forward to take it's place.
Quick Shift of Topic.
This afternoon | purpOsely divert
ed her mind from one line of thought
concerning a question l had asked
her in regard to her son, George w
Glover, by suddenly inquiring of her
if she personally keeps an oversight
of her household and its affairs, and
she took up the new idea suggested
to her and proceeded to talk upon
it with not a moments delay, her
mind grasping the new subject, as
dissimilar from the former one as
/ could think of, almost before | had
the question formulated.
Apparently every faculty of Mrs
Eddy, with the single exception OF
her hearing, is unimpaired. To my
mind, one of the most remarkable
things she did this afternoon was tC
read without glasses. When l en-
tered her study she was reading with
the naked eyes a typewriter letter
from J. r. Mosley of Macon, Ga. II
contained a message of sympathy and
good cheer and Mrs. Eddy was much
pleased by it. She read the letter
to me, and later she read to me a
selection from her book, Science and
Health, printed in small type, as an
answer to question | had propound-
ed to her. Still later, in my pres
ence, she took copy of Science and
Health, which she presented me, and
wrote in it my name andH "Compli-
ments of the author, Mary Baker G.
Eddy" When she came to write my
name she took my card in her left
hand to make sure of the initial, and
read the card without glasses, as she
had the typewriter letter and the
extract from the printed book.
Received at Pleasant View.
l was received at Pleasant View
about 1857 o'clock by Mrs. Laura
Sargent, Mrs. Eddy's companion.
Mrs Sargent showed me into the
reception room at the easterly side
of the hall, the room in which
had seen Mrs. Eddy last October, and
in that room l met Archibald Nc
Lellan of Boston, one of the three
Trustees of Mrs. Eddy's estate.
chatted with Mr.. Mcclellan about two
minutes, and then Mrs Sargent came
toShe door and said Mrs. Eddy was
ready>to receive me. Mrs. Sargent
showed >pe to Mrs Eddy's study at
the head of tie stairs on the second
EDDY. IN Mrs. So ;etired.
Mrs; Eddy was 20 paI a large nage
ner of the large room, writing DESK
at either side of her and magnifi-
cent view of the Merrimack valley
stretching away to the eastward.
When l was presented, Mrs. Eddy
arose and stepped forward about
three or four feet to meet me, with
her right hand outstretched in greet
ing. Mrs. Eddy grasped my hand
firmly and said, -
Mr.. Park, | am very glad to see
you. | am glad to welcome you here,
for | am aware of the fairness with
which you and the Boston Globe have