The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-02-10

to get by her alive, but I think her reason
for wanting 1t has changed. | think she
wants it now to increase and establish and
perpetuate her power and glory with, not
to add to her comforts and luxuries, not
to furnish paint and fuss and feathers for
vain display. / think her ambitions nave
scared away above the fuss-and-feather
stage. She still likes the little shows and
vanities-a fact which she exposed IN
public utterance two or three days ago
when she was not noticing-but / think
she does not place a large value upon
them now She could build n mighty and
far-shining brass-mounted palace If she
wanted to. but she does not do 1t. She
would have had that kind of an ambition
in the early scrabbling times. She could
go to England today and be worshiped
by earls. and get a comets attention from
the million, If she cared for such things.
She would have gone In the early scrab-
bling days for much less than an earl,
and been vain of II, and glad to show OF
before the remains of the Scotch KIM But
those things are very small TO her now
next to invisible. observed through the
cloud rack from the dizzy summit where
she perches in these great days. She does
not want that church property for her
self. 1t is worth but quarter of mil
Iona sum she could call in from her
far-spread f1ocks tomorrow with lift
of her hand. Not squeeze or IL, Just a
lift. 1t would come without a murmur;
come gratefully, come gladly. And If her
glory stood in more need of the money
in Boston than 1t does where her fiocks
are propagatlng it, she would lift the
hand, I think.
She is still reaching for the dollar, she
will continue to reach for 1t; but not that
she may spend II upon herself; not that
she may spend 1t upon charities; not mat
she may ind mnify an early deprivation
and clothe herself in a blaze of North
Adams gauds; not that she may have
nine breeds of PIE for breakfast, as only
the rich New Englander can; not that she
may indulge any petty material vanity
or appetite that once was hers and priced
and nursed, but that she may apply that
dollar TO statelier uses, and place 1t where
II may cast the metallic sheen of her
glory farthest across the receding ex-
panses of the globe.
A prominent Christian Scientist has as
sured me that the Scientists do not wor-
ship Mrs. Eddy. and I think 1t likely
that there may be five or six of the cult
in the world who do not worship her;
but she herself is certainly not of that
company Any healthy-minded person who
will examine Mrs. Eddys litle autobog
rapny and the manual of bylaws writ
ten by her will be convinced that she
worsbjps herself: and that she brings to
this service fervor of devotion surpass
ing even that which she formerly laid
at the feet of the dollar. and equallng
any which rises to the throne of grace
from any quarter
We may take that up now
1t is not single if, but several-jont-
ed one; not an oyster, but a vertebrate.
EdhV borrow from OnimhV
the Great Idea. or only the little one,
the old-timer, the ordinary mental-hea1-
ing-healing by mortal mind?
2. If she borrowed the Great Idea, did
she carry it away in her head, or in
manuscript?
2 Did she hit upon the Great Idea her
self?
BY the Great Idea I mean, of course,
the conviction that the Force involved
was still existent. and could be applied
now Just as it was applied by Christs
disciples and their converts and as sue
cessfully.
A. Did she philosophize 1t, systematic
it. and write it down in book?
s. Was 1t she. and not another, that
built a new religion upon the book and
organized II?
I think No. 5 can be answered with
a YES. and dismissed from the contro-
versy. And think that the Great Idea.
great as 1t was, would have enjoyed but
a brief activity and would then have
gone to sleep again for some more CEN
trries but for the perpetuating impulse
n got from that organized and tremen-
dous force.
In the very first revision of Science
and HEALTH 02S3) Mrs. Eddy wrote
preface which is an unimpeachable wit
ness that the rest OF the book was writ
ten by somebody else / have put 1t in
,.it or txxyn
taken from the body of the book and
will ask the reader TO compare the labored
and numbering and confused groupings of
this preface with the easy and flowing
and direct English of the other ex-
hibit and see II he can believe that the
one hand and brain produced both.
I think that II anything in the world
stands proven, and well and solidly proven
by unimpeachable testimony--the treach-
erous testimony of her own pen in her
known and undisputed literary produce
tions-it is that Mrs. Eddy Is not cap
able of thinking upon high planes. nor
Of reasoning clearly nor writing intelli-
gently upon low ones.
Inasmuch as--in my belief-the very first
editions Of the book Science and Health"
were far above the reach of Mrs. Eddys
mental and literary abilities, i think she
has from the very beginning been claim
ing as her own another PERSONS book,
and wearing as her own property laureis
rightfully belonging to that person-the
real author of Science and Health And
I think the reason-and the only reason
that he has not protested Is because his
work was not exposed to print until after
he was safely dead.
That with an eye to business and by
grace Of her business talent she has
restored to the world neglected and aban-
doned features of the Christian religion
which her thousands Of follows find gra-