The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-17
AN INTERVIEW
WITH MRS. EDDY
Physical and Mental condition of The
Venerable FOUNDER of Chris
tian Science.
Brisbane in Cosmopolitan.

HOuLH OF VeSuVluS, you KNOW Inere
is power below the crater.
When you see millions savagely
fighting in the name of one leader,
or patiently submissive and gentle
in the name of another, you know
that there was power in those men.
When you see tens of thousands of
modern, enlightened human beings
absolutely devoted to the teachings
of Mrs. Eddy, their leader, and be-
yond all question made happy and
contented by her teachings, you know
there is a cause underlying that won
derful effect.
Millions of people in this country
will be interested in the personality
of the very remarkable woman who
founded Christian Science, and
gathered together the great Christian
Science following.
This article is written to describe
an interview with Mrs Eddy which
took place in her house at Concord,
New Hampshire, at about two o'clock
in the afternoon of Saturday, June
Sth.
Carlyle would not forgive the old
monk who talked to the medieval
English king on his travels and then
and in detail. The first duty of a
writer who sees a personality inter-
esting to the world is to tell what he
has seen, rather than what he thinks.
For what one man has seen another
would see, whereas one does not
think what another thinks.
Mrs. Eddy's house is extremely
simple and unpretentious, plain
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close to a country roadway on the
side of most beautiful New Hamp-
shire valley. The view from her
blue hills. Behind those hills, very
few miles distant, is the spot where
Mrs. Eddy was born.
Mrs. Eddy's thought has spread
all around this world. 1t has found
expression in heavy stone churches
and great audiences from Maine to
California, and across the oceans.
This distant work her mind has
done; her frail body dwells in peace
and quiet in the simplest, most mod
est of homes, almost on the spot
where her physical life began.
Around the frame dwelling runs
broad veranda. And above are bal
comics on which Mrs. Eddy sits or
stands, looking down to the minia-
ture lake dug with the contributions
of men and women deeply grateful
to her, or across the wide fields to-
ward the city and the busy world to
which she voluntarily said good-by
long ago.
The house is furnished very plain
ly. In the room on the right OF the
IL sAc ar,f tie. o
large illuminated hymnal presented
by the Earl of Dunmore, one of Mrs.
Eddy's British followers. In that
room and in the room on the left OF
the entrance the furniture is ex-
tremely simple. There are few
pictures, and on one of the walls is
a bas-relief of Mrs. Eddy in white
marble.
These rooms downstairs are kept
scrupulously neat. They are evident
ly used rarely. Mrs. Eddy occupies
almost exclusively her living-rooms
one fligh tabove.
The home of the Christian Science
leader has been called by writer's of
strong Imagination "A House OF
Mystery"
AS a matter of fact, the house is
about as mysterious as the average
New England home. 1t could be re-
produced, furniture and all, for a
good deal less than ten thousand dol
lars. All the doors, downstairs and
upstairs, are open. 1t is the very
peaceful, quiet abode of an old lady
tenderly cared for by devoted women,
earnest followers of Mrs. Eddy,s
teachings. These Christian Science
ho of
top of a narrow flight of stairs, were
not in any way different from ord1n-
airy women, except that all three had
very peaceful, happy expressions
Among three ordinary women, you
usually find one or two whose eX-
pressions make you feel sorry for
them.
These devoted friends of Mrs. Ed
DIV were dressed very plainly, in light
cotton gowns. And they seemed as
deeply Interested and excited about
a visitor from the outside world as
though they had been three eighteen
year-old schoolgirls watching the ar
rival of some other girls brother
One of them came forward to say:
Mrs. Eddy is very glad that you
have come and will see you. Please
She led the way into corner room
at the rear of the house, with wide
windows overlooking the valley and
the distant hills.
Beside writing-desk, in an arm
chair. sat a white-haired woman who
rose and walked forward, extending
her hand in friendly greeting to a
stranger. That was Mrs. Eddy, for
nhnjnQC I
world feel deepest reverence and az
lection, and concerning whom others
have thought it necessary or excus-
able TO write and to say unkind and
untruthful things
1t is quite certain that nobody
could see this beautiful and vener-
able woman and ever again speak OF
her except in terms of affectionate
reverence and sympathy. There are
hundrads of thousands of Christian
Scientists who would make almost
anv sacrifice for the privilege. of
looking upon Mrs. Eddy's face. 1t is
imnossible now for her to see many,
and it is therefore duty TO make
at least an attempt to convey an 1dea
> of the impression created by her
personality. :,
Mrs. Eddy is eighty-six years old,
Her thick hair, snow-white, curls
about her head and temples she Is
of medium height and very slender.
She probably weighs less than one
hundred pounds. But her figure IS
straight as she rises and walks for
ward The grasp of her thin hand
is firm; the hand does not tremble.
It is hopeless to try to describe
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