The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-27

father of Franklin Pierce, afteTward
President Of the United States. Fanny
Mcneil. afterward married TO Judge Pot
ter, and who resided for a tine with her
uncle, Franklin Pierce, in the White
House, came TO see the Bakers.
The love between Albert Baker and his
young sister was extremely tender. He
knew of her ambition to become writer.
and he gave her no little time in private
tutoring and directing her reading. Mrs,
Eddy says he taught her the rudiments
Of Latin, Greek, and Hebrew, so that
she easily mastered English grammar.
Much Of her studying was done at home,
because she was of a highly nervous tenn
permanent and could not endure the Sc
we're routine Of the district school, with
the noisy. broiling children from less cul-
tiyated homes. nor witness the frequen;
biTchings which occurred in those days
Leaving Home.
When Mary was fifteen her father re
moved with hts family to SanborntOn
Bridge, now Tilton. renamed for the
family into which her sister Abigail mar
ried They lived for a time on a farm
about a mile from the village. and then
removed to the village, where her father
had built a large frame house in colonial
style. which still stands in Tilton in eX-
cellent preservation. This house must
have been erected at cost of at least
5000. At the farm there is now no trace
OF the old home. but the two giant willows
Of which Mrs. Eddy has written are still
facing the elements like grand old senti-
nels.
When Mary Baker lived I'm Sanbornton
Bridge, the place was thriving manu-
featuring city, much as it is to-day. The
Baker home was regarded as one Of the
best in the town, its social life sharing
the renown Of that of the Tiltons. The
Baker girls were all educated well bred,
and well hammered. and as the pictures
still existing show, handsome in form
and feature. The brothers We're active in
business: the beloved Albert however.
had passed away His death was not
from cancer Ii was at this time that
the Rev Enoch Courser was a frequent
guest, his son Bartlett being a sutton for
the hand of Abigail He has related a
sentimental memory Of this beautiful
young woman pinning "a rose on his coat
in the garden of that home
Spiritual Genius.
Mr.. COuTser used 10 speak Of Mary
Baker Eddy in conversations with his
housekeeper. Mrs. Adeline Piusbury, an /
intelligent and refined woman. now resi- /
dent at Penacook, y. II. This lady toIdj
the writer that he called Mary Baker n I
prodigy an intellectual and spiritual 4
genius. and said that she was the most /
beautiful young girl in TiltOn at the time +
of his social relations with her family
But Mrs. Noyes has story TO tell of I
her school days with Mary Baker She /
says a lunatic, escaped from Concord. /
invaded the village sChOOlhouse one day
and frightened the pupils who ran .
shriekIng to the teacher But Mary
Baker took his hand and quoted him SO 4
that he walked away docilely. on the 1
following Sunday he entered the church /
quietly, and walked straight to the Baker /
pew and stood beside Mary during the F..
hymn-singing- /
Mary Baker must have been a glad
some vision in that grim mecting-house.
The pew was a marked one. because
Mark Baker was foremost member Of
the congregation. George led the choir.
Mary was beautiful according 10 all ac-
counts. both from sardonic and serious
She had large. eloquent blue
eyes. an abundance Of chestnut hair.
which escaped in ringlets from her prim
bonnet, delicately ruched about oval
face She was always weil-gowned,
sometimes in silk, and carefully gloved-
She taught d class of young children in
the Sunday school Mrs. NJ. G. Weeks,
of Boston. was one of these children.
She said Miss Baker had d musical voice
and gentle manner, and the children loved
her.
That Mary inherited her gracious ways
and sweet voice from her mother is
most likely. because without one excep-
ticn this mother is spoken of as the /
sweetest and noblest woman in the com
muuity The word angelic IS frequently /
applied to her. The day came when this
happy home circle was broken up. never
70 be restored. Abigail married Col Til /
ton and went TO live in a fine home of
her own. George Sullivan entered bust
ness with his sisters husband, and sam
ueI was enga ging in contracts which took Il
him TO Boston Samuel had "a friend,
George Washington Glover who was in
the same line of business, and he brought
him home as "a guest.
Mary Married.
This vigorous young business man won
Mary Bakers heart, and IN 1873 they
were married and departed for Charles
ton. 5. c., where Mai Glover had bust
ness contracts. Mrs Eddy has said that
while living there she was much agitated I
over the subject of slavery and not only
set free those slaves her husband owned.
but wrote letters on the subject for the
papers. which stirred up so much agi-
.ation her husband was alarmed for her !
safety Il
Ii has been argued by adverse critics Of !
Mrs. Eddy. living in Tilton, that her hus-
band was not man of sufficient means
10 have owned slaves. IN TcfutatiOn of
this the records of the register of deeds
IN Charleston disclose the facts that from
$50 to 1872. inclusive. G. W. Glover made
thirteen conveyanCes; during that time
TWO conveyances We're made TO him. In
both cases several thousand dollars were
involved.
Mr. Glover Dies. G
4 few months after their marriage Mai ]
Glover. having a contract to supply build !
ne material for cathedral to be erected {
n Haiti. went to Wilmington, \. G., and {
because Of his wifes unique position as !
IN advocate of abolition, doubtless. and {
also from desire to keep her by his side. Y
ook her with him. He was stricken with 7
fellow fever in Wilmington and died in q
line days. At his decease, Mrs. Eddy has 7
stated. she was surrounded with friends. !
md their provisions in her behalf were {
most tender. The governor of the State G
md his staff followed the body to its ,
place of interment, in the Episcopal Gene
cry. where he was buried with Masonic =