The Washington times., 1909-11-14
What Mother" Eddy Built
Hangs in the
Balance.
FOUNDER is SILENT
DURING UPHEAVAL
Spirit of independence May Travel
to Other Branches-Test
of Power.
CONTINUED from First Page)


outsider, are these:
Shall the one foundation of the faith,
Mrs. Eddy's Science and Health" be
open as the other. the Bible,
Shall there exist in Boston or any
where else a Christian Science College
of Cardinals TO be interpreters and de-
tenders Of the faith, either in place OF
Mrs Eddy or as her successors7
Can the separate jurisdictions of the
Mother Church in Boston and the
branch churches lsewhere-correspon
ing in important particulars TO the
relations between the several States and
the nation-be demarked without inter
necine war7
AS lesser issues it is TO be deter
mined:
What is the teaching Of the church
as 70 combating the thing Mrs. Eddy
has defined as malicious animal mag
netism?"
What is the teaching as to marriage?
The storm centeg. is manifestiy Mrs.
stetson. But the present pastor or
first reader OF the First Church OF New
York. Virgil O. strickler. is also caught
up In It. to be put down tomorrow night
where the congregation. by vote on
charges presented by the board Of trus-
tees. shall decide. Mr.. Stricken is al
most certain TO be deposed, notwith-
standing that the board OF directors OF
the mother church has made his cause
its own. and his active support from
the representatives Of that board now
IN New York.
What type Of woman is this storm
center2
From the weather vane OF the news
We must all Of US have pieeed about
the same portraits woman OF the
fortune-teIling type, with a wig and
cheap jewelry. a mesmerist controlling
her subjects to empty their pocketbooks
and bank accounts for the qualification
OF her avarice; Iatter-day witch.
hypocrite. a leering old woman with a
scanned and naecid face.
Mrs. Stetson
Has Unusual Voice.
Now, it would be easier to write of
Mrs. stetson if this picture were just.
There would then be no two sides to
consider. sensationalism would be al
most satisfied. and those of US who are
not followers of this faith could laugh
and go back to our work. while those
Of US who are could take our grief TO
our closets and be forgotten.
But the picture is very far from
just. I have come 10 know Mrs. stet-
son from seeing her and talking with
her. and from testing the fruit OF her
teaching these past twenty-five years.
I OFFER that. knowledge TO you TO prove
how far unjust It is without bias or
color as far as my human capabilities
permit.
The most distinctive and the most
pleasing thing about her is her voice.
Mrs stetson was trained as a girl
she is now perhaps sixty years old-in
the Blish School of Oratory in Boston.
and the unusual blending CT softness
and resonance in her tones may be re-
hective Of that early instruction. The
pitch is about that OF the mezzo-soprano
singing voice. The enunciation and
phrasing might be taken as models for
the old rules: Care in speaking the
novels makes elegance; care in speak
ing the consonants makes distinctness.
She has thus very much the speech Of
those Of our actresses who read blank
verse.
Face Denotes
Vigorous Thinking.
Her portrait does not convey TO my
eyes a single suggestion of her counter
ance. Those who know Mrs. Stetson
more intimately can see. they tell me,
how the erasure OF all the lines in this
face would produce such a result. But
/ cannot see it and / think IT is greatly
TO be regretted that every indication Of
thought. OF character, Of age. should
have been eliminated.
The real face Is that OF a woman OF
vigorous thinking and expressing. The
modelling Of the mouth is that Of most
persons accustomed to public speaking
the muscles at the siJez are override
veloped. the lips purse and spread as she I
talks, and for certain sounds the tongue /
Is held firmly against teeth, which are
none too even or white. The frame OF hair
is brown, hardly tinged with gray, and
little old-fashioned. The eyes show the /
woman's fun age. Their color is rather /
q grey blue and though the lower lids |
droop there is something in the wide /
pupils and the smooth ealmHess Of the /
brow. above which accounts for the un-
waverinR devotion Of the thousands |
who have come near enough 10 look into