Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-22
MRS. EDDY death THOUGHT"
Founder Of Christian Science Said
to Have Feared Death.
Felt sure Her Enemies Were Urging
the "Denth Thought" on Her-Now
the Directors shy Her Death
Is An "Incidcnt."

'eoTEire Mlmine, VINO, after an eX-
haustive study wrote 1.-THE Life of Mary
faker q. Eddy" published in McClurcs
Magazine. and issued in book form last
year. was asked by the World for an
interview on the present situation In the
christian Science Church caused BY the
death OF Mrs Eddy She has written
me Following article exclusively fer the
New York World
Mrs. Eddy's death proves at least
that she was recently alive, which an
astonishing number of people have hon
estiy doubted. The rumors of her secret
death and surreptitious burial. which
have been so pcrsistently heard during
the last ten years, are no doubt a re-
suit of the well known Christian Science
doctrine that there is no death"
No amount of persuasion could formerly
make true Christian Scientist admit
the possibility of Mrs Eddy's death. but
SO much publicity has lately been given
to Mrs Eddy and her church and it's
mystic beliefs that Christian Scientists
have been rapidly adjusting themselves,
as a matter Of church policy, to a less
radical position on the subject of their
| leaders death.
DEATH AN "IILUSION."
Mrs Eddy herself taught that death
! was an Illusion and had no rrsity
! yet. AS in all her untenable teachings,
she recognized in fact what she denied
| in theory. Death was, she admitted.
| the last enemy TO he overcome" and
"much Is to he understood before we
gain this great point in Science And
while her students were taught to ex-
pect that she would at last overcome
death with a final demonstration, Mrs.
Eddy went on making .--r wills and ap-
proprlatine her property as She wished
| it to he divided after her death
| I do not know how she mot the APP
but in her moro robust times she lived,
| II the testimony Of those about her is
to he relied upon, in grave fear Of dying,
and she was often treated to diSpel tho
death thought" which she felt sure her
enemies were urging upon her
! There were times too. when, feeling
| that death was near, she cried out In
an agony Of nervous terror her remorze
for deeds which, in her normal hours
she regarded as just and necessary.
| At these times Of depression she some
times wrote to one or more Of her nearest
|
that he or she was to be Entrusted with
! her earthly mission and was to carry on
the cause" after she hau gone. In some
! instances these letters were faithfully
preserved by the owners in the expecta-
ton that they might be useful in future
! times.
NOW DEATH AN INCIDENT"
Now that Mrs. Eddy is actually dead
the church directors are quoted as say
ing that her death is but an "incident"
in the history Of Christian Science but
| il is and will be. as they best know, much
more than an incident SO far as til.
church machinery is concerned Mrs.
! Eddy has, for many years, been an I'M
necessary figure Her active building
days were over when the Christian Sci
ence organization was actually COM
! ploted 'in accordance with her personal
plan. She founded the church and
brought the organization to its present
| Ugh state Of efficiency. But more valu-
able and more important than any Wis
| ible service she ever gave to tho church
was the mere fact Of her existence. Her
name, her memory and the legends and
traditions that have grown up about her
and which have been carefully planted
| and fostered in the Christian Science
mind by all Christian Science teachers,
according to the rule and precedent OF
the church, were the churchs best as
set To loyal" Christian Scientists Mrs
Eddy was holy woman. inspired of God
and to be revercd equally with Christ.
NAME TO CONJURE WITH
In the bitter factionai differences,
which are not uncommon in the Christian
Science churches, Mrs. Eddy's was q
name to conjure by. Willingly her dis
ciples humblcd themselves at word
from their leader Even to be reproved
by the head Of the church carried with
It an inverse honor This magical power
o; her n.rne was Illustrated IT. the re-
cent disturbance IN the First Church of
Christ, Scientist, OF New Aork, when
at tense and excited meeting at which
the crisis OF Mrs. Stetson's case was Ia
he turned. a message from Mrs. Eddy
wa. read, and although the message con-
tanned less than n dozen words and was
OF general character It succeeded in
stantly in divestinS the 4ontcstants from
proving their allegiance to Mrs, Stctson
to eHpressNs their loyalty TO Mrs. Eddy.
Whit the future of Mrs Eddys church
is to be will depend largely upon what
provision, II any, she may havc made
Tor Its continued existence. AS the
World has already pointed out the presen,
bylaws of tho church make the officers
and directors Of the church incompetent
TO act or 10 perform any of the functions
Of their Offices without the approval and
consent OF Mrs, Eddy. So far nothing
has been made public since Mrs. Eddy's
death to show that she left any lnstruc-
| tons of any nature as 10 the future
| government Of her church Yet II Is in.
credible that Mrs. Eddy, with her shrewd
J ness and foresight, which amounted al
times to positive genius, should not Ions
ago have provided for this emergency
Personally / cannot but nelieve that Il
, viii. be found that such provision has beer
J made by her.
HER CAREER UNIQUE.
Aside from all religious Significant,
, Mrs. Eddy's death takes away fgur'
the world In some respects her caree
r was unique. History shows that the
leaders of new religious movements hav
rarely lived to see their faith general!
accepted or even tolerated. They hav,
not, as n rule, been mindful of materia
prosperity, and their religious founda
lions have rested on the convictions ant
the faith that Is In them. rather thai
on their popularity and power. But Mrs
Eddy, In the space OF half life time
= succeeded in establishing new faitl
md n now church, besides acQuirin,