New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1910-12-05
MRS. EDDY DESCENDED
FROM PURITAN STOCK
Founder OF Christian Science
Youngest Of Six in a New
A3nlpS,'~e Family.
WAS MARRIED THREE TIMES
Early Fond of Meta physics
The Influence of Or" Quinn
ov on Her-The New Sect
Announced in Lynn.

Mary Baker Glover Eddy wa. born July
Is, 1921. at Bow, \. Il. five miles from
Concord. Bow was cluster OF farms
ceTtring around E schoolhouse, but lack
ing church. There was a village govern
ment, and the Baker family had been for
years among the most important residents
OF the place. Mary Bakers grandfather
had been the largest taxpayer in the vii
lage and her father lived on a farm OF five
hundred acres, which he had inherited
from his father. with his brother James.
Mark Baker, Mary's father was justice
Of the peace for his township, q deacon
OF the church IN Concord which the family
! attended, a school committeeman and was
for many years q chaplain OF the state
militia He came from Puritan stock, the
first OF the family IN America having been
John Baker, who was q freeman in
Charlestown. Mass. IN 1854.
Mark Bakers grandfather, Joseph. mar
red Marion Moor Mcneil, and through her
Mrs. Eddy for many years claimed descent
from the NcNeils, OF Scotland. using their
crest on her letter paper. carved over her
fireplace IN Boston and embroidered on
satin banner. which was suspended over
her desk in her college Of metaphysics in
Boston. Il was only after many years that
she vas convinced by consultation with the
McNeils in Washington that she had no
right 10 the crest and ceased its use.
Mrs E6dy's mother was Abigail Ambrose,
Of Pembroke, y. H. She was the daughter
OF Deacon Nathaniel Ambrose, who gave
the money for the first Congregational
Church in Pembroke Mrs Baker was
sister Of the grandmother Of Governor
HeAs Smith OF Georgia.
Too Frail to Go TO School.
Mar was the youngest OF six children.
There were three brothers. Samuel. Albert
and George. and TWO sisters, Abigail and
Martha Albert. the oldest child. was ten
years old when Mary was born. All were
strong ard robust, with the exception OF
Mary She was so frail and delicate from
her birth that II vas not considered safe
to send her 20 public school when she grew
Of age 70 begin instruction, and she was
taught at home. first ny her mother and
grandmother and later by her brotheS, Al
bert II the summers, when ne was home
from college 1t was her brother who
taught her Latin and her first knowledge
of metaphysics. for which she showed
strong inclination.
When she was quite little girl she
aroused frst curiosity and then consterna-
ZION in her family by her tales OF the voices
she heard calling her. In the two years
from six 10 eight years old she would ire
oueptIy go 10 her mother and ask why she
had been called, and on her mother saying
that she had not called the little girl would
ga ..F771t I heard the voices calling Mary.
Mary
The constant iteration of this frightened
her father. who declared that her brain
was growing TOO fast for her body and
said that her books must be taken away
fro,-, her Mrs Eddy tells in her auto
riocraDhy OF the last time she heard the
voices She says:
..one dav when my cousin, Mehitaoie
Fyurtoon. was visiting US and 1 sat III q
little chair by her side n the same 1ooin
with nv grandmother the call again came
SO loud that Mehitable heard II, tnoush l
had ceased TO notice it. Greatly surprlseo'
nv cousin turned 10 me and SAID, Aouf
mother is calling you
The Mysterious Call Ceases.
ct -.s,, loft the room. went 10 my mother
and once more asked her 4 she had sum
-,,o,,e5 me She answered as always before
That night before going 10 bed my mother
raad 70 me the Scriptural narrative OF
little Samuel, and bade me, when the voice
called again. 20 reply as ne did; SPEAK
Lord. for thy servant heareth.
..yEheu the call came again I did answer
n The words Of Samuel. and never again
90 he material senses was that mysterious
call repeated
The ef;id's father was CONVINCED that he-
belief IL the voices was due TO her great
interest IN the affairs of the church, no
WAS q constant attendant al church, with
ell the members of his family, and took
ar active part in the material as well as
the spiritual affairs OF the meeting house
The pastor was often visitor at the Baker
farm. ard or these occasions Mary nuhS
close TO the skirts OF the Two men 5 coats
not infreqUentIy interruptIng Ihen WIN
gone oId-fashioned comment Of her own
Th. family considered her morbidlE &c
vout. She read her Bible more than any
a-ba- hook. and when she discovered that
Daniel prayed seven times daily she forIlleu
.sa Same habit. and kept d record Of her
pravers. The letters she wrote her brother
ALERT q, college we're couched ~ Biblical
49, saofoax- and were = seuree Of much
amusement 10 him and his fellow students
Her other reading consisted chiefly in
moral science and natural philosophy, which
chs studied from her brothers textbooks
she studied also under his instruction,
Latin. Greek and Hebrew.
when she was twelve years old her father
wanted her 20 become 9 meInpeF OF the
church but the child had ceased to be
strictly aITlenahIe TO her parents discipline
and she declared that she was not ready
a. that time -o- the sacrament The quar-
rel between the father and daughter was
so sAvere that Mark Baker Is reported 10
ha1-e said Of Mary: "If Mary Magdalena
had seven des-ils, our Mary mas ten"
Join. Congregational Church.
The child. however, made a partial re
1ieious profession at this time, bur II was
not until 1--WE years later that Che entered
the Congregational Church. Of which her
father vas member. The quarrel with
her father seems TO have driven the deli
rate child into = nervous sickness, and in
-ecounting her recovery from Il she makes
ner first profession of the belief on which
she afterwar6 founded her cult But il
must be said that her story OF her recovery
was not written until after she had become
the leader OF the Christian Scientists. She