The Washington herald., 1910-12-05


Mary Baker the future leader OF the
Christian Science Church. was born on
July 16, 1871. in farm house, small. but
comfortable, which still stands on a hill
at Bow, n. II. Mary. the youngest OF
six children. was raised on the upland
farm from which one may see a beautiful
stretch OF the Merrimac Valley and
there she grew 10 be a very delicate and
a very religious little farm girl But in
her own time also she grew to be. as
some one wrote not long ago, zone OF
the richest women in America-more than
that. the most powerful American
woman"
There came a time-it was in 1S75-that
about a dozen disciples of d woman
named now Mrs, Mary Baker Glover, the
head of an idea that had TO do with the
teaching of mental healing OF physical
lessons, met at Lynn, Mass, 20 organize
by resolution the First Christian Science
Association. The dozen pledged to sup
port the mOVement-and Mrs. GlOver-by
contributing SO week.
Dedicate Mother Church.
Thlrty-one years later. in June. 1906.
from all over the world came Christian
Scientists to dedicate In Boston the most
pretentious religious edihce in New Eng
land and one OF the most costly in the
United States-the Mother Church" at
Boston. There are photographs OF It
which show the great throngs entering
the building on a rainy day. The throng
in the photograph is wearing storm coats
and overshoes and holding up umbrellas
20 protect itself against possible after
effects Of the stormy weather.
Out OF that little meeting in Lynn has
grown an Institution which statistics of
last year show that in the United States
there We're Cos Christian Science churches,
and also churches in Italy, France, Great
Britain, and British Columbia, Germany,
Norway. Switzerland India. China. South
Africa. Australia. and many other COun-
tries Also in the United States were
1885 Christian Science ministers and S., 096
communicates, All these churches and
the churches in foreign countries are the
result of the thinking of the delicate, re-
ngious little farm girl, and all are
branches of the Mother Church IN Bos-
ton.
Had to Pay for Hall.
Nobody except Lynn neighbors had
heard the name Christian Science" back
IN 1870. At that time the leader and
teacher. Mrs. Glover, could hire a hall 70
eXpound her doctrines only by paying out
s. Of the weekly $40 her students" handed
over for her support. She managed To
live in those early DAYS by piecing exist
encc, together with the aid of occasional
fees she earned as a teacher of mental
healing.
Her successive jumps TO fame and for
tune are shown In as good a way as any
other by the Photographic reproductions
IN books Of her life OF the homes she has
lived in since the Lynn days-the little
boN-like house where she was born at
Bow, facing a big barn; then her house
az Iilton, y. H., with its colonial por-
ticos; the Abigail Tilton house. also at
Iiton. with It's high Doric columns; the
little house in Broad street" at Lynn
more pretenU0us still where Mrs. Eddy
completed the FIRST edition Of one Of the
most financially successful books ever
written, Science and Health" and then
IN turn the graystone home IN Columbus
avenue. Boston, where Mrs Eddy lived
IN lSS2, the big. lowered, bay-windowed
Pleasant View. with its acreszof Con-
cord On. ID real estate surrounding II,
and finally the home where she died
Chestnut Hin. BrOokline, a rambling
stone mansion that Overlooks the Blue
Hills, and which one approaches along
maeadamized driveways that turn and
Irvine beneath slim pine trees and fatter
oaks and chestnuts
Her Troubles Numerous.
But Mrs. Eddys life hasn't been one OF
rosebeds entirely. People began to hear
about a score and half years ago OF the
+zFs
paper stories OF sick folks who had died
without a physician. who, like Mrs. Eddy
herself in her last illness, had placed
themselves and their physical ailments
in the hands OF healers. who learned from
their leader that illness-that is. all sick
ness. and even death-are merely FER
rors.' and that God is all in all; God is
good. God IS mind and spirit, and, being
all. nothing is matter"
The believers were dying. and their
relatives then came 10 court with the
fOrutude of Christian martyrs. Like
every other religious belief, the new
church thrived on the martyTdom. And
when Mrs. Eddy and her teachings didn't
figure in the court calendars, because of
the death OF members who had refused
medical attention. the leader and her
cause were having printable troubles be-
cause disciples. as in the case OF Mrs
StetsoD here in New York, were grow
ing in power that tempted them 10 kick
over the races. The relatives who came
10 court because they had barred phXsi-
clans. however. usually escaped punish
ment; and the kickers over the traces,
after a first show of excitement, usually
became humble and subdued and properly
submissive.
Father n Farmer.
Mark Baker, the father OF Mrs, Eddy,
was a farmer. but as his land consisted
of 500 acres. his holdings might be ele-
waited TO the more dignified title Of an
estate" Nevertheless. Mrs Eddys
father was wealthy only in acreage Of
farm land; but. on the other hand. the
girl spent her Infancy and days OF adolf
essence in a home that was degrees from
being poverty-stricken or sordd
Mary came from a stock that for al
most two centuries has farmed in New
England. In little history OF Sanb0rn-
ton, n. H.. four pages OF the small book
are given TO the Baker family The
family history begins with the state
ment: THE earliest emigrant ancestor
OF the SanborntOn Bakers was undoubt-
edlv John. who was a freeman In
Charleston. Mass" The Bakers married
into the Mcneil family. the most distin-
gulshed of whom was Gen. John Mcneil
hero OF the battle Of Lundys Lane, I'm
the war OF 1872 Mrs. Eddy, who was
interested in family trees, found that
her own McNeils were descendants of
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