Los Angeles herald., 1910-12-06
MARY BAKER EDDY

/ 7
on Saturday night can be said to have directly in
fiueneed more persons than any other of her Sc
lelther In ancient or modern times.
Considered either as spiritual leader or as Il
her personality in its more human aspects Mrs
Eddy was most wonderful woman. Having ar
rived at middle age SO poor that friends assisted
in her subsistence having been afflicted most o
those years with physical nfirmities and hayin!
had unfortunate domestic alliances, both in tn
! homes made for her by father and husband, Mrs
Eddy was what ninety people in hundred woulC
set down as a failure in life. Her best years
were spent and nothing done.
That indeed the worlds verdict as Mrs
Eddy struggled in the New England villages will
! her marvellous will to beat down the hand o
fate that seemed to have marked her for the hu
man discard pile; that what the world said a.
passed on in its parade of business and pleasure
! while poverty-strcken woman worked
manuscript in a garnet room with all the zeal o
YOUTH Presently the world took notice to the eX
tent that it snecred. Then, as is usual and very
human, it began to perseCute. And when persecu
tion began the vital seed of what to become
great religious movement was watered and the
dreams and hopes of an indomitablc woman be
came frution
| This phase of the experience of Mrs. Eddy has
always been the most interesting to us. 1t shows
! that an iron will a dreamer with unflagging
purpose cannot be denied their ambition, not ever
by the great world. If Mary Baker Eddy haC
IndDpe1leQ
than the purely spiritual she would have succeed
ed because she would not have brooked denial per
haps not notably in business, or art, o. science
because in them she would have lacked the unctior
which spiritual zeal put into what her followers
believe to be an inspired message.
| But she would have succeeded, for humanity
is composed for the most part of those all toe
ready to fall aside and make aisle for the EddyS
to pass through. Equally great did Mrs Eddy
prove to be in all the business requirements ano
executive demands that the result of her success
full work put upon her. Once on the high road tc
success the Christian Science organization multi
piled fast but SO fast that 1t was beyond the
| grasp of its wonderful founder.
! The personal fortune of Mrs. Eddy grew to al
estimated figure of 100000, entailing furthe
draft on mind and body, and then envious eye:
fastened themselves on it and lawsuits followed
The business of the mother church (speaklng o
its material sde) became enormous But whethe
in deciding a church policy, either business OF
spiritual, or in meeting the heavy demands hel
personal success entailed, Mrs. Eddy was ever tht
master.
In reviewing her career some would speak frs
of her spiritual influence upon the world. In ou
opinion the logical order is just the one we hav
considered, because, in the first place, if Coz
chose Mrs. Eddy for an inspired work, he chos
her because she was this kind of dauntless spri
and capacious ability. To understand her spirit
ual success correctly it is necessary to have al
adequate understanding of those attributes tha
made her great also in the more purely human
affairs
1t was not to be expected that character tha
achieved the successes Mrs. Eddy did could do SC
without inAicting some hurts on the element tina
tugged spitefully at her skirts and that envy
which, like death, loves shining mark Woult
fail to send many shafts toward the founder o
Christian Science. Mrs Eddy had been lam
pooned for the strong hand she held th
II was n
new school of thought and worship in its forma
tive period, and natural corolary of the yer.
qualities that gave Christian Science to the world
Mrs Eddy had passed through the hard disci
pline Of struggle with the world. 1t may hav
made her more rigid disciplinarian but it can
not be said by her critics that any facts supper
them, for Christian Science has thriven mightil
under its founders guidance and discipline, and
tree must be known by its fruits. Every attack o
the founder has made old adhcrents more loya
and brought new ones.
1t is not necessary to discuss in this connection
the religious beliefs which Mrs. Eddy gave to
world that seemed eager for them. With rapidit
hardly paralleed beautiful temples of the fait
have sprung up i'll all parts of the world In LO
Angeles alone there are seven societies. In man
cities the Christian Science churches are the mos
beautiful of all the buildings dedicated to worship
Christian Science is no longer disputed a fore
for good in the world Even those who refuse +
accept its tenets admit that it has helped thou
sands physically and spiritually.
There will now be much speculation on the FIJI
turc of that church with the dominating person
ality of its founder gone There some who
basng their belief on the fact that no sect ever es
capped It's serious intcrnecinc strife, think that
struggle for the mastery in the church will soo
take place. 1t is interesting, but idle to speculat
in this way. There might even be struggle o
this kind without any schism.
The probability is that for long time to com
the memory Of Mary Baker Eddy will be SO re
vered amoig Christian Scientists that it will be a
potent for unification as was her personality il
the seclusion enforced upon her during recen
years. Christian Science has sometimes been re
ferrcd to cult that would pass away with it
originator That seems less probable today, in TIL
shadow of her DEATH than ever. Its own impetu
has become SO great that it will carry the move