The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-12-23
Various Estimates
Of The Late Mrs. Eddy

PHILADELPHIA. Dec. 5.-The Rev.
DR.. Russell H. Conwe1l, of the Baptist
Temple. who has known Mrs Mary
Baker Eddy for nearly 30 years, and
who as her attorney for several years
had ample opportunity to study this
remarkable woman. spoke Of his re-
lations with the Christian Science
leader to a reporter of the Public
Ledger last night.
Mrs. Eddy was living in Lynn
while 1 was practising law in Boston,
and she frequently came to my Of
fee for advice" said Doctor Conwell.
"Her Christian Science movement was
in it's infancy then. She was mo-
dest New England woman, but was
possessed with a preternaturally
acute mind. She had a marvellous
power of reading other peoples
thoughts.
Doctor Eddy was her second hus-
band, and l had. business relations
with him. 1t was apparent, however,
that Mrs. Eddy was the head of the
house, not in an offensive way. but
by virtue of her splendid mental
equipment. Her husband never sign
ed a deed or transacted any import
ant business with first obtaining his
wife's sanction.
Mrs. Eddy and 1 had many argu-
ments concerning her theories, and
in some cases 1 agreed with her, while
in others l did not. l read the proofs
Of her first book and was in close
touch with her work at that period.
| She was not at all mercenary as has
/ been suggested, but believed so thor
oughly in her theories that she was
willing to sacrifice everything she
thought that many of us have had for
years, but she emphasized it and rea-
ped the advantage or the leadership
it brought her. Personally, I believe
that her life has been of great use
to the Christian Churches because
she brought to their attention the va
lue of that faith which Christianity
teaches men to have, but which is
too often overlooked.
Mrs. Eddy accounts for all illness
as a thing that originates in the
mind, and her teaching was that i'll
ness could be avoided if the mind re-
PEELED the idea of such a thing at its
inception. Many of our modern sci
entists in their researches testify e
the accuracy of her conception of the
power of mind over matter She
thought that men and women, by OBJ
serving the proper rules Of health
should live to three score and ten OF
four score and ten and die painlessh
as the leaf fades at the approach Of
winter.
Unfortunately Mrs. Eddy allowed
her imagination to carry her away OF
strange flights of fancy, and it wa!
one of those eccentricities which
brought to an end my business rela.
tions with her. When DR.. Eddy dice
Mrs. Eddy became convinced that hi
death was due, not to natural causes
but to a vicious mental telepathit
force directed at him by one of hi
former students. In short, she ac
cused this student, who by the way
was in New York at the time, of muir
dering her husband by mental telep
athy, and she wanted me. as her law
yer, to take the case into court
refused to be a party to any sue
nonsensical transaction, and tried t
dissuade her, but in vain She OBJ
tanned the services of another law
yer, and actually brought proceeding
against the student in New York. o
course, the Judge threw the case on
of court.
my friendship with Mrs. Eddy re
NAMED unbroken, and have fire