The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy

by Georgine Milmine

 

CONTENTS

CHAPTER		PAGE
I.	Mrs. Eddy's American Ancestors—Mark Baker, and Life on the Bow Farm—Schooldays in Tilton—Early Influences—Her First Marriage	3
II.	Mrs. Glover as a Widow in Tilton—Her Interest in Mesmerism and Clairvoyance—The Disposal of Her Son—Marriage to Daniel Patterson	26
III.	Mrs. Patterson First Hears of Dr. Quimby—Her Arrival in Portland—Quimby and His “Science”	42
IV.	Mrs. Patterson Becomes Quimby's Patient and Pupil—Her Defence of Quimby and His Theory—Her Grief at His Death—She Asks Mr. Dresser to Take up Quimby's Work	56
V.	The Quimby Controversy—Mrs. Eddy's Claim that Christian Science Was a Divine Revelation to Her—The Story of Her Fall on the Ice in Lynn and Her Miraculous Recovery	71
VI.	The Quimby Controversy Continued—Mrs. Eddy's Attempts to Discredit Quimby—Her Charge that He Was Always a Mesmerist—Quimby's Adherents Defend Him	88
VII.	Dr. and Mrs. Patterson in Lynn—Their Separation—Mrs. Patterson as a Professional Visitor—She Teaches Hiram Crafts the Quimby “Science”—Mrs. Patterson in Amesbury	105
VIII.	Two Years with the Wentworths in Stoughton—Mrs. Patterson Instructs Mrs. Wentworth from the Quimby Manuscripts and Prepares Her First Book for the Press	121
IX.	Mrs. Glover Goes into Partnership with Richard Kennedy—Their Establishment in Lynn—Mrs. Glover's First Disciples—Disagreements and Lawsuits	134
X.	Mrs. Glover's Influence over Her Students—Quimby Discredited—Daniel Harrison Spofford—Mrs. Glover's Marriage to Asa Gilbert Eddy	155
XI.	The First Appearance of Science and Health—Christian Science as a System of Metaphysics—As a Religion—As a Curative Agent	176
XII.	Mrs. Eddy's Belief that She Suffered for the Sins of Others—Letters to Students—The Origin and Development of Malicious Animal Magnetism—A Revival of Witchcraft	211
XIII.	The “Conspiracy to Murder” Case—Arrest of Eddy and Arens on a Sensational Charge—Hearing in Court—Discharge of the Defendants	245
XIV.	Mrs. Eddy Addresses Boston Audiences—She is Tortured by Her Fear of Mesmerism—Organisation of “The Church of Christ, Scientist”—Withdrawal of Eight Leading Members—Mrs. Eddy's Retreat from Lynn	262
XV.	The Massachusetts Metaphysical College Organised—Death of Asa Gilbert Eddy—Mrs. Eddy's Belief that He Was Mentally Assassinated—Entrance of Calvin A. Frye	281
XVI.	Mrs. Eddy's Boston Household—A Daily Warfare Against Mesmerism—The P. M. Society—An Action Against Arens for Infringement of Copyright	298
XVII.	Literary Activities—Mrs. Eddy as an Editor—The Rev. Mr. Wiggin Becomes Her Literary Assistant—His Private Estimate of Mrs. Eddy and Christian Science	312
XVIII.	The Material Prosperity of Church and College—Mrs. Eddy Goes to Live in Commonwealth Avenue—Discontent of the Students—A Rival School of Mental Healing—The Schism of 1888	340
XIX.	Mrs. Eddy Rallies Her Forces—Growth of Christian Science in the West—The Making of a Healer—The Apotheosis of Mrs. Eddy	361
XX.	The Adoption of a Son—Mrs. Eddy's Household and the New Favourite—A Crisis in Christian Science—Mrs. Eddy is Driven from Boston by “M.A.M.”	379
XXI.	The New Policy—Mrs. Eddy Resigns from Pulpit and Journal and Closes Her College—Disorganisation of the Church and Association—Reconstruction on a New Basis—Mrs. Eddy in Absolute Control and Possession	391
XXII.	Life at Pleasant View—Mrs. Eddy Produces More Christian Science Literature—Foster Eddy Is Made Publisher of the Text-Book—The Story of His Fall from Favour—Rule of Service	411
XXIII.	Josephine Curtis Woodbury and the Romantic School—Birth of the Prince of Peace—Mrs. Eddy Withdraws Her Support—“War in Heaven”	428
XXIV.	Mrs. Eddy Adopts the Title of “Mother”—Beginning of the Concord Pilgrimages—Mrs. Eddy Hints at Her Political Influence—The Building of the Mother Church Extension	441
XXV.	George Washington Glover—Mrs. Eddy's Son Brings an Action Against Leading Christian Scientists—Withdrawal of the Suit—Mrs. Eddy Moves from Concord, N. H., to Newton, Mass.	453
XXVI.	Training the Vine—How Mrs. Eddy Has Organised Her Church—Her Management and Discipline—The Church Manual—Recent Modifications in Christian Science Practice—Membership of the Church—Practical Results of Mrs. Eddy's Life-Work	460
Appendix A		486
Appendix B		489
Appendix C		494

THE LIFE OF
MARY BAKER G. EDDY

AND THE
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Photograph by S. A. Bowers 

MARY BAKER G. EDDY

From a photograph taken in Concord, N. H., in 1892

THE LIFE OF
MARY BAKER G. EDDY

AND THE
HISTORY OF CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

BY

GEORGINE MILMINE

ILLUSTRATED

YORK

DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY

1909

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN

COPYRIGHT, 1907, 1908, BY THE S. S. MCCLURE COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
PUBLISHED, NOVEMBER, 1909

NOTE

The following history was first published in serial form in McClure's Magazine, 1907-1908. It has since been revised and new material has been added.

G. M. 

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Mary Baker G. Eddy. From a photograph taken in Concord, N. H., in 1892	Frontispiece
		facing page
Mark Baker, Mrs. Eddy's father		10
Daniel Patterson, Mrs. Eddy's second husband		34
The house in North Groton, N. H., where Mrs. Eddy, then Mrs. Daniel Patterson, lived for seven years		38
Phineas Parkhurst Quimby		48
Mary Baker G. Eddy. From a tintype given to Mrs. Sarah G. Crosby in 1864		62
Facsimile of the second sheet of the first “spirit” letter from Albert Baker, Mrs. Eddy's brother, to Mrs. Sarah Crosby		66
Mary Baker G. Eddy. From a photograph taken in Amesbury, Mass., in 1870		114
Mary Baker G. Eddy. Helping an Amesbury photographer to get a successful picture of a baby		114
Title page and part of the first page of the manuscript from which Mrs. Glover taught Mrs. Wentworth the system of mental healing which she ascribed to P. P. Quimby		128
Richard Kennedy. From a photograph taken in Lynn, Mass., in 1871		152
Asa Gilbert Eddy, Mrs. Eddy's third husband		168
Daniel H. Spofford		252
Edward J. Arens		252
Mary Baker G. Eddy. From a tintype given to Lucy Wentworth in Stoughton, Mass., in 1870		270
Mary Baker G. Eddy. From a photograph taken in Boston in the early eighties		270
Calvin A. Frye. From a photograph taken about 882		294
Mary Baker G. Eddy. Taken about the year 1886, while at the head of her college in Boston		308
Mary Baker G. Eddy. As she looked in 1870 when he first taught Christian Science in Lynn, Mass.		308
The Reverend James Henry Wiggin, who was for four years Mrs. Eddy's literary adviser		328
Christian Scientists' Picnic at Point of Pines, July 16, 1885		348
Ebenezer J. Foster Eddy, the adopted son of Mrs. Eddy		384
George Washington Glover, Mrs. Eddy's only child		384
Pleasant View, Mrs. Eddy's home in Concord, N. H.		414
The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston. The Mother Church		450