christian science-第11部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

a　factory；　each　family　turns　out　a　Christian　Science　product　at　the
customary　intervals；　and　contributes　it　to　the　Cause　in　the　only　way　in
which　contributions　of　recruits　to　Churches　are　ever　made　on　a　large
scaleby　the　puissant　forces　of　personal　contact　and　association。　　Each
family　is　an　agency　for　the　Cause；　and　makes　converts　among　the
neighbors；　and　starts　some　more　factories。

Four　years　ago　there　were　six　Christian　Scientists　in　a　certain　town　that
I　am　acquainted　with；　a　year　ago　there　were　two　hundred　and　fifty　there；
they　have　built　a　church；　and　its　membership　now　numbers　four　hundred。
This　has　all　been　quietly　done；　done　without　frenzied　revivals；　without
uniforms；　brass　bands；　street　parades；　corner　oratory；　or　any　of　the
other　customary　persuasions　to　a　godly　life。　　Christian　Science；　like
Mohammedanism；　is　〃restricted〃　to　the　〃unintelligent；　the　people　who　do
not　think。〃　　There　lies　the　danger。　　It　makes　Christian　Science
formidable。　　It　is　〃restricted〃　to　ninety…nine　one…hundredths　of　the
human　race；　and　must　be　reckoned　with　by　regular　Christianity。　　And　will
be；　as　soon　as　it　is　too　late。






BOOK　II

There　were　remarkable　things　about　the　stranger　called　the　ManMystery…
things　so　very　extraordinary　that　they　monopolized　attention　and　made　all
of　him　seem　extraordinary；　but　this　was　not　so；　the　most　of　his　qualities
being　of　the　common；　every…day　size　and　like　anybody　else's。　　It　was
curious。　　He　was　of　the　ordinary　stature；　and　had　the　ordinary　aspects；
yet　in　him　were　hidden　such　strange　contradictions　and　disproportions！
He　was　majestically　fearless　and　heroic；　he　had　the　strength　of　thirty
men　and　the　daring　of　thirty　thousand；　handling　armies；　organizing
states；　administering　governmentsthese　were　pastimes　to　him；　he
publicly　and　ostentatiously　accepted　the　human　race　at　its　own　valuation…
…as　demigodsand　privately　and　successfully　dealt　with　it　at　quite
another　and　juster　valuationas　children　and　slaves；　his　ambitions　were
stupendous；　and　his　dreams　had　no　commerce　with　the　humble　plain；　but
moved　with　the　cloud…rack　among　the　snow…summits。　　These　features　of　him
were；　indeed；　extraordinary；　but　the　rest　of　him　was　ordinary　and　usual。
He　was　so　mean…minded；　in　the　matter　of　jealousy；　that　it　was　thought　he
was　descended　from　a　god；　he　was　vain　in　little　ways；　and　had　a　pride　in
trivialities；　he　doted　on　ballads　about　moonshine　and　bruised　hearts；　in
education　he　was　deficient；　he　was　indifferent　to　literature；　and　knew
nothing　of　art；　he　was　dumb　upon　all　subjects　but　one；　indifferent　to　all
except　that　onethe　Nebular　Theory。　　Upon　that　one　his　flow　of　words　was
full　and　free；　he　was　a　geyser。　　The　official　astronomers　disputed　his
facts　and　deeded　his　views；　and　said　that　he　had　invented　both；　they　not
being　findable　in　any　of　the　books。　　But　many　of　the　laity；　who　wanted
their　nebulosities　fresh；　admired　his　doctrine　and　adopted　it；　and　it
attained　to　great　prosperity　in　spite　of　the　hostility　of　the　experts。〃
The　Legend　of　the　Man…Mystery；　ch。　　i。




CHAPTER　I

JANUARY；　1903。　　When　we　do　not　know　a　public　man　personally；　we　guess　him
out　by　the　facts　of　his　career。　　When　it　is　Washington；　we　all　arrive　at
about　one　and　the　same　result。　　We　agree　that　his　words　and　his　acts
clearly　interpret　his　character　to　us；　and　that　they　never　leave　us　in
doubt　as　to　the　motives　whence　the　words　and　acts　proceeded。　　It　is　the
same　with　Joan　of　Arc；　it　is　the　same　with　two　or　three　or　five　or　six
others　among　the　immortals。　　But　in　the　matter　of　motives　and　of　a　few
details　of　character　we　agree　to　disagree　upon　Napoleon；　Cromwell；　and
all　the　rest；　and　to　this　list　we　must　add　Mrs。　Eddy。　　I　think　we　can
peacefully　agree　as　to　two　or　three　extraordinary　features　of　her　make…
up；　but　not　upon　the　other　features　of　it。　　We　cannot　peacefully　agree　as
to　her　motives；　therefore　her　character　must　remain　crooked　to　some　of　us
and　straight　to　the　others。

No　matter；　she　is　interesting　enough　without　an　amicable　agreement。　　In
several　ways　she　is　the　most　interesting　woman　that　ever　lived；　and　the
most　extraordinary。　　The　same　may　be　said　of　her　career；　and　the　same　may
be　said　of　its　chief　result。　　She　started　from　nothing。　　Her　enemies
charge　that　she　surreptitiously　took　from　Quimby　a　peculiar　system　of
healing　which　was　mind…cure　with　a　Biblical　basis。　　She　and　her　friends
deny　that　she　took　anything　from　him。　　This　is　a　matter　which　we　can
discuss　by…and…by。　　Whether　she　took　it　or　invented　it；　it　was
materiallya　sawdust　mine　when　she　got　it；　and　she　has　turned　it　into　a
Klondike；　its　spiritual　dock　had　next　to　no　custom；　if　any　at　all：　from
it　she　has　launched　a　world…religion　which　has　now　six　hundred　and　sixty…
three　churches；　and　she　charters　a　new　one　every　four　days。　　When　we　do
not　know　a　personand　also　when　we　dowe　have　to　judge　his　size　by　the
size　and　nature　of　his　achievements；　as　compared　with　the　achievements　of
others　in　his　special　line　of　businessthere　is　no　other　way。　　Measured
by　this　standard；　it　is　thirteen　hundred　years　since　the　world　has
produced　any　one　who　could　reach　up　to　Mrs。　Eddy's　waistbelt。

Figuratively　speaking；　Mrs。　Eddy　is　already　as　tall　as　the　Eiffel　tower。
She　is　adding　surprisingly　to　her　stature　every　day。　　It　is　quite　within
the　probabilities　that　a　century　hence　she　will　be　the　most　imposing
figure　that　has　cast　its　shadow　across　the　globe　since　the　inauguration
of　our　era。　　I　grant　that　after　saying　these　strong　things；　it　is
necessary　that　I　offer　some　details　calculated　to　satisfactorily
demonstrate　the　proportions　which　I　have　claimed　for　her。　　I　will　do　that
presently；　but　before　exhibiting　the　matured　sequoia　gigantea；　I　believe
it　will　be　best　to　exhibit　the　sprout　from　which　it　sprang。　　It　may　save
the　reader　from　making　miscalculations。　　The　person　who　imagines　that　a
Big　Tree　sprout　is　bigger　than　other　kinds　of　sprouts　is　quite　mistaken。
It　is　the　ordinary　thing；　it　makes　no　show；　it　compels　no　notice；　it
hasn't　a　detectible　quality　in　it　that　entitles　it　to　attention；　or
suggests　the　future　giant　its　sap　is　suckling。　　That　is　the　kind　of
sprout　Mrs。　Eddy　was。

From　her　childhood　days　up　to　where　she　was　running　a　half…century　a
close　race　and　gaining　on　it；　she　was　most　humanly　commonplace。

She　is　the　witness　I　am　drawing　this　from。　　She　has　revealed　it　in　her
autobiography　not　intentionally；　of　courseI　am　not　claiming　that。　　An
autobiography　is　the　most　treacherous　thing　there　is。　　It　lets　out　every
secret　its　author　is　trying　to　keep；　it　lets　the　truth　shine　unobstructed
through　every　harmless　little　deception　he　tries　to　play；　it　pitilessly
exposes　him　as　a　tin　hero　worshipping　himself　as　Big　Metal　every　time　he
tries　to　do　the　modest…unconsciousness　act　before　the　reader。　　This　is
not　guessing；　I　am　speaking　from　autobiographical　personal　experience；　I
was　never　able　to　refrain　from　mentioning；　with　a　studied　casualness　that
could　deceive　none　but　the　most　incautious　reader；　that　an　ancestor　of
mine　was　sent　ambassador　to　Spain　by　Charles　I。；　nor　that　in　a　remote
branch　of　my　family　there　exists　a　claimant　to　an　earldom；　nor　that　an
uncle　of　mine　used　to　own　a　dog　that　was　descended　from　the　dog　that　was
in　the　Ark；　and　at　the　same　time　I　was　never　able　to　persuade　myself　to
call　a　gibbet　by　its　right　name　when　accounting　for　other　ancestors　of
mine；　but　always　spoke　of　it　as　the　〃platform〃puerilely　intimating　that
they　were　out　lecturing　when　it　happened。

It　is　Mrs。　Eddy　over　again。　　As　regards　her　minor　half；　she　is　as
commonplace　as　the　rest　of　us。　　Vain　of　trivial　things　all　the　first　half
of　her　life；　and　still　vain　of　them　at　seventy　and　recording　them　with
naive　satisfactioneven　rescuing　some　early　rhymes　of　hers　of　the　sort
that　we　all　scribble　in　the　innocent　days　of　our　youthrescuing　them　and
printing　them　without　pity　or　apology；　just　as　the　weakest　and　commonest
of　us　do　in　our　gray　age。　　Moreshe　still　frankly　admires　them；　and　in
her　introduction　of　them　profanely　confers　upon　them　the　holy　name　of
〃poetry。〃　　Sample：

　　　　　〃And　laud　the　land　whose　talents　rock
　　　　　The　cradle　of　her　power；
　　　　　And　wreaths　are　twined　round　Plymouth　Rock
　　　　　From　erudition's　bower。〃

　　　　　〃Minerva's　silver　sandals　still
　　　　　Are　loosed　and　not　effete。〃

You　note　it　is　not　a　shade　above　the　thing　which　all　human　beings　churn
out　in　their　youth。

You　would　not　think　that　in　a　little　wee　primerfor　that　is　what　the
Autobiography　isa　person　with　a　tumultuous　career　of　seventy　years
behind　her　could　find　room　for　two　or　three　pages　of　padding　of　this
kind；　but　such　is　the　case。　　She　evidently　puts　narrative　together　with
difficulty　and　is　not　at　home　in　it；　and　is　glad　to　have　something　ready…
made　to　fill　in　with。　　Another　sample：

　　　　　〃Here　fame…honored　Hickory　rears　his　bold　form；
　　　　　And　bears　a　brave　breast　to　the　lightning　and　storm；
　　　　　While　Palm；　Bay；　and　Laurel　in　classical　glee；
　　　　　Chase　Tulip；　Magnolia；　and　fragrant　Fringe…tree。〃

Vivid？　　You　can　fairly　see　those　trees　galloping　around。　　That　she　could
still　treasure　up；　and　print；　and　manifestly　admire　those　Poems；
indicates　that　the　most　daring　a