christian science-第13章
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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 and masculine and masterful woman that has
appeared in the earth in centuries has the same soft； girly…girly places
in her that the rest of us have。
When it comes to selecting her ancestors she is still human； natural；
vain； commonplaceas commonplace as I am myself when I am sorting
ancestors for my autobiography。 She combs out some creditable Scots； and
labels them and sets them aside for use； not overlooking the one to whom
Sir William Wallace gave 〃a heavy sword encased in a brass scabbard；〃 and
naively explaining which Sir William Wallace it was； lest we get the
wrong one by the hassock； this is the one 〃from whose patriotism and
bravery comes that heart…stirring air； 'Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled。'〃
Hannah More was related to her ancestors。 She explains who Hannah More
was。
Whenever a person informs us who Sir William Wallace was； or who wrote
〃Hamlet；〃 or where the Declaration of Independence was fought； it fills
us with a suspicion wellnigh amounting to conviction； that that person
would not suspect us of being so empty of knowledge if he wasn't
suffering from the same 〃claim〃 himself。 Then we turn to page 20 of the
Autobiography and happen upon this passage； and that hasty suspicion
stands rebuked：
〃I gained book…knowledge with far less labor than is usually requisite。
At ten years of age I was as familiar with Lindley Murray's Grammar as
with the Westminster Catechism； and the latter I had to repeat every
Sunday。 My favorite studies were Natural Philosophy； Logic； and Moral
Science。 From my brother A1bert I received lessons in the ancient
tongues； Hebrew； Greek； and Latin。〃
You catch your breath in astonishment； and feel again and still again the
pang of that rebuke。 But then your eye falls upon the next sentence but
one； and the pain passes away and you set up the suspicion again with
evil satisfaction：
〃After my discovery of Christian Science； most of the knowledge I had
gleaned from school…books vanished like a dream。〃
That disappearance accounts for much in her miscellaneous writings。 As I
was saying； she handles her 〃ancestral shadows；〃 as she calls them； just
as I do mine。 It is remarkable。 When she runs across 〃a relative of my
Grandfather Baker； General Henry Knox； of Revolutionary fame；〃 she sets
him down； when she finds another good one； 〃the late Sir John Macneill；
in the line of my Grandfather Baker's family；〃 she sets him down； and
remembers that he 〃was prominent in British politics； and at one time
held the position of ambassador to Persia〃； when she discovers that her
grandparents 〃were likewise connected with Captain John Lovewell； whose
gallant leadership and death in the Indian troubles of 1722…25 caused
that prolonged contest to be known historically as Lovewell's War；〃 she
sets the Captain down； when it turns out that a cousin of her grandmother
〃was John Macneill； the New Hampshire general； who fought at Lundy's Lane
and won distinction in 1814 at the battle of Chippewa；〃 she catalogues
the General。 （And tells where Chippewa was。） And then she skips all her
platform people； never mentions one of them。 It shows that she is just
as human as any of us。
Yet； after all； there is something very touching in her pride in these
worthy small…fry； and something large and fine in her modesty in not
caring to remember that their kinship to her can confer no distinction
upon her； whereas her mere mention of their names has conferred upon them
a faceless earthly immortality。
CHAPTER II
When she wrote this little biography her great life…work had already been
achieved； she was become renowned； to multitudes of reverent disciples
she was a sacred personage； a familiar of God； and His inspired channel
of communication with the human race。 Also； to them these following
things were facts； and not doubted：
She had written a Bible in middle age； and had published it； she had
recast it； enlarged it； and published it again； she had not stopped
there； but had enlarged it further； polished its phrasing； improved its
form； and published it yet again。 It was at last become a compact；
grammatical； dignified； and workman…like body of literature。 This was
good training； persistent training； and in all arts it is training that
brings the art to perfection。 We are now confronted with one of the most
teasing and baffling riddles of Mrs。 Eddy's historya riddle which may
be formulated thus：
How is it that a primitive literary gun which began as a hundred…yard
flint…lock smooth…bore muzzle…loader； and in the course of forty years
has acquired one notable improvement after anotherpercussion cap； fixed
cartridge； rifled barrel； efficiency at half a mile how is it that such a
gun； sufficiently good on an elephant hunt （Christian Science） from the
beginning； and growing better and better all the time during forty years；
has always collapsed back to its original flint…lock estate the moment
the huntress trained it on any other creature than an elephant？
Something more than a generation ago Mrs。 Eddy went out with her flint…
lo
