christian science-第14章
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Something more than a generation ago Mrs。 Eddy went out with her flint…
lock on the rabbit range； and this was a part of the result：
〃After his decease； and a severe casualty deemed fatal by skilful
physicians； we discovered that the Principle of all healing and the law
that governs it is God； a divine Principle； and a spiritual not material
law； and regained health。〃Preface to Science and Health； first
revision； 1883。
N。B。 Not from the book itself； from the Preface。
You will notice the awkwardness of that English。 If you should carry
that paragraph up to the Supreme Court of the United States in order to
find out for good and all whether the fatal casualty happened to the dead
manas the paragraph almost assertsor to some person or persons not
even hinted at in the paragraph； the Supreme Court would be obliged to
say that the evidence established nothing with certainty except that
there had been a casualtyvictim not known。
The context thinks it explains who the victim was； but it does nothing of
the kind。 It furnishes some guessing…material of a sort which enables
you to infer that it was 〃we〃 that suffered the mentioned injury； but if
you should carry the language to a court you would not be able to prove
that it necessarily meant that。 〃We〃 are Mrs。 Eddy； a funny little
affectation。 She replaced it later with the more dignified third person。
The quoted paragraph is from Mrs。 Eddy's preface to the first revision of
Science and Health （1883）。 Sixty…four pages further alongin the body
of the book （the elephant…range）； she went out with that same flint…lock
and got this following result。 Its English is very nearly as straight
and clean and competent as is the English of the latest revision of
Science and Health after the gun has been improved from smooth…bore
musket up to globe…sighted； long distance rifle：
〃Man controlled by his Maker has no physical suffering。 His body is
harmonious； his days are multiplying instead of diminishing； he is
journeying towards Life instead of death； and bringing out the new man
and crucifying the old affections； cutting them off in every material
direction until he learns the utter supremacy of Spirit and yields
obedience thereto。〃
In the latest revision of Science and Health （1902）； the perfected gun
furnishes the following。 The English is clean； compact； dignified；
almost perfect。 But it is observable that it is not prominently better
than it is in the above paragraph； which was a product of the primitive
flint…lock：
〃How unreasonable is the belief that we are wearing out life and
hastening to death； and at the same time we are communing with
immortality？ If the departed are in rapport with mortality； or matter；
they are not spiritual； but must still be mortal； sinful； suffering； and
dying。 Then wherefore look to themeven were communication possible
for proofs of immortality and accept them as oracles？〃Edition of 1902；
page 78。
With the above paragraphs compare these that follow。 It is Mrs。 Eddy
writingafter a good long twenty years of pen…practice。 Compare also
with the alleged Poems already quoted。 The prominent characteristic of
the Poems is affectation； artificiality； their makeup is a complacent and
pretentious outpour of false figures and fine writing； in the sophomoric
style。 The same qualities and the same style will be found； unchanged；
unbettered； in these following paragraphsafter a lapse of more than
fifty years； and afteras aforesaidlong literary training。 The
italics are mine：
1。 〃What plague spot or bacilli were ＇sic＇ gnawing ＇sic＇ at the heart of
this metropolis 。 。 。 and bringing it ＇the heart＇ on bended knee？
Why； it was an institute that had entered its vitalsthat； among other
things； taught games；〃 et cetera。C。S。 Journal； p。 670； article
entitled 〃A Narrativeby Mary Baker G。 Eddy。〃
2。 〃Parks sprang up ＇sic＇ 。 。 。 electric…cars run ＇sic＇ merrily
through several streets； concrete sidewalks and macadamized roads dotted
＇sic＇ the place；〃 et cetera。Ibid。
3。 〃Shorn ＇sic＇ of its suburbs it had indeed little left to admire； save
to ＇sic＇ such as fancy a skeleton above ground breathing ＇sic＇ slowly
through a barren ＇sic＇ breast。〃Ibid。
This is not EnglishI mean； grown…up English。 But it is fifteen…year
old English； and has not grown a month since the same mind produced the
Poems。 The standard of the Poems and of the plague…spot…and…bacilli
effort is exactly the same。 It is most strange that the same intellect
that worded the simple and self…contained and clean…cut paragraph
beginning with 〃How unreasonable is the belief；〃 should in the very same
lustrum discharge upon the world such a verbal chaos as the utterance
concerning that plague…spot or bacilli which were gnawing at the insides
of the metropolis and bringing its heart on bended knee； thus exposing to
the eye the rest of the skeleton breathing slowly through a barren
breast。
The immense contrast between the legitimate English of Science and Health
and the bastard English of Mrs。 Eddy's miscellaneous work； and between
the maturity of the one diction and the juvenility of the other；
suggestscompelsthe question； Are there two guns？ It would seem so。
Is there a poor； foolish； old； scattering flint…lock for rabbit； and a
long…range； centre…driving； up…to…date Mauser…magazine for elephant？ It
looks like it。 For it is observable that in Science and Health （the
elephant…ground） the practice was good at the start and has remained so；
and that the practice in the miscellaneous； outside； small…game field was
very bad at the start and was never less bad at any later time。
I wish to say that of Mrs。 Eddy I am not requiring perfect English； but
only good English。 No one can write perfect English and keep it up
through a stretch of ten chapters。 It has never been done。 It was
approached in the 〃well of English undefiled〃； it has been approached in
Mrs。 Eddy's Annex to that Book； it has been approached in several English
grammars； I have even approached it myself； but none of us has made port。
Now； the English of Science and Health is good。 In passages to be found
in Mrs。 Eddy's Autobiography （on pages 53； 57； 101； and 113）； and on page
6 of her squalid preface to Science and Health； first revision； she seems
to me to claim the whole and sole authorship of the book。 That she wrote
the Autobiography； and that preface； and the Poems； and the Plague…spot…
Bacilli； we are not permitted to doubt。 Indeed； we know she wrote them。
But the very certainty that she wrote these things compels a doubt that
she wrote Science and Health。 She is guilty of little awkwardnesses of
expression in the Autobiography which a practiced pen would hardly allow
to go uncorrected in even a hasty private letter； and could not dream of
passing by uncorrected in passages intended for print。 But she passes
them placidly by； as placidly as if she did not suspect that they were
offenses against third…class English。 I think that that placidity was
born of that very unawareness； so to speak。 I will cite a few instances
from the Autobiography。 The italics are mine：
〃I remember reading in my childhood certain manuscripts containing
Scriptural Sonnets； besides other verses and enigmas；〃 etc。 Page 7。
＇On page 27。＇ 〃Many pale cripples went into the Church leaning on
crutches who came out carrying them on their shoulders。〃
It is awkward； because at the first glance it seems to say that the
cripples went in leaning on crutches which went out carrying the cripples
on their shoulders。 It would have cost her no trouble to put her 〃who〃
after her 〃cripples。〃 I blame her a little； I think her proof…reader
should have been shot。 We may let her capital C pass； but it is another
awkwardness； for she is talking about a building； not about a religious
society。
〃Marriage and Parentage 〃＇Chapter…heading。 Page 30＇。 You imagine that
she is going to begin a talk about her marriage and finish with some
account of her father and mother。 And so you will be deceived。
〃Marriage〃 was right； but 〃Parentage〃 was not the best word for the rest
of the record。 It refers to the birth of her own child。 A
