christian science-第8章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


That　is　a　detail　which；　as　earlier　remarked；　is　a　Scientist…Church
specialty。　　And；　indeed；　one　may　go　further　and　assert　with　little　or　no
exaggeration　that　it　is　a　Christian…Science　monopoly。　　With　thirty…one
years'　effort；　the　Methodist　Church　had　not　succeeded　in　furnishing　it　to
this　harassed　soldier。

And　so　the　tale　goes　on。　　Witness　after　witness　bulletins　his　claims；
declares　their　prompt　abolishment；　and　gives　Mrs。　Eddy's　Discovery　the
praise。　　Milk…leg　is　cured；　nervous　prostration　is　cured；　consumption　is
cured；　and　St。　　Vitus's　dance　is　made　a　pastime。　　Even　without　a　fiddle。
And　now　and　then　an　interesting　new　addition　to　the　Science　slang　appears
on　the　page。　　We　have　〃demonstrations　over　chilblains〃　and　such　things。
It　seems　to　be　a　curtailed　way　of　saying　〃demonstrations　of　the　power　of
Christian…Science　Truth　over　the　fiction　which　masquerades　under　the　name
of　Chilblains。〃　　The　children；　as　well　as　the　adults；　share　in　the
blessings　of　the　Science。　　〃Through　the　study　of　the　'little　book'　they
are　learning　how　to　be　healthful；　peaceful；　and　wise。〃　　Sometimes　they
are　cured　of　their　little　claims　by　the　professional　healer；　and
sometimes　more　advanced　children　say　over　the　formula　and　cure
themselves。

A　little　Far…Western　girl　of　nine；　equipped　with　an　adult　vocabulary；
states　her　age　and　says；　〃I　thought　I　would　write　a　demonstration　to
you。〃　　She　had　a　claim；　derived　from　getting　flung　over　a　pony's　head　and
landed　on　a　rockpile。　　She　saved　herself　from　disaster　by　remembering　to
say　〃God　is　All〃　while　she　was　in　the　air。　　I　couldn't　have　done　it。　　I
shouldn't　even　have　thought　of　it。　　I　should　have　been　too　excited。
Nothing　but　Christian　Science　could　have　enabled　that　child　to　do　that
calm　and　thoughtful　and　judicious　thing　in　those　circumstances。　　She　came
down　on　her　head；　and　by　all　the　rules　she　should　have　broken　it；　but　the
intervention　of　the　formula　prevented　that；　so　the　only　claim　resulting
was　a　blackened　eye。　　Monday　morning　it　was　still　swollen　and　shut。　　At
school　〃it　hurt　pretty　badlythat　is；　it　seemed　to。〃　　So　〃I　was　excused；
and　went　down　to　the　basement　and　said；　'Now　I　am　depending　on　mamma
instead　of　God；　and　I　will　depend　on　God　instead　of　mamma。'〃　No　doubt
this　would　have　answered；　but；　to　make　sure；　she　added　Mrs。　Eddy　to　the
team　and　recited　〃the　Scientific　Statement　of　Being；〃　which　is　one　of　the
principal　incantations；　I　judge。　　Then　〃I　felt　my　eye　opening。〃　　Why；
dear；　it　would　have　opened　an　oyster。　　I　think　it　is　one　of　the
touchingest　things　in　child…history；　that　pious　little　rat　down　cellar
pumping　away　at　the　Scientific　Statement　of　Being。

There　is　a　page　about　another　good　childlittle　Gordon。　　Little　Gordon
〃came　into　the　world　without　the　assistance　of　surgery　or　anaesthetics。〃
He　was　a　〃demonstration。〃　　A　painless　one；　therefore；　his　coming　evoked
〃joy　and　thankfulness　to　God　and　the　Discoverer　of　Christian　Science。〃
It　is　a　noticeable　feature　of　this　literaturethe　so　frequent　linking
together　of　the　Two　Beings　in　an　equal　bond；　also　of　Their　Two　Bibles。
When　little　Gordon　was　two　years　old；　〃he　was　playing　horse　on　the　bed；
where　I　had　left　my　'little　book。'　I　noticed　him　stop　in　his　play；　take
the　book　carefully　in　his　little　hands；　kiss　it　softly；　then　look　about
for　the　highest　place　of　safety　his　arms　could　reach；　and　put　it　there。〃
This　pious　act　filled　the　mother　〃with　such　a　train　of　thought　as　I　had
never　experienced　before。　　I　thought　of　the　sweet　mother　of　long　ago　who
kept　things　in　her　heart；〃　etc。　　It　is　a　bold　comparison；　however；
unconscious　profanations　are　about　as　common　in　the　mouths　of　the　lay
member　ship　of　the　new　Church　as　are　frank　and　open　ones　in　the　mouths　of
its　consecrated　chiefs。

Some　days　later；　the　family　libraryChristian…Science　bookswas　lying
in　a　deep…seated　window。　　This　was　another　chance　for　the　holy　child　to
show　off。　　He　left　his　play　and　went　there　and　pushed　all　the　books　to
one　side；　except　the　Annex　〃It　he　took　in　both　hands；　slowly　raised　it　to
his　lips；　then　removed　it　carefully；　and　seated　himself　in　the　window。〃
It　had　seemed　to　the　mother　too　wonderful　to　be　true；　that　first　time；
but　now　she　was　convinced　that　〃neither　imagination　nor　accident　had
anything　to　do　with　it。〃　　Later；　little　Gordon　let　the　author　of　his
being　see　him　do　it。　　After　that　he　did　it　frequently；　probably　every
time　anybody　was　looking。　　I　would　rather　have　that　child　than　a　chromo。
If　this　tale　has　any　object；　it　is　to　intimate　that　the　inspired　book　was
supernaturally　able　to　convey　a　sense　of　its　sacred　and　awful　character
to　this　innocent　little　creature；　without　the　intervention　of　outside
aids。　　The　magazine　is　not　edited　with　high…priced　discretion。　　The
editor　has　a　〃claim；〃　and　he　ought　to　get　it　treated。

Among　other　witnesses　there　is　one　who　had　a　〃jumping　toothache；〃　which
several　times　tempted　her　to　〃believe　that　there　was　sensation　in　matter；
but　each　time　it　was　overcome　by　the　power　of　Truth。〃　　She　would　not
allow　the　dentist　to　use　cocaine；　but　sat　there　and　let　him　punch　and
drill　and　split　and　crush　the　tooth；　and　tear　and　slash　its　ulcerations；
and　pull　out　the　nerve；　and　dig　out　fragments　of　bone；　and　she　wouldn't
once　confess　that　it　hurt。　　And　to　this　day　she　thinks　it　didn't；　and　I
have　not　a　doubt　that　she　is　nine…tenths　right；　and　that　her　Christian…
Science　faith　did　her　better　service　than　she　could　have　gotten　out　of
cocaine。

There　is　an　account　of　a　boy　who　got　broken　all　up　into　small　bits　by　an
accident；　but　said　over　the　Scientific　Statement　of　Being；　or　some　of　the
other　incantations；　and　got　well　and　sound　without　having　suffered　any
real　pain　and　without　the　intrusion　of　a　surgeon。

Also；　there　is　an　account　of　the　restoration　to　perfect　health；　in　a
single　night；　of　a　fatally　injured　horse；　by　the　application　of　Christian
Science。　　I　can　stand　a　good　deal；　but　I　recognize　that　the　ice　is
getting　thin；　here。　　That　horse　had　as　many　as　fifty　claims；　how　could　he
demonstrate　over　them？　　Could　he　do　the　All…Good；　Good…Good；　Good…
Gracious；　Liver；　Bones；　Truth；　All　down　but　Nine；　Set　them　up　on　the
Other　Alley？　　Could　he　intone　the　Scientific　Statement　of　Being？　　Now；
could　he？　　Wouldn't　it　give　him　a　relapse？　　Let　us　draw　the　line　at
horses。　　Horses　and　furniture。

There　is　plenty　of　other　testimonies　in　the　magazine；　but　these　quoted
samples　will　answer。　　They　show　the　kind　of　trade　the　Science　is　driving。
Now　we　come　back　to　the　question；　Does　the　Science　kill　a　patient　here
and　there　and　now　and　then？　　We　must　concede　it。　　Does　it　compensate　for
this？　　I　am　persuaded　that　it　can　make　a　plausible　showing　in　that
direction。　　For　instance：　when　it　lays　its　hand　upon　a　soldier　who　has
suffered　thirty　years　of　helpless　torture　and　makes　him　whole　in　body　and
mind；　what　is　the　actual　sum　of　that　achievement？　　This；。I　think：　that　it
has　restored　to　life　a　subject　who　had　essentially　died　ten　deaths　a　year
for　thirty　years；　and　each　of　them　a　long　and　painful　one。　　But　for　its
interference　that　man　in　the　three　years　which　have　since　elapsed；　would
have　essentially　died　thirty　times　more。　　There　are　thousands　of　young
people　in　the　land　who　are　now　ready　to　enter　upon　a　life…long　death
similar　to　that　man's。　　Every　time　the　Science　captures　one　of　these　and
secures　to　him　life…long　immunity　from　imagination…manufactured　disease；
it　may　plausibly　claim　that　in　his　person　it　has　saved　three　hundred
lives。　　Meantime；　it　will　kill　a　man　every　now　and　then。　　But　no　matter；
it　will　still　be　ahead　on　the　credit　side。

＇NOTE。I　have　received　several　letters　（two　from　educated　and　ostensibly
intelligent　persons）；　which　contained；　in　substance；　this　protest：　〃I
don't　object　to　men　and　women　chancing　their　lives　with　these　people；　but
it　is　a　burning　shame　that　the　law　should　allow　them　to　trust　their
helpless　little　children　in　their　deadly　hands。　　〃Isn't　it　touching？
Isn't　it　deep？　　Isn't　it　modest？　　It　is　as　if　the　person　said：　〃I　know
that　to　a　parent　his　child　is　the　core　of　his　heart；　the　apple　of　his
eye；　a　possession　so　dear；　so　precious　that　he　will　trust　its　life　in　no
hands　but　those　which　he　beli