christian science-第11章

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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。　　After　a　certain
period　of　time　〃my　babe　was　born。〃　　Marriage　and　Motherhood…Marriage　and
Maternity…Marriage　and　Product…Marriage　and　Dividendeither　of　these
would　have　fitted　the　facts　and　made　the　matter　clear。

〃Without　my　knowledge　he　was　appointed　a　guardian。〃　　Page　32。

She　is　speaking　of　her　child。　　She　means　that　a　guardian　for　her　child
was　appointed；　but　that　isn't　what　she　says。

〃If　spiritual　conclusions　are　separated　from　their　premises；　the　nexus　is
lost；　and　the　argument　with　its　rightful　conclusions；　becomes
correspondingly　obscure。〃　　Page　34。

We　shall　never　know　why　she　put　the　word　〃correspondingly〃　in　there。　　Any
fine；　large　word　would　have　answered　just　as　well：　psychosuperintangibly
electroincandescentlyoligarcheologicallysanchrosynchro…
stereopticallyany　of　these　would　have　answered；　any　of　these　would　have
filled　the　void。

〃His　spiritual　noumenon　and　phenomenon　silenced　portraiture。〃　　Page　34。

Yet　she　says　she　forgot　everything　she　knew；　when　she　discovered
Christian　Science。　　I　realize　that　noumenon　is　a　daisy；　and　I　will　not
deny　that　I　shall　use　it　whenever　I　am　in　a　company　which　I　think　I　can
embarrass　with　it；　but；　at　the　same　time；　I　think　it　is　out　of　place
among　friends　in　an　autobiography。　　There；　I　think　a　person　ought　not　to
have　anything　up　his　sleeve。　　It　undermines　confidence。　　But　my
dissatisfaction　with　the　quoted　passage　is　not　on　account　of　noumenon；　it
is　on　account　of　the　misuse　of　the　word　〃silenced。〃　　You　cannot　silence
portraiture　with　a　noumenon；　if　portraiture　should　make　a　noise；　a　way
could　be　found　to　silence　it；　but　even　then　it　could　not　be　done　with　a
noumenon。　　Not　even　with　a　brick；　some　authorities　think。

〃It　may　be　that　the　mortal　life…battle　still　wages；〃　etc。　　Page　35。

That　is　clumsy。　　Battles　do　not　wage；　battles　are　waged。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has
one　very　curious　and　interesting　peculiarity：　whenever　she　notices　that
she　is　chortling　along　without　saying　anything；　she　pulls　up　with　a
sudden　〃God　is　over　us　all；〃　or　some　other　sounding　irrelevancy；　and　for
the　moment　it　seems　to　light　up　the　whole　district；　then；　before　you　can
recover　from　the　shock；　she　goes　flitting　pleasantly　and　meaninglessly
along　again；　and　you　hurry　hopefully　after　her；　thinking　you　are　going　to
get　something　this　time；　but　as　soon　as　she　has　led　you　far　enough　away
from　her　turkey　lot　she　takes　to　a　tree。　　Whenever　she　discovers　that　she
is　getting　pretty　disconnected；　she　couples…up　with　an　ostentatious　〃But〃
which　has　nothing　to　do　with　anything　that　went　before　or　is　to　come
after；　then　she　hitches　some　empties　to　the　train…unrelated　verses　from
the　Bible；　usuallyand　steams　out　of　sight　and　leaves　you　wondering　how
she　did　that　clever　thing。　　For　striking　instances；　see　bottom　paragraph
on　page　34　and　the　paragraph　on　page　35　of　her　Autobiography。　　She　has　a
purposea　deep　and　dark　and　artful　purposein　what　she　is　saying　in　the
first　paragraph；　and　you　guess　what　it　is；　but　that　is　due　to　your　own
talent；　not　hers；　she　has　made　it　as　obscure　as　language　could　do　it。
The　other　paragraph　has　no　meaning　and　no　discoverable　intention。　　It　is
merely　one　of　her　God…over…alls。　　I　cannot　spare　room　for　it　in　this
place。

〃I　beheld　with　ineffable　awe　our　great　Master's　marvelous　skill　in
demanding　neither　obedience　to　hygienic　laws　nor；〃　etc。　　Page　4I。

The　word　is　loosely　chosen…skill。　　She　probably　meant　judgment；
intuition；　penetration；　or　wisdom。

〃Naturally；　my　first　jottings　were　but　efforts　to　express　in　feeble
diction　Truth's　ultimate。〃　　Page　42。

One　understands　what　she　means；　but　she　should　have　been　able　to　say　what
she　meantat　any　time　before　she　discovered　Christian　Science　and　forgot
everything　she　knewand　after　it；　too。　　If　she　had　put　〃feeble〃　in　front
of　〃efforts〃　and　then　left　out　〃in〃　and　〃diction；〃　she　would　have　scored。

〃　。　　。　　。　　its　written　expression　increases　in　perfection　under　the
guidance　of　the　great　Master。〃　　Page　43。

It　is　an　error。　　Not　even　in　those　advantageous　circumstances　can
increase　be　added　to　perfection。

〃Evil　is　not　mastered　by　evil；　it　can　only　be　overcome　with　Good。　　This
brings　out　the　nothingness　of　evil；　and　the　eternal　Somethingness
vindicates　the　Divine　Principle　and　improves　the　race　of　Adam。〃　　Page　76。

This　is　too　extraneous　for　me。　　That　is　the　trouble　with　Mrs。　Eddy　when
she　sets　out　to　explain　an　over…large　exhibit：　the　minute　you　think　the
light　is　bursting　upon　you　the　candle　goes　out　and　your　mind　begins　to
wander。

〃No　one　else　can　drain　the　cup　which　I　have　drunk　to　the　dregs；　as　the
discoverer　and　teacher　of　Christian　Science〃　Page　47。

That　is　saying　we　cannot　empty　an　empty　cup。　　We　knew　it　before；　and　we
know　she　meant　to　tell　us　that　that　particular　cup　is　going　to　remain
empty。　　That　is；　we　think　that　that　was　the　idea；　but　we　cannot　be　sure。
She　has　a　perfectly　astonishing　talent　for　putting　words　together　in　such
a　way　as　to　make　successful　inquiry　into　their　intention　impossible。

She　generally　makes　us　uneasy　when　she　begins　to　tune　up　on　her　fine…
writing　timbrel。　　It　carries　me　back　to　her　Plague…Spot　and　Poetry　days；
and　I　just　dread　those：

〃Into　mortal　mind's　material　obliquity　I　gazed　and　stood　abashed。
Blanched　was　the　cheek　of　pride。　　My　heart　bent　low　before　the
omnipotence　of　Spirit；　and　a　tint　of　humility　soft　as　the　heart　of　a
moonbeam　mantled　the　earth。　　Bethlehem　and　Bethany；　Gethsemane　and
Calvary；　spoke　to　my　chastened　sense　as　by　the　tearful　lips　of　a　babe。〃
Page　48。

The　heart　of　a　moonbeam　is　a　pretty　enough　Friendship's…Album　expression
let　it　pass；　though　I　do　think　the　figure　a　little　strained；　but
humility　has　no　tint；　humility　has　no　complexion；　and　if　it　had　it　could
not　mantle　the　earth。　　A　moonbeam　mightI　do　not　knowbut　she　did　not
say　it　was　the　moonbeam。　　But　let　it　go；　I　cannot　decide　it；　she　mixes　me
up　so。　　A　babe　hasn't　〃tearful　lips；〃　it's　its　eyes。　　You　find　none　of
Mrs。　Eddy's　kind　of　English　in　Science　and　Healthnot　a　line　of　it。




CHAPTER　III

Setting　aside　title…page；　index；　etc。；　the　little　Autobiography　begins　on
page　7　and　ends　on　page　130。　　My　quotations　are　from　the　first　forty
pages。　　They　seem　to　me　to　prove　the　presence　of　the　'prentice　hand。　　The
style　of　the　forty　pages　is　loose　and　feeble　and　'prentice…like。　　The
movement　of　the　narrative　is　not　orderly　and　sequential；　but　rambles
around；　and　skips　forward　and　back　and　here　and　there　and　yonder；
'prentice…fashion。　　Many　a　journeyman　has　broken　up　his　narrative　and
skipped　about　and　rambled　around；　but　he　did　it　for　a　purpose；　for　an
advantage；　there　was　art　in　it；　and　points　to　be　scored　by　it；　the
observant　reader　perceived　the　game；　and　enjoyed　it　and　respected　it；　if
it　was　well　played。　　But　Mrs。　Eddy's　performance　was　without　intention；
and　destitute　of　art。　　She　could　score　no　points　by　it　on　those　terms；
and　almost　any　reader　can　see　that　her　work　was　the　uncalculated
puttering　of　a　novice。

In　the　above　paragraph　I　have　described　the　first　third　of　the　booklet。
That　third　being　completed；　Mrs。　Eddy　leaves　the　rabbit…range；　crosses
the　frontier；　and　steps　out　upon　her　far…spreading　big…game　territory
Christian　Science　and　there　is　an　instant　change！　　The　style　smartly
improves；　and　the　clumsy　little　technical　offenses　disappear。　　In　these
two…thirds　of　the　booklet　I　find　only　one　such　offence；　and　it　has　the
look　of　being　a　printer's　error。

I　leave　the　riddle　with　the　reader。　　Perhaps　he　can　explain　how　it　is
that　a　person…trained　or　untrainedwho　on　the　one　day　can　write　nothing
better　than　Plague…Spot…Bacilli　and　feeble　and　stumbling　and　wandering
personal　history　littered　with　false　figures　and　obscurities　and
technical　blunders；　can　on　the　next　day　sit　down　and　write　fluently；
smoothly；　compactly；　capably；　and　confidently　on　a　great　big　thundering
subject；　and　do　it　as　easily　and　comfortably　as　a　whale　paddles　around
the　globe。

As　for　me；　I　have　scribbled　so　much　in　fifty　years　that　I　have　become
saturated　with　convictions　of　one　sort　and　another　concerning　a
scribbler's　limitations；　and　these　are　so　strong　that　when　I　am　familiar
with　a　literary　person's　work　I　feel　perfectly　sure　that　I　know　enough
about　his　limitations　to　know　what　he　can　not　do。　　If　Mr。　Howells　should
pretend　to　me　that　he　wrote　the　Plague…Spot　Bacilli　rhapsody；　I　should
receive　the　statement　courteously；　but　I　should　know　it　for　awell；　for
a　perversion。　　If　the　late　Josh　Billings　should　rise　up　and　tell　me　that
he　wrote　Herbert　Spencer's　philosophies；　I　should　answer　and　say　that　the
spelling　casts　a　doubt　upon　his　claim。　　If　the　late　Jonathan　Edwards
should　rise　up　and　tell　me　he　wrote　Mr。　Dooley's　books；　I　should　answer
and　say　that　the　marked　difference　between　his　style　and　Dooley's　is
argument　against　the　soundness　of　his　statement。　　You　see　how　much　I
think　of　circumstantial　evidence。　　In　literary　mattersin　my　beliefit
is　often　better　than　any　person's　word；　better　than　any　shady　character's
oath。　　It　is　difficult　for　me　to　believe　that　the　same　hand　that　wrote
the　Plague…Spot…Bacilli　and　the　first　t