Article September 7, 1899 Issue

Christian Scientists Visit Concord

Concord Evening Monitor

An unheralded and very interesting feature of the Old Home Day celebration was the bringing to Concord of several hundred Christian Scientists from various points of New England.

It was in a way a tribute to New Hampshire's special celebration, yet the suddenness with which the invitation to the Scientists was send and accepted was remarkable. The invitation was sent by Mrs. Eddy's wish to the Publishing House at Boston at about four o'clock Wednesday, without a word as to why the Scientists were wanted, or what they could be expected to do. But mindful of the one or two preceding occasions when Mrs. Eddy has invited her followers to visit her, the notice was spread by special messengers, verbally, and by telephone and telegraph, wherever Christian Scientists could be reached from Boston and all were told to get the 6.40 train from Boston to Concord Thursday morning. Accordingly all who could possibly make the trip made an early start yesterday, and that train, to reach which many got up before light and resorted to all sorts expedients to get into town at such an early hour, carried out three hundred Scientists, while a few came over from New York, and the train took on many more before it reached here.

Two well-known Boston Scientists who were at Green Harbor, where the news of the invitation was sent to them by wire Wednesday evening, took a drive of many miles by carriage to Whitman, in order to get into Boston in time for the early train. A few belated ones came from Boston and other cities along the line by a later train. On the arrival in Concord the visitors were met by Rev. Irving C. Tomlinson. First Reader of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Concord. and all wended their way to Christian Science Hall, where, Mr. Tomlinson told them, they would be enabled to witness both of the day's parades which were to pass the building. The time was filled in an impromptu reunion about the hall and under the trees on the little lawn. The passing of the fantastically dressed bicyclists in their parade caused some amusement, but for the most part the visitors made no attempt to see the sights of Old Home Day. Their interest was at the hall. They made a lively picture as they moved about the building, and a photograph was taken of the assembly. When the big civic parade passed all were out to see it, and they recognized the organizations in line with cordial applause. Governor Rollins in return gave them a marked passing salute as he went by at the head of the line.

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