Items of Interest May 25, 1935 Issue

Items of Interest

Trust Fund for "Busy Bees"

Slightly more than forty years ago a little band of the children of Christian Scientists was organized and named "Busy Bees." A faithful member of The Mother Church and friend of Mrs. Eddy effected their organization, and directed their efforts to furnish "Mother's Room," as it was then called, and prepare it for the occupancy of the Pastor Emeritus of The Mother Church, Mary Baker Eddy, as she might find it convenient. They accomplished their purpose, and the word finally went out that no more contributions were needed; and the same surprising message went to the donors to the general building fund of the original Mother Church edifice of which Mrs. Eddy's Room was a part: Send no more funds.

In her dedicatory sermon Mrs. Eddy recalled the gifts of the children; she told (Pulpit and Press, p. 8) how "little hands, never before devoted to menial services, shoveled snow, and babes gave kisses to earn a few pence toward this consummation;" she called them "precious children," and spoke of the wonderful results in the future that they would witness. They had given into the building fund $4460. Their devotion called forth her statement, so prized by Christian Science Sunday Schools (ibid., p. 9), "Ah, children, you are the bulwarks of freedom, the cement of society, the hope of our race!"

Four services were held on the day when this first edifice of The Mother Church was dedicated, January 6, 1895, and at the second, at 10.30 a.m., the children contributors, several hundred of them, occupied the central pews. Each wore proudly a white satin badge on which were the words "Mother's Room," and a drawing in gold of a beehive as a symbol of their activity; and locked in an onyx beehive, which was placed in "Mother's Room," were all their names written in tiny characters on a slip of parchment. The children's donations, too, helped to decorate the platform on this auspicious occasion, for high above was a huge seven-pointed star of lilies with a center of white immortelles bearing the words, "Love-Children's Offering—1894."

Send a comment to the editors

NEXT IN THIS ISSUE

Article

Admission to The Mother Church