MRS. EDDY WROTE HER OWN BOOKS

Alfred Farlow

New York American

If the World had been searching among Mrs. Eddy's friends, those who are best informed regarding her affairs, they might have learned that what they assume to be a secret was long ago published by Mrs. Eddy herself, and is well known to all Christian Scientists; namely, that the Rev. J. Henry Wiggin was for some years a literary critic for the Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy.

He was employed for the purpose of improving her diction, and Mrs. Eddy gratefully acknowledged the fact that he had not disappointed her, but faithfully performed the duties for which he was employed. It should be borne in mind, however, that something besides paragraphing and punctuation, something more than mere grammatical and rhetorical constructions, are needed to constitute such a book as "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." One must have ideas, and even the critic quoted in the New York World affirms that Mrs. Eddy furnished the substance for the Christian Science text-book, and that she was the last to pass upon it. She alone decided whether or not Mr. Wiggin's suggestions were to be adopted, and she always took care not to let his interlineations or changes affect her meanings.

I have heard Mrs. Eddy speak very highly of Mr. Wiggin and of his work for her. He seemed quick to grasp her ideas and able in the art of making whatever reconstructions were necessary to place them in a condition acceptable to Mrs. Eddy.

Mr. Wiggin himself once published the following statement:—

"Within a few months she has made sacrifices from which most authors would have shrunk, to insure the moral rightness of her book. Day after day flew by, and weeks lengthened into months; from every quarter came importunate missives of inquiry and mercantile reproach; hundred of dollars were sunk in a bottomless sea of correction; yet not till the authoress was satisfied that her duty was wholly done would she allow printer and binder to send forth her book to the world."

In his writings Mr. Wiggin has referred to Mrs. Eddy as the "Founder of Christian Science," and at one time said, "She is the Moses come to lead them through the Red Sea of fear by faith, which they must repose in her teachings, to the land of deliverance—good health and all right opinions."

When conversing with Mrs. Eddy some time ago, she told me that Science and Health was not arranged to suit her, and we assume that she revised it partly for that reason. We cannot emphasize too much the fact that Mr. Wiggin was not employed to change or reconstruct Mrs. Eddy's ideas, nor was he permitted to do this. He was simply her proofreader.

Mrs. Eddy has never posed as a literary prodigy, but even in her childhood she wrote verses which would have done credit to a woman of mature years, and there was a demand for her literary productions during her early years. When about eighteen she wrote for the Belknap Gazette, published in New Hampshire, and later for the New Hampshire Patriot. When we consider how extensively she has written during the past thirty-eight years, and note that she has ever been highly progressive, we concede that she has acquired literary ability and celebrity. Competent judges have placed Mrs. Eddy among the able writers of the age. A few years ago the National Magazine named her among the eighteen most able writers of this period.

If Mrs. Eddy's successful career as an authoress has been dependent upon the proofreading of the Rev. Mr. Wiggin, we think we are justified in asking. Did any of the other authors whose manuscript was censored by Mr. Wiggin meet with the same degree of success?

The assertion that Mrs. Eddy inquired of Mr. Wiggin concerning the difference between the meaning of the word "gnostics" and the word "agnostics," and that she told him she thought the two words bore the same meaning, is utterly unreasonable and incredible from any point of view, for even a schoolgirl would know that "gnostics" with the prefix "a" could not have the same meaning as it would have without it. Beside, Mrs. Eddy could have consulted her dictionary or encyclopedia, and thus have reliably informed herself.

Mr. Wiggin is not here to speak for himself, and our readers should take note that Mr. Wright's allegations as to what Mr. Wiggin said to him are not sustained by any evidence beyond Mr. Wright's unsupported testimony. They are alleged quotations from a dead man. Why did Mr. Wright defer the publication of his charges until after the death of Mr. Wiggin?

Mrs. Eddy has written and published much matter that Mr. Wiggin never censored. I have in my possession many letters in Mrs. Eddy's own hand that are excellent literary productions, and no one but myself has ever seen them since they came from her pen.

Alfred Farlow.
New York American.

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