Portsmouth, N. H., May 13, 1899.

To the Editor of The Portsmouth Times:—In view of the fact that the Arena is publishing articles attempting to disprove Rev. Mary Baker Eddy's authorship of Science and Health, I would like to ask space in your paper for some extracts from an article printed in the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Sunday Democrat, and prepared by the Board of Directors of the First Church of Christ, Scientist, of that city. Before presenting the matter referred to, I would like to mention that there is in this city a gentleman of my acquaintance who knew the late Dr. Quimby, personally, for many years, and he entirely repudiates the claim that Dr. Quimby's views were at all similar to Mrs. Eddy's. Dr. Quimby used to jot down, after treating, certain ideas that came to him relative to the patient, and in some manuscripts he gave his views in regard to man's relationship to God, but they were totally different from Mrs. Eddy's. His method of treatment was to convey electricity through or by manipulation; whereas Mrs. Eddy's convictions, after years of careful experiment in homœopathy, were assuming this form, that the Divine Mind is the only physician.

I would state here, that, when the father of one of his patients offered him one thousand dollars if he would explain his method, he replied he could not, as he did not understand it himself. There is proof that this statement is entirely authentic. Both his theories and methods were utterly dissimilar; and, as he was a good man, no doubt, were it in his power, he would object, vigorously, to these false charges.

The book, Science and Health, proves, logically, God's omnipotence and omnipresence, man's unity with his maker, and the practicability of destroying beliefs of discord and disease, through a realization of the facts of being.

"Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures," has now passed its one hundred and sixtieth edition, and in the early edition this Quimby charge was fully met and answered. The falsity of this charge was fully established by decree in the United States Circuit Court in the district of Massachusetts, held in Boston, which decree bears date September 24, 1883. After this decree was made, Mrs. Eddy again, in the Christian Science Journal, of which she was then sole editor and proprietor, went fully into the charge, gave a copy of the decree of the court which established fully the validity of her copyright, in a case where the answer set up this same Quimby claim of authorship, and also gave a copy of the injunction issued thereon, and a full history of her acquaintance with Mr. Quimby and his views and writings; also offering to pay the expense of publishing the writings of Mr. Quimby, that the public might determine for itself whether she had purloined from the Quimby manuscripts.

Again, in her work entitled, "Miscellaneous Writings," which has passed its thirtieth edition, the charge was fully answered, also in a pamphlet written many years ago, entitled, "Historical Sketch of Christian Science Mind Healing." After this full and, it would seem, widespread and complete answer, Mrs. Eddy dropped the subject in her subsequent edition of Science and Health.

The charge having been recently renewed, the Christian Science Sentinel, published in Boston, in its issue of February 16 last, again reviewed, in a lengthy article, the whole subject and contains, among other things, a recent letter of Mrs. Eddy upon the charge, and also quoted from the Quimby writings to show how utterly unlike his views were to those expressed in Science and Health.

Christian Scientists feel assured that any one reading this review in the Sentinel will be forced to admit how overwhelming, unanswerable, and satisfactory are the proofs of Mrs. Eddy's authorship.

The Church, about four weeks ago, mailed to the ministers of this city and other prominent persons, about five hundred copies of this issue of the Sentinel.

About the same time throughout the United States and Canada and also in England, thousands of this issue had been distributed.

This is mentioned to show how thorough and widespread the answer to the charge has been made.

Any one desiring to ascertain for himself the completeness of this answer, will, on application to any member of the Church, be furnished with a copy of the above-mentioned issue of the Christian Science Sentinel.

In conclusion, we wish to say that we believe Science and Health will stand the test of the severest scrutiny. This book, from beginning to end, emphatically teaches that Christian Science is the polar opposite of hypnotism.

Some of the brightest lawyers, ministers, doctors, judges, editors, and scholars of our land, as well as business men of ripe experience and marked success, declare publicly that they have read this remarkable book till they have found it to be a very treasure-house of healing Truth, and a veritable key to the Scriptures, which, read in its light, is found to be a "tree whose leaves are for the healing of the nations."

Thanking you for your courtesy, I am,
Very truly,
Ada G. White.