Conservative *
in a conflict in which only the strength
of him who died for our Bakes and rose
again can avail to win the victory.
There remains but one further poui-
inent , and one which I offer with reluc
tance. For I gladly would have avoided
any personal reference. But unfortun
ately the founder of this cult lias as
sumed a position which compels some
estimate of her personality. She claims
to be the vehicle of a revelation which
makes her co-ordinate in
writings - au
thority with the Word of God. She
receives with"appaient complacence an
homage which lifts her above the plane
of ordinary humanity. So far as I
know she lias not disclaimed one of her
latest titles , "The feminine principle in
the Messianic hope. " Identified as she
thus is with her teaching , we cannot
help in some degree estimating the value
of the messsage by the character of the
messenger. Is her mental ability such
as to qualify her to grasp and impart
truth BO profound ? Is her character
consonant with the office of a messen
ger of the high things of the spirit ? To
me , neither in ability or character does
Mrs. Eddy reach the standard that in
spires fullest respect for her revelation.
I can permit myself but a single exam
ple to illustrate what I mean as regards
intelligence. Take this instance of Bib
lical interpretation : ' 'The word Adam
is from the Hebrew , Adamah , signify
ing the red color of the ground , dust ,
nothingness. ( So far very well , we are
dealing you notice with the Ifebrew
word Adam. But observe the next sen
tence. ) Divide the word Adam into
two syllables and it reads , a dam or
obstruction. This suggests the thought
of something fluid , of mortal mind in
solution , etc. " That is a fair example
of the logic of the book that is practic
ally put on a level of authority with the
Bible.
And as regards character , 1 would
rnak the criticism that in much that
in that Mrs. Eddy has done there
appears a suggestion of mercenary inter
est which it is almost impossible to re
concile in thought with our conception
of one coming to the suffering world
with so God-given a message as she
maintains hers to be. That the book ,
Science and Health , which purports to
offer much that is desperately needed by
men , through one hundred and twenty
editions should be held at a price so ex
traordinarily beyond the cost of publica
tion , is shocking to one's sense of fitness ,
to put it no more strongly. That the
courses of instruction for Christian Sci
ence teachers , lasting but a few weeks ,
have been given only at a charge vary
ing from $800 to $800 according to their
completeness has very generally excited
unfavorable comment. And now , with
in the past year Mrs. Eddy has put upon
the market certain souvenir spoons , at a
charge of $8 each for silver spoons and
$5 for gold plated. And this is the ad-
vortisement which appears over her own
signature , in an issue of the Christian
Science Sentinel of January 1800 :
"On each of these most beautiful
spoons is a motto in bas-relief that every
person on earth needs to hold in thought.
Mother requests that Christian Scient
ists shall not ask to be informed what
this motto is , but each Scientist shall
purchase at least one spoon , and those
who can afford it , one dozen spoons ,
that their families may read this motto
at every meal and their guests be made
partakers of its simple truth.
"MAUT BAKER EDDY. "
Were Mrs. Eddy a private individual ,
I should not have felt justified in offer
ing the slightest comment upon these
matters. It is when we find her delib
erately placed in the high association of
the prophets and apostles that we are
moved to scrutinize her fitness for their
company. For thus the Christian Sci
ence Journal presents the real progress
of doctrine : "First the law , Moses and
the Prophets ; then the demonstration
of the Spirit , Jesus and the Apostles ;
and finally the statement of the princi
ple and rules in Science and Health. "
Moses , the Prophets , Jesus , Mrs. Eddy !
Can that seem to any one other than an
anti-climax ?
For whatever of truth Mrs. Eddy lias
brought into the light , we are indebted
to her. For all the emphasis which
Christian Science has laid upon graces
of character or means of bodily healing
of which we needed to think more , we
are grateful. But I do not think that
many of us will find oiirselves attracted
by the system in its entirety. Do you
long for a serener spirit ? I would point
you to Jesus' teaching of the uuanxious
heart , and to His parting benediction of
peace. Do you long for a more vivid
sense of the divine ? Press close to the
Master who invites you ever into more
intimate fellowship , till with Paul you
can say , "I live , yet not I but Christ
liveth in me. " Do you feel that the
suffering of the world must be lessened ?
Study then every method of physical re
lief to which the Spirit of truth is lead
ing earnest men. But do not , I beg
you , deny that God is in the fullest and
most personal sense your Father ; do
not deny the existence of that body ,
made to be the temple of the Holy
Ghost ; do not deny the reality of that
sin from which Jesus Christ came to
save.
LITlSltAKY NOTE.
The frankest as well as the moat com
prehensive and statesmanlike view yet
published of our foreign policy is that
of the Hon. Richard Olney , appearing in
the March Atlantic Monthly. It is
marked by Mr. Olnoy's power of trench
ant and compressed expression , yet it is
also moderate and far-seeing. The re
cent movement among Indiana demo
crats to nominate Mr. Olney for the
presidency gives additional interest to
this-paper.
HIGII 1'JIIGIS OF
Indiana Walnut Trees llrlni ; I.arfjo SUMIH
to OWIUM-H.
Indiana Timber land , which was con
sidered the best in the country , is being
so rapidly denuded of the once splendid
forests of hardwood timber that specu
lators are seeing the advantage of gob-
gling up everything that may bo got in
the way of timber tracts.
The walnut and hickory of Indiana
and Ohio are considered the best that
can bo had , and the monster poplars
which once formed the nucleus for the
log-heap fire are Jiow worth individually
more as they stand than the acres they
occupy will bring when cleared , many a
poplar tree selling for $100 before an ax
touched it.
The walnut that was once so plentiful
hero that barn timbers , house sills , fence
rails , etc. , wore made from it , is becom
ing exceedingly scarce , and curled wal
nut stumps have brought almost fabu
lous prices , while hickory of the shellbark -
bark variety can scarcely bo found in
some of the best sections.
Last year's purchase by a Goshen ,
Intl. , firm of fifty-five standing walnut
trees near the northern Indiana line for
$10,000 and the handsome sum they
make out of the handling of this rare
clump of trees have proved an incentive
in the search for timber in other direc
tions. Grant county furnished a notice
able instance in the sale of the 1,0iO !
acres of virgin forest in Indiana , for
$60,000. A New York firm bought the
walnut timber where itstood for$55,000 ;
400 acres of land , the timber being re
served by the seller , sold for $20,000 , and
there remains GUO acres of the best tim
ber in Indiana , the walnut alone being
sold from it. The buyers will clear
$50,000 by their deal in that timber.
Where years ago the lumbermen went
for only large tracts they are now con
tent with individual trees , and wherever
there is a notably fine forest monarch of
the desirable variety its whereabouts
becomes widely known and the compe
tition to secure it is very sharp. Chicago
cage Record , Fob. 20.
If the alleged
JTIl OF JULY.
democratic party
called in convention at Kansas City
next 4th of S\\\y \ will declare its inde
pendence of bossism , prevent its own
crucifixion on a brass cross of constant
candidature and prevent the crown of a
cut-and-dried nomination being pressed
down upon the brow of a fellow who
has worked four years to got it , McKiu-
ley may bo beaten next November. It
is , however , more than likely that the
only man whom MoKinley can defeat
will bo nominated.