with gratitude what she did for their intellectual and spiritual awakening.

For a long time Quimby was the prophet whom she proclaimed, and Mrs. Eddy continued unshaken in her faith in him. She believed that her recovery from the terrible malady that had worn her out and sapped her vitality with such terrible tyranny was nothing short of miraculous. The manner and method of her restoration to health she recounts with vivid and lengthy exactness. For herself she claims a special revelation from God. In her autobiographical sketches she writes of all these experiences. "Retrospection and Introspection" she says of herself in 1866: "I then withdrew from society about three years, to ponder my mission, to search the Scriptures, to find the Science of Mind that should take the things of God and show them to the creature, and reveal the great curative principle-Deity."

In

In this work, which purports to be a biography, with what appears to be a subtle and artful purpose she passes over in silence some six years of her history. The reason for this silence will appear in subsequent chapters.

In May of 1864 Mrs. Patterson went to visit her Domestic Life friend Mrs. Crosby, and remained at her home until the autumn of that year, when she joined her husband in Lynn, Massacnusetts, in which place he had already established himself in his dental profession. His practice was a fairly good one, and people liked the bluff, good-natured, overgrown boy. Though the doctor was untiring in his efforts to please and care for his long

time invalid wife, his devotion rarely drew from her

Many legends are eximpatience, and fiery, Whatever the outside

the smile of wifely approval. tant of her selfish exactions, hysterical outbursts of temper. world saw of her charms, she evidently gave him the worst side of her hereditary disposition. Her demands seemed without end or reason. When the doctor was at home she compelled him to humor her every whim. When he was away on his professional engagements, she was able to care for herself and walk upstairs and down, but on his return she immediately lapsed into utter helplessness. Many amusing stories are told of her odd freaks and outbursts of anger at the good-natured man in the days before she met the Portland seer and learned of him the secret of mind cure.

While they were living at the Russell home Patterson deserted the woman and never returned. Those who know him say that no word was ever whispered against his character either then or subsequently. His spirit seemed broken; indeed he never had much nerve; and after roving around for some years he drifted to his boyhood home, where he passed his days in hermit seclusion, dying in 1896. But Mrs. Eddy has taken occasion to relate this episode in her life, coloring the narrative to suit her own purposes, belittling her one-time husband and placing on him the brand of moral obliquity as well as cowardice. She says:

"In 1862 my name was Patterson; my husband, Dr. Patterson, a distinguished dentist. After my marriage

I was confined to my bed with a severe illness, and seldom left bed or room for seven years, when I was taken to Dr. Quimby and partially restored. I returned home, hoping once more to make that home happy, but only returned to a new agony-to find my husband had eloped with a married woman from one of the wealthy families of that city, leaving no trace saving his last letter to us, wherein he wrote: 'I hope some time to be worthy of so good a wife." "

Again the prophet of sweetness, light, and blessing for humanity lapses from truth, and vaguely clouds the facts in a medley of vanity, selfishness, and falsehood. But why should a prophet be consistent?

Wanderings

CHAPTER II.

THE WOMAN AND THE BOOK

At the time of the dedication of the Christian Science Church at Concord, New Hampshire, there appeared in the Plymouth Record, from a correspondent who lived among her old friends and neighbors and had opportunity of gleaning the characteristics of the prophet's life at first hand, this statement:

"With the announcement of the dedication of the Christian Science Church at Concord, the gift of Mary Baker Glover Patterson Eddy, the thoughts of many of the older residents have turned back to the time when Mrs. Eddy, as the wife of Daniel Patterson, lived in this place (North Groton). These people remember the woman at that time as one who carried herself above her fellows. The Mrs. Eddy of to-day is not the Mrs. Patterson of then, for this is a sort of Mr. Hyde and Dr. Jekyll case, and the woman is now credited with many charitable kindly acts."

After Doctor Patterson left her the woman was desperately poor. We are told that she went from house to house wherever any would take her in, and that she made friends and quarreled with them time and again. From 1864 to 1870 was a period of protracted wandering.