The statement appearing in last Sunday's issue of the News falsly Corrected: falsely asserting that you had "completed a Normal course at Mrs Eddy's College" has occasioned no little feeling among those in the ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science who knew it to be a lie – Knew that you had never practiced Mental Healing & were therefore not eli [?] Unclear or illegible gible to take the course [*]Archival Note: A series of metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript.

My visit to you on Wednesday Evenig Corrected: Evening was for the purpose really, of hearing your defense of the false position you had seen fit to place yourself, in this matter, before I gave to the publics a correct statement of your status in Christian Science. [*]Archival Note: A series of metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript. It may or may not have been "an error of the Reporter"– It is certainly not the first time that you have stated here, that you had been "taught by Mrs Eddy." –– You were preparing to take every advantage of the falsehood & the News' Corrected: News's Advertisement, rendered doubly deceptive by your appearing under the seeming endorseme [?] Unclear or illegible nt of Mrs Fisk, without any desire or inclination to deny it, until forced to do so- Mrs Fisk is too good & noble a woman to be placed in a position that might give rise to a suspicion that she encouraged you in the deception & your desire to turn christian Science into a scheming, money-making enterprise. In justice to her I called upon her this P. M. before leaving with the News the inclosed Corrected: enclosed card for publication. Learing Corrected: Learning from her that you ha [?] Unclear or illegible d promised her to deny in Sundays Corrected: Sunday's issue the false statement of last Sunday I will in accordance with her request withhold from publication, until then, Mrs Eddy's side of the question – "old & crabbed" though she may seem to those who decline to be bound by her strictures & who find it to be so much easier & pays better, to tell others what to do & how to live than conform to the requirements themselves. "Theory", no matter how beautifully clothed in words, is still theory, & "can never equal demonstration" [*]Archival Note: A series of metamarks that look like Xs appear at this point in the manuscript.

Your high soundingCorrected:high-sounding speech: "Shall we be denied the right to teach the Truth, because we decline to be bound by Mrs Eddy's strictures" etc etc is simply buncombe, pure & unadulterated clap-trap Corrected: claptrap calculated to catch the ear of the unthinking. The answer to your exclamation is in the heart & on the lip of every just & fair mindedCorrected:fair-minded person in the Science & out who will give it thought, & it is Yes! You & such as you shall, & should. be denied the right to teach the Truth until you have practically proven yourself possessed of It. ― Shall the Author of this Science, who alone is held publicallyCorrected:publicly reponsible Corrected: responsible for its teachings be denied the right to select & instruct her own teachers? denied the right to protect herself & her Science from charlatamismCorrected:charlatanism & imposition by not being permitted to test the sSpiritual as well as the theoretical fitness of those who would represent her in the teaching of her work? Has she, who for more than twenty years has labored to spread & establish this Science for Humanity's good, whose motives have been impugned, character defamed, & on every side within & and without has been persecuted & falsified, meeting with more jealously, selfishness, envy spite, & hatred than love & encouragement, - has she no rights that dissenters like you are boumd Corrected: bound to respect? What are her strictures in this question of teaching?, so objectionable to a larger class of would-be theoretical practitioners? They are simply her demands, to "practice what you would preach – prove your faith by your works – Show that you have the Truth before you attempt to impart it to others – Practice Mental healing & demonstrate successfully, that I may know you are qualified to teach!" Who are "we" that "decline to conform" to these strictures," so-called? They are "We" who can better preach than practice, or are perhaps more gifted to preach than to practice, They are "We" who enthuse over the beauty & grandeur of the work & are impelled to teach it to all, inspired by the God (good) "we" see in it." We" think, for others, but for the Almighty hundred dollarsEditorial Note: $100.00 in 1886 is the equivalent of $3,113.36 in 2022. a head "We" know there is in it for ourselves in teaching it, now that the time is ripe to take advantage of the interest now being manifested in the Science- If such as you can acquire or receive the Normal course & right to teach, from persons having no more legal powers to grant it than you have yourself, others can oblain Corrected: obtain the same right & privilege, & it will soon end in all being Scientists "for Revenue only," & those who became its students from less worldly motives - inspired principally by the good they might accomplish through it, will be ashamed to practice, or be known as followers of it-

Now Mrs Heathwood, it is held, & justly so, it would appear, that you possess no legal, just, or moral, right to represent Mrs Eddy as a teacher of her work. You did not receive the Normal course or right to teach, from her or at her college, & at no other place & from no other person could you receive the course. You were not eligible to the course, & were & are fully aware of that fact, not having previously practiced Mental healing as is absolutely required. Further that whatever the differences existing between Mrs Eddy & Mrs Read which may have led to lettar Corrected: latter to break away from the former & usurp the authority to teach the Normal course in defiance of Mrs Eddy's reserved rights in the matter, it is not believed that she, Dr Buswell or others would knowingly instruct you or any other person, in that course, conferring upon the right to teach, without your having been regularly taught the first course & successfully demonstrated the Truth by practicing, for a time at least - Mental Healing; knowing, as they must know, that she or they by so doing would antagonize the very foundation of the Science – Harmony- by violating the law of all others best calculated to protect it & its followers from imposition & hypocracyCorrected:hypocrisy. You know that your pupils will not, & should not be recognized or received as legitimate ScientistsEditorial Note: Christian Scientists, by those regularly instructed by Students of Mrs Eddy – you being yourself a Scientist in no sense of the term whatever― & can notCorrected:cannot gain admission to the legally organized associations of the Science acknowledging Mrs Eddy as it head. – you deceiving them into the belief that they will be to the contrary not withstandingCorrected:notwithstanding. The duty before you, therefore, is plain You are not a qualified or authorized teacher, having received the Normal course illegally - cast aside your present ambition to teach,- practice Mental healing until your demonstrations fit you to receive the Normal course properly, then with your credited "gifts of illustrating" strengthened & adorned by your known powers of demonstrating, you will acquire a success beyond your expectations - embodying within yourself the principles you advance, all can rest their faith in you & the Science will be benefitted & strengthened thereby; whereas now, – starting out under the clouds of deception & self interestCorrected:self-interest solely - representing yourself to be that which you are not, your success, if any will be but trancientCorrected:transient & without credit, your failure ultimate & lasting- Do what is right in connection with the Science & you will find none more willing to aid & applaud your efforts than