Account of Mary Baker Eddy’s Visit with John Greenleaf Whittier, 1868

Accession:

A11063

Editorial Title:

Author:

Mary Baker Eddy

Scribe:

Calvin A. Frye

Date:

unknown

Manuscript Description: Document dictated by Mary Baker Eddy and handwritten by Calvin A. Frye as scribe.

Archival Note: Even though this document is undated, Eddy’s visit to Whittier took place in 1868.

Editorial Note: In 1868, Eddy was living in Amesbury, Massachusetts with her student Sarah Bagley, a family friend of John Greenleaf Whittier. Bagley suggested a visit to the ailing Whittier, whose poetry Eddy had admired. This account of the visit was dictated some years later by Eddy to her secretary, Calvin A. Frye.

Final Edits

Original Document

Click image to magnify

Full

Back

View Document

View Image

A11063

Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

Copied document link to clipboard.

HistoryAs Written:Hist of 1.

When I was in Amesbury, MassachusettsAs Written:Mass. whither I had gone for retirement to prepare S & HEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. my student Sarah Bagley asked me if I would not like to go & see John G. Whittier the poet, I said, No I have no particular desire to see him- She said everybodyAs Written:every body that comes here always to see him- and if you want to see him you must see him soon for he is ill and will probably not live long.

Well said I if that is his condition I will go and see him and help him. Upon arriving at his house I found him sitting before a fire in a grate (in July) coughing incessantly with hectic flush on his cheeks and scarce able to speak above a whisper. A number of his Quaker friends were around him. His sisterEditorial Note: Probably Elizabeth Hussey Whittier had recently passed on and the bereavement had been a severe shock to him. His friends were trying to comfort him talking about death that he would soon meet her, and how Christ had overcome death and taken away its stingI Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. I Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. etc

I, sat listening and waiting for an opportunityAs Written:oppertunity, SomeoneAs Written:Some one asked him why he had a fire, he said "because I am cold" I replied "the atmosphere is more comfortable outside than inside" He seemed irritated at this & said "If Jesus Christ was in Amesbury he would have to have brass lined lungs to live here. I continued my talk with him in the line of ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science. By and by As Written: bye his countenance changed and the sunshineAs Written:sun shine of his former character beamed through the cloud and his friends sat wrapped in interest in the truth that I presented. When I rose to go He came to me with both hands extended and said "I thank you Mary for your call, it has done me much good" come again,

The next day he walked down to the village and was well Never to my knowledge has he had a return of those symptoms

[*]Editorial Note: At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X.

His cousin who afterward studied with me took my book S & HEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy to him as soon as publishedAs Written:pub. He examined it turning over the leaves slowly then said, "You say your teacher wrote this", "Yes" Well you will never be able to understand 1/10 part of it during your lifetimeAs Written:life-time.

[*]Editorial Note: At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X. After this the spiritualists made him believe that he recovered health through spirit communicationAs Written:communcation & he became a believer in Spiritualism.

A11063

Reproduced from the archive of The Mary Baker Eddy Library

Copied document link to clipboard.

HistExpanded:History of 1.

When I was in Amesbury, Mass.Expanded:Massachusetts whither I had gone for retirement to prepare S & HEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy. my student Sarah Bagley requested asked me if I would not like to go & see John G. Whittier the poet, I said, No I have no particular desire to see him- She said every bodyCorrected:everybody that comes here always to see him- and if you want to see him you must see him soon for he w is ill and will probably not live long.

Wiell said I if that is his condition I will go and see hinm and help him. Upon arriving at his house I found hinm sitting before a fire in a grate (in July) coughing incessantly with hectic flush on his cheeks and scarce able to speak aboutve a whisper. A number of his Quaker friends were around him. Heis sisterEditorial Note: Probably Elizabeth Hussey Whittier had recently passed on and the bereavement had been a severe shock to him. His friends were trying to comfort him talking about death that he would soon meet her, and how Christ had overcome death and taken away its stingI Cor 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? I Cor 15:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. I Cor 15:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. etc

I, sat listening and waiting for an oppertunityCorrected:opportunity, Some oneCorrected:Someone asked him why he had a fire, he said "because I am cold" I replied "the atmosphere is more comfortable outside than inside" He seemed irritated at this & said "If Jesus Christ was in Amesbury he would have to have brass lined lungs to live here. I continued my talk with him in the line of ScienceEditorial Note: Christian Science. By and bye Corrected: by his countenance changed and the sun shineCorrected:sunshine of his former character beamed through the cloud and his friends sat wrapped in interest in the truth that I presented. When I rose to go He came to me with both hands elextended and said "I thank you Mary for your call, it has done me much good" come again,

The next day he walked down to the village and was well Never to my knowledge h [?] Unclear or illegible as he had a return of those symptoms

[*]Editorial Note: At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X.

His cousin who afterward studied with me took my book S & HEditorial Note: Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy to him as soon as pubExpanded:published. He examined it turning over the ea leaves slowly then said, "You say your teacher wrote this", " [?] Unclear or illegible Yes" Well you will ne [?] Unclear or illegible ver be able to understand 1/10 part of it during your life-timeCorrected:lifetime.

[*]Editorial Note: At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X.If After this the spiritualists made him believe that he recovered health through spirit communcationCorrected:communication & he became a believer in Spiritualism.

View Image

Back Text

Shown for development purposes only

Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy Probably Elizabeth Hussey Whittier Christian Science Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures by Mary Baker Eddy At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X. At this point in the document, there is a metamark that looks like the letter X.