L04203X
Dear Student: Mentoring Healers
Mary Baker Eddy's great care for her students is evident in her responses to their letters, in which they shared experiences and sought her counsel while they developed their own Christian Science healing practices. Reading the questions that students asked, alongside Eddy's responses, adds a fuller perspective to the advice she shared with her students.
Articles:
Read a New Year's exchange between Mary Baker Eddy and Ellen Brown
Linscott, one of her students in Chicago, Illinois.
Find out how people were becoming introduced to Mary Baker Eddy's
instruction in Christian Science and see what became of the "two ladies" mentioned
in
Ellen Brown Linscott's letter below.
Podcasts:
Learn what the Library's collections reveal about all the activity
that was going on in Eddy's church in the year 1886. This episode was recorded before
a live audience and also includes a Q&A with audience members.
Documents:
Kate Jeffrey
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Unknown, February 15, 1884 (L03931)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Unknown, February 15, 1884"
Eddy shares encouragement based on a hymn and the 91st Psalm.
Although the recipient of this letter is unknown, it's contents closely matches a
letter described in the correspondence from Kate Jeffery below.
Letter: Kate A. Jeffery to Mary Baker Eddy, February 17,
1884 (552.58.002)Click link to view "Letter: Kate A. Jeffery to Mary Baker Eddy, February 17,
1884"
Jeffrey thanks Eddy for her words of encouragement and shares
additional inspiration from the Bible.
Letter: Kate A. Jeffery to Mary Baker Eddy, February 22,
1884 (552.58.003)Click link to view "Letter: Kate A. Jeffery to Mary Baker Eddy, February 22,
1884"
Jeffrey expresses a desire to know the Bible better. She also
mentions a desire to go to Eddy with a question but that she found her answer in
Eddy's book, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures,
instead.
Caroline Noyes
Letter: Caroline D. Noyes to Mary Baker Eddy, August 5, 1884 (304.43.009)Click link to view "Letter: Caroline D. Noyes to Mary Baker Eddy, August 5, 1884"
Noyes writes about the activities of Christian Scientists in the
Chicago area and some of the challenges with her Christian Science practice.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Caroline D. Noyes, August 11,
1884 (L05411)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Caroline D. Noyes, August 11,
1884"
Eddy offers words of wisdom and encouragement in response to Noyes'
concerns.
Janet Colman
Letter: Janet T. Colman to Mary Baker Eddy, January 5, 1885 (392.50.010)Click link to view "Letter: Janet T. Colman to Mary Baker Eddy, January 5, 1885"
Colman shares some inspiration she had from the 10 Commandments and
also shares her thought that Eddy's students really living what she has taught them
would surely be Eddy's best Christmas gift.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Janet T. Colman, January 8, 1885 (L03613)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Janet T. Colman, January 8, 1885"
Eddy expresses gratitude for the inspiration Colman shared and
offers some additional thoughts.
Ellen Brown Linscott
Letter: Ellen Brown Linscott to Mary Baker Eddy, August 19,
1886 (163A.27.044)Click link to view "Letter: Ellen Brown Linscott to Mary Baker Eddy, August 19,
1886"
Linscott offers her thoughts on what is needed to start a Christian
Science institute in Chicago and shares the names of two women who would like to
join Eddy's class.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Ellen Brown Linscott, August 22,
1886 (L12985 )Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Ellen Brown Linscott, August 22,
1886"
Part of this letter appears to be missing, but it nonetheless offers
a nice response to Linscott's letter.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Ellen Brown Linscott, August 1886 (L08751)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to Ellen Brown Linscott, August 1886"
Also written in August 1886, this letter offers some additional
words of encouragement for Linscott.
George Wickersham
Letter: George B. Wickersham to Mary Baker Eddy, March 14,
1885 (336.45.001)Click link to view "Letter: George B. Wickersham to Mary Baker Eddy, March 14,
1885"
Wickersham shares an update from his practice in Chicago and a
desire to hear from Eddy.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to George B. Wickersham, March 19,
1885 (L07907)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to George B. Wickersham, March 19,
1885"
Eddy shares her thoughts on Wickersham's desire to move elsewhere
along with some advice on what is needed to prosper in his practice.
Letter: George B. Wickersham to Mary Baker Eddy, June 17,
1886 (336.45.003)Click link to view "Letter: George B. Wickersham to Mary Baker Eddy, June 17,
1886"
This is an incomplete letter since part of it, which included the
healing of a man who had been kicked by a horse, was sent to The
Christian Science Journal for publication.
Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to George B. Wickersham, June 24,
1886 (L07910)Click link to view "Letter: Mary Baker Eddy to George B. Wickersham, June 24,
1886"
Eddy's response shows how much she values hearing from her students
but also the many demands placed on her time.