christian science-第13节

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＇sic＇　the　place；〃　et　cetera。Ibid。

3。　　〃Shorn　＇sic＇　of　its　suburbs　it　had　indeed　little　left　to　admire；　save
to　＇sic＇　such　as　fancy　a　skeleton　above　ground　breathing　＇sic＇　slowly
through　a　barren　＇sic＇　breast。〃Ibid。

This　is　not　EnglishI　mean；　grown…up　English。　　But　it　is　fifteen…year
old　English；　and　has　not　grown　a　month　since　the　same　mind　produced　the
Poems。　　The　standard　of　the　Poems　and　of　the　plague…spot…and…bacilli
effort　is　exactly　the　same。　　It　is　most　strange　that　the　same　intellect
that　worded　the　simple　and　self…contained　and　clean…cut　paragraph
beginning　with　〃How　unreasonable　is　the　belief；〃　should　in　the　very　same
lustrum　discharge　upon　the　world　such　a　verbal　chaos　as　the　utterance
concerning　that　plague…spot　or　bacilli　which　were　gnawing　at　the　insides
of　the　metropolis　and　bringing　its　heart　on　bended　knee；　thus　exposing　to
the　eye　the　rest　of　the　skeleton　breathing　slowly　through　a　barren
breast。

The　immense　contrast　between　the　legitimate　English　of　Science　and　Health
and　the　bastard　English　of　Mrs。　Eddy's　miscellaneous　work；　and　between
the　maturity　of　the　one　diction　and　the　juvenility　of　the　other；
suggestscompelsthe　question；　Are　there　two　guns？　　It　would　seem　so。
Is　there　a　poor；　foolish；　old；　scattering　flint…lock　for　rabbit；　and　a
long…range；　centre…driving；　up…to…date　Mauser…magazine　for　elephant？　　It
looks　like　it。　　For　it　is　observable　that　in　Science　and　Health　（the
elephant…ground）　the　practice　was　good　at　the　start　and　has　remained　so；
and　that　the　practice　in　the　miscellaneous；　outside；　small…game　field　was
very　bad　at　the　start　and　was　never　less　bad　at　any　later　time。

I　wish　to　say　that　of　Mrs。　Eddy　I　am　not　requiring　perfect　English；　but
only　good　English。　　No　one　can　write　perfect　English　and　keep　it　up
through　a　stretch　of　ten　chapters。　　It　has　never　been　done。　　It　was
approached　in　the　〃well　of　English　undefiled〃；　it　has　been　approached　in
Mrs。　Eddy's　Annex　to　that　Book；　it　has　been　approached　in　several　English
grammars；　I　have　even　approached　it　myself；　but　none　of　us　has　made　port。

Now；　the　English　of　Science　and　Health　is　good。　　In　passages　to　be　found
in　Mrs。　Eddy's　Autobiography　（on　pages　53；　57；　101；　and　113）；　and　on　page
6　of　her　squalid　preface　to　Science　and　Health；　first　revision；　she　seems
to　me　to　claim　the　whole　and　sole　authorship　of　the　book。　　That　she　wrote
the　Autobiography；　and　that　preface；　and　the　Poems；　and　the　Plague…spot…
Bacilli；　we　are　not　permitted　to　doubt。　　Indeed；　we　know　she　wrote　them。
But　the　very　certainty　that　she　wrote　these　things　compels　a　doubt　that
she　wrote　Science　and　Health。　　She　is　guilty　of　little　awkwardnesses　of
expression　in　the　Autobiography　which　a　practiced　pen　would　hardly　allow
to　go　uncorrected　in　even　a　hasty　private　letter；　and　could　not　dream　of
passing　by　uncorrected　in　passages　intended　for　print。　　But　she　passes
them　placidly　by；　as　placidly　as　if　she　did　not　suspect　that　they　were
offenses　against　third…class　English。　　I　think　that　that　placidity　was
born　of　that　very　unawareness；　so　to　speak。　　I　will　cite　a　few　instances
from　the　Autobiography。　　The　italics　are　mine：

〃I　remember　reading　in　my　childhood　certain　manuscripts　containing
Scriptural　Sonnets；　besides　other　verses　and　enigmas；〃　etc。　　Page　7。

＇On　page　27。＇　〃Many　pale　cripples　went　into　the　Church　leaning　on
crutches　who　came　out　carrying　them　on　their　shoulders。〃

It　is　awkward；　because　at　the　first　glance　it　seems　to　say　that　the
cripples　went　in　leaning　on　crutches　which　went　out　carrying　the　cripples
on　their　shoulders。　　It　would　have　cost　her　no　trouble　to　put　her　〃who〃
after　her　〃cripples。〃　　I　blame　her　a　little；　I　think　her　proof…reader
should　have　been　shot。　　We　may　let　her　capital　C　pass；　but　it　is　another
awkwardness；　for　she　is　talking　about　a　building；　not　about　a　religious
society。

〃Marriage　and　Parentage　〃＇Chapter…heading。　　Page　30＇。　　You　imagine　that
she　is　going　to　begin　a　talk　about　her　marriage　and　finish　with　some
account　of　her　father　and　mother。　　And　so　you　will　be　deceived。
〃Marriage〃　was　right；　but　〃Parentage〃　was　not　the　best　word　for　the　rest
of　the　record。　　It　refers　to　the　birth　of　her　own　child。　　After　a　certain
period　of　time　〃my　babe　was　born。〃　　Marriage　and　Motherhood…Marriage　and
Maternity…Marriage　and　Product…Marriage　and　Dividendeither　of　these
would　have　fitted　the　facts　and　made　the　matter　clear。

〃Without　my　knowledge　he　was　appointed　a　guardian。〃　　Page　32。

She　is　speaking　of　her　child。　　She　means　that　a　guardian　for　her　child
was　appointed；　but　that　isn't　what　she　says。

〃If　spiritual　conclusions　are　separated　from　their　premises；　the　nexus　is
lost；　and　the　argument　with　its　rightful　conclusions；　becomes
correspondingly　obscure。〃　　Page　34。

We　shall　never　know　why　she　put　the　word　〃correspondingly〃　in　there。　　Any
fine；　large　word　would　have　answered　just　as　well：　psychosuperintangibly
electroincandescentlyoligarcheologicallysanchrosynchro…
stereopticallyany　of　these　would　have　answered；　any　of　these　would　have
filled　the　void。

〃His　spiritual　noumenon　and　phenomenon　silenced　portraiture。〃　　Page　34。

Yet　she　says　she　forgot　everything　she　knew；　when　she　discovered
Christian　Science。　　I　realize　that　noumenon　is　a　daisy；　and　I　will　not
deny　that　I　shall　use　it　whenever　I　am　in　a　company　which　I　think　I　can
embarrass　with　it；　but；　at　the　same　time；　I　think　it　is　out　of　place
among　friends　in　an　autobiography。　　There；　I　think　a　person　ought　not　to
have　anything　up　his　sleeve。　　It　undermines　confidence。　　But　my
dissatisfaction　with　the　quoted　passage　is　not　on　account　of　noumenon；　it
is　on　account　of　the　misuse　of　the　word　〃silenced。〃　　You　cannot　silence
portraiture　with　a　noumenon；　if　portraiture　should　make　a　noise；　a　way
could　be　found　to　silence　it；　but　even　then　it　could　not　be　done　with　a
noumenon。　　Not　even　with　a　brick；　some　authorities　think。

〃It　may　be　that　the　mortal　life…battle　still　wages；〃　etc。　　Page　35。

That　is　clumsy。　　Battles　do　not　wage；　battles　are　waged。　　Mrs。　Eddy　has
one　very　curious　and　interesting　peculiarity：　whenever　she　notices　that
she　is　chortling　along　without　saying　anything；　she　pulls　up　with　a
sudden　〃God　is　over　us　all；〃　or　some　other　sounding　irrelevancy；　and　for
the　moment　it　seems　to　light　up　the　whole　district；　then；　before　you　can
recover　from　the　shock；　she　goes　flitting　pleasantly　and　meaninglessly
along　again；　and　you　hurry　hopefully　after　her；　thinking　you　are　going　to
get　something　this　time；　but　as　soon　as　she　has　led　you　far　enough　away
from　her　turkey　lot　she　takes　to　a　tree。　　Whenever　she　discovers　that　she
is　getting　pretty　disconnected；　she　couples…up　with　an　ostentatious　〃But〃
which　has　nothing　to　do　with　anything　that　went　before　or　is　to　come
after；　then　she　hitches　some　empties　to　the　train…unrelated　verses　from
the　Bible；　usuallyand　steams　out　of　sight　and　leaves　you　wondering　how
she　did　that　clever　thing。　　For　striking　instances；　see　bottom　paragraph
on　page　34　and　the　paragraph　on　page　35　of　her　Autobiography。　　She　has　a
purposea　deep　and　dark　and　artful　purposein　what　she　is　saying　in　the
first　paragraph；　and　you　guess　what　it　is；　but　that　is　due　to　your　own
talent；　not　hers；　she　has　made　it　as　obscure　as　language　could　do　it。
The　other　paragraph　has　no　meaning　and　no　discoverable　intention。　　It　is
merely　one　of　her　God…over…alls。　　I　cannot　spare　room　for　it　in　this
place。

〃I　beheld　with　ineffable　awe　our　great　Master's　marvelous　skill　in
demanding　neither　obedience　to　hygienic　laws　nor；〃　etc。　　Page　4I。

The　word　is　loosely　chosen…skill。　　She　probably　meant　judgment；
intuition；　penetration；　or　wisdom。

〃Naturally；　my　first　jottings　were　but　efforts　to　express　in　feeble
diction　Truth's　ultimate。〃　　Page　42。

One　understands　what　she　means；　but　she　should　have　been　able　to　say　what
she　meantat　any　time　before　she　discovered　Christian　Science　and　forgot
everything　she　knewand　after　it；　too。　　If　she　had　put　〃feeble〃　in　front
of　〃efforts〃　and　then　left　out　〃in〃　and　〃diction；〃　she　would　have　scored。

〃　。　　。　　。　　its　written　expression　increases　in　perfection　under　the
guidance　of　the　great　Master。〃　　Page　43。

It　is　an　error。　　Not　even　in　those　advantageous　circumstances　can
increase　be　added　to　perfection。

〃Evil　is　not　mastered　by　evil；　it　can　only　be　overcome　with　Good。　　This
brings　out　the　nothingness　of　evil；　and　the　eternal　Somethingness
vindicates　the　Divine　Principle　and　improves　the　race　of　Adam。〃　　Page　76。

This　is　too　extraneous　for　me。　　That　is　the　trouble　with　Mrs。　Eddy　when
she　sets　out　to　explain　an　over…large　exhibit：　the　minute　you　think　the
light　is　bursting　upon　you　the　candle　goes　out　and　your　mind　begins　to
wander。

〃No　one　else　can　drain　the　cup　which　I　have　drunk　to　the　dregs；　as　the
discoverer　and　teacher　of　Christian　Science〃　Page　47。

That　is　saying　we　cannot　empty　an　empty　cup。　　We　knew　it　before；　and　we
know　she　meant　to　tell　us　that　that　particular　cup　is　going　to　remain
empty。　　That　is；　we　think　that　that　was　the　idea；　but　we　cannot　be　sure。
She　has　a　perfectly　astonishing　talent　for　putting　words　together　in　such
a　way　as　to　make　successful　inquiry　into　their　intention　impossible。

She　generally　m