christian science-第3节

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from　pain；　disease；　decay；　and　every　ill　that　flesh　is　heir　to。〃

〃Surely　not　every　ill；　every　decay？〃

〃Every　one；　there　are　no　exceptions；　there　is　no　such　thing　as　decayit
is　an　unreality；　it　has　no　existence。〃

〃But　without　your　glasses　your　failing　eyesight　does　not　permit　you　to〃

〃My　eyesight　cannot　fail；　nothing　can　fail；　the　Mind　is　master；　and　the
Mind　permits　no　retrogression。〃

She　was　under　the　inspiration　of　the　Third　Degree；　therefore　there　could
be　no　profit　in　continuing　this　part　of　the　subject。　　I　shifted　to　other
ground　and　inquired　further　concerning　the　Discoverer　of　the　Science。

〃Did　the　discovery　come　suddenly；　like　Klondike；　or　after　long　study　and
calculation；　like　America？〃

〃The　comparisons　are　not　respectful；　since　they　refer　to　trivialities
but　let　it　pass。　　I　will　answer　in　the　Discoverer's　own　words：　'God　had
been　graciously　fitting　me；　during　many　years；　for　the　reception　of　a
final　revelation　of　the　absolute　Principle　of　Scientific　Mind…healing。〃

〃Many　years。　　How　many？〃

〃Eighteen　centuries！〃

〃AllGod；　Godgood；　goodGod；　Truth；　Bones；　Liver；　one　of　a　series；
alone　and　without　equalit　is　amazing！〃

〃You　may　well　say　it；　sir。　　Yet　it　is　but　the　truth　This　American　lady；
our　revered　and　sacred　Founder；　is　distinctly　referred　to；　and　her　coming
prophesied；　in　the　twelfth　chapter　of　the　Apocalypse；　she　could　not　have
been　more　plainly　indicated　by　St。　John　without　actually　mentioning　her
name。〃

〃How　strange；　how　wonderful！〃

〃I　will　quote　her　own　words；　from　her　Key　to　the　Scriptures：　'The　twelfth
chapter　of　the　Apocalypse　has　a　special　suggestiveness　in　connection　with
this　nineteenth　century。'　Theredo　you　note　that？　　Thinknote　it　well。〃


〃Butwhat　does　it　mean？〃

〃Listen；　and　you　will　know。　　I　quote　her　inspired　words　again：　'In　the
opening　of　the　Sixth　Seal；　typical　of　six　thousand　years　since　Adam；
there　is　one　distinctive　feature　which　has　special　reference　to　the
present　age。　　Thus：

〃'Revelation　xii。　　I。　　And　there　appeared　a　great　wonder　in　heavena
woman　clothed　with　the　sun；　and　the　moon　under　her　feet；　and　upon　her
head　a　crown　of　twelve　stars。'

〃That　is　our　Head；　our　Chief；　our　Discoverer　of　Christian　Science
nothing　can　be　plainer；　nothing　surer。　　And　note　this：

〃'Revelation　xii。　　6。　　And　the　woman　fled　into　the　wilderness；　where　she
had　a　place　prepared　of　God。'

〃That　is　Boston。　　I　recognize　it；　madam。　　These　are　sublime　things；　and
impressive；　I　never　understood　these　passages　before；　please　go　on　with
thewith　theproofs。〃

〃Very　well。　　Listen：

〃'And　I　saw　another　mighty　angel　come　down　from　heaven；　clothed　with　a
cloud；　and　a　rainbow　was　upon　his　head；　and　his　face　was　as　it　were　the
sun；　and　his　feet　as　pillars　of　fire。　　And　he　held　in　his　hand　a　little
book。'

〃A　little　book；　merely　a　little　bookcould　words　be　modester？　　Yet　how
stupendous　its　importance！　　Do　you　know　what　book　that　was？〃

〃Was　it〃

〃I　hold　it　in　my　handChristian　Science！〃

〃Love；　Livers；　Lights；　Bones；　Truth；　Kidneys；　one　of　a　series；　alone　and
without　equal　it　is　beyond　imagination　for　wonder！〃

〃Hear　our　Founder's　eloquent　words：　'Then　will　a　voice　from　harmony　cry；
〃Go　and　take　the　little　book：　take　it　and　eat　it　up；　and　it　shall　make
thy　belly　bitter；　but　it　shall　be　in　thy　mouth　sweet　as　honey。〃　　Mortal；
obey　the　heavenly　evangel。　　Take　up　Divine　Science。　　Read　it　from
beginning　to　end。　　Study　it；　ponder　it。　　It　will　be；　indeed；　sweet　at　its
first　taste；　when　it　heals　you；　but　murmur　not　over　Truth；　if　you　find
its　digestion　bitter。'　You　now　know　the　history　of　our　dear　and　holy
Science；　sir；　and　that　its　origin　is　not　of　this　earth；　but　only　its
discovery。　　I　will　leave　the　book　with　you　and　will　go；　now；　but　give
yourself　no　uneasiness　I　will　give　you　absent　treatment　from　now　till　I
go　to　bed。〃




CHAPTER　III

Under　the　powerful　influence　of　the　near　treatment　and　the　absent
treatment　together；　my　bones　were　gradually　retreating　inward　and
disappearing　from　view。　　The　good　work　took　a　brisk　start；　now；　and　went
on　swiftly。　　My　body　was　diligently　straining　and　stretching；　this　way
and　that；　to　accommodate　the　processes　of　restoration；　and　every　minute
or　two　I　heard　a　dull　click　inside　and　knew　that　the　two　ends　of　a
fracture　had　been　successfully　joined。　　This　muffled　clicking　and
gritting　and　grinding　and　rasping　continued　during　the　next　three　hours；
and　then　stoppedthe　connections　had　all　been　made。　　All　except
dislocations；　there　were　only　seven　of　these：　hips；　shoulders；　knees；
neck；　so　that　was　soon　over；　one　after　another　they　slipped　into　their
sockets　with　a　sound　like　pulling　a　distant　cork；　and　I　jumped　up　as　good
as　new；　as　to　framework；　and　sent　for　the　horse…doctor。

I　was　obliged　to　do　this　because　I　had　a　stomach…ache　and　a　cold　in　the
head；　and　I　was　not　willing　to　trust　these　things　any　longer　in　the　hands
of　a　woman　whom　I　did　not　know；　and　whose　ability　to　successfully　treat
mere　disease　I　had　lost　all　confidence。　　My　position　was　justified　by　the
fact　that　the　cold　and　the　ache　had　been　in　her　charge　from　the　first；
along　with　the　fractures；　but　had　experienced　not　a　shade　of　relief；　and；
indeed；　the　ache　was　even　growing　worse　and　worse；　and　more　and　more
bitter；　now；　probably　on　account　of　the　protracted　abstention　from　food
and　drink。

The　horse…doctor　came；　a　pleasant　man　and　full　of　hope　and　professional
interest　in　the　case。　　In　the　matter　of　smell　he　was　pretty　aromaticin
fact；　quite　horsyand　I　tried　to　arrange　with　him　for　absent　treatment；
but　it　was　not　in　his　line；　so；　out　of　delicacy；　I　did　not　press　it。　　He
looked　at　my　teeth　and　examined　my　hock；　and　said　my　age　and　general
condition　were　favorable　to　energetic　measures；　therefore　he　would　give
me　something　to　turn　the　stomach…ache　into　the　botts　and　the　cold　in　the
head　into　the　blind　staggers；　then　he　should　be　on　his　own　beat　and　would
know　what　to　do。　　He　made　up　a　bucket　of　bran…mash；　and　said　a　dipperful
of　it　every　two　hours；　alternated　with　a　drench　with　turpentine　and　axle…
grease　in　it；　would　either　knock　my　ailments　out　of　me　in　twenty…four
hours；　or　so　interest　me　in　other　ways　as　to　make　me　forget　they　were　on
the　premises。　　He　administered　my　first　dose　himself；　then　took　his
leave；　saying　I　was　free　to　eat　and　drink　anything　I　pleased　and　in　any
quantity　I　liked。　　But　I　was　not　hungry　any　more；　and　did　not　care　for
food。

I　took　up　the　Christian　Science　book　and　read　half　of　it；　then　took　a
dipperful　of　drench　and　read　the　other　half。　　The　resulting　experiences
were　full　of　interest　and　adventure。　　All　through　the　rumblings　and
grindings　and　quakings　and　effervescings　accompanying　the　evolution　of
the　ache　into　the　botts　and　the　cold　into　the　blind　staggers　I　could　note
the　generous　struggle　for　mastery　going　on　between　the　mash　and　the
drench　and　the　literature；　and　often　I　could　tell　which　was　ahead；　and
could　easily　distinguish　the　literature　from　the　others　when　the　others
were　separate；　though　not　when　they　were　mixed；　for　when　a　bran…mash　and
an　eclectic　drench　are　mixed　together　they　look　just　like　the　Apodictical
Principle　out　on　a　lark；　and　no　one　can　tell　it　from　that。　　The　finish
was　reached　at　last；　the　evolutions　were　complete；　and　a　fine　success；
but　I　think　that　this　result　could　have　been　achieved　with　fewer
materials。　　I　believe　the　mash　was　necessary　to　the　conversion　of　the
stomach…ache　into　the　botts；　but　I　think　one　could　develop　the　blind
staggers　out　of　the　literature　by　itself；　also；　that　blind　staggers
produced　in　this　way　would　be　of　a　better　quality　and　more　lasting　than
any　produced　by　the　artificial　processes　of　the　horse…doctor。

For　of　all　the　strange　and　frantic　and　incomprehensible　and
uninterpretable　books　which　the　imagination　of　man　has　created；　surely
this　one　is　the　prize　sample。　　It　is　written　with　a　limitless　confidence
and　complacency；　and　with　a　dash　and　stir　and　earnestness　which　often
compel　the　effects　of　eloquence；　even　when　the　words　do　not　seem　to　have
any　traceable　meaning。　　There　are　plenty　of　people　who　imagine　they
understand　the　book；　I　know　this；　for　I　have　talked　with　them；　but　in　all
cases　they　were　people　who　also　imagined　that　there　were　no　such　things
as　pain；　sickness；　and　death；　and　no　realities　in　the　world；　nothing
actually　existent　but　Mind。　　It　seems　to　me　to　modify　the　value　of　their
testimony。　　When　these　people　talk　about　Christian　Science　they　do　as
Mrs。　Fuller　did：　they　do　not　use　their　own　language；　but　the　book's；　they
pour　out　the　book's　showy　incoherences；　and　leave　you　to　find　out　later
that　they　were　not　originating；　but　merely　quoting；　they　seem　to　know　the
volume　by　heart；　and　to　revere　it　as　they　would　a　Bible　another　Bible；
perhaps　I　ought　to　say。　　Plainly　the　book　was　written　under　the　mental
desolations　of　the　Third　Degree；　and　I　feel　sure　that　none　but　the
membership　of　that　Degree　can　discover　meanings　in　it。　　When　you　read　it
you　seem　to　be　listening　to　a　lively　and　aggressive　and　oracular　speech
delivered　in　an　unknown　tongue；　a　speech　whose　spirit　you　get　but　not　the
particulars；　or；　to　change　the　figure；　you　seem　to　be　listening　to　a
vigorous　instr