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made for thirty…five or forty cents in large editions is put at three
dollars because the publisher has to pay author； middleman； and
advertising； and if the price were much below three the profit accruing
would not pay him fairly for his time and labor。 At the same time； if he
could get ten dollars for the book he would take it； and his morals would
not fall under criticism。
But if he were an inspired person commissioned by the Deity to receive
and print and spread broadcast among sorrowing and suffering and poor men
a precious message of healing and cheer and salvation； he would have to
do as Bible Societies dosell the book at a pinched margin above cost to
such as could pay； and give it free to all that couldn't； and his name
would be praised。 But if he sold it at seven hundred per cent。 profit
and put the money in his pocket； his name would be mocked and derided。
Just as Mrs。 Eddy's is。 And most justifiably； as it seems to me。
The complete Bible contains one million words。 The New Testament by
itself contains two hundred and forty thousand words。
My '84 edition of Science and Health contains one hundred and twenty
thousand words just half as many as the New Testament。
Science and Health has since been so inflated by later inspirations that
the 1902 edition contains one hundred and eighty thousand wordsnot
counting the thirty thousand at the back； devoted by Mrs。 Eddy to
advertising the book's healing abilitiesand the inspiring continues
right along。
If you have a book whose market is so sure and so great that you can give
a printer an everlasting order for thirty or forty or fifty thousand
copies a year he will furnish them at a cheap rate； because whenever
there is a slack time in his press…room and bindery he can fill the idle
intervals on your book and be making something instead of losing。 That
is the kind of contract that can be let on Science and Health every year。
I am obliged to doubt that the three…dollar Science and Health costs Mrs。
Eddy above fifteen cents； or that the six dollar copy costs her above
eighty cents。 I feel quite sure that the average profit to her on these
books； above cost of manufacture； is all of seven hundred per cent。
Every proper Christian Scientist has to buy and own （and canvass for）
Science and Health （one hundred and eighty thousand words）； and he must
also own a Bible （one million words）。 He can buy the one for from three
to six dollars； and the other for fifteen cents。 Or； if three dollars is
all the money he has； he can get his Bible for nothing。 When the Supreme
Being disseminates a saving Message through uninspired agentsthe New
Testament； for instance it can be done for five cents a copy； but when
He sends one containing only two…thirds as many words through the shop of
a Divine Personage； it costs sixty times as much。 I think that in
matters of such importance it is bad economy to employ a wild…cat agency。
Here are some figures which are perfectly authentic； and which seem to
justify my opinion。
〃These ＇Bible＇ societies； inspired only by a sense of religious duty； are
issuing the Bible at a price so small that they have made it the cheapest
book printed。 For example； the American Bible Society offers an edition
of the whole Bible as low as fifteen cents and the New Testament at five
cents； and the British Society at sixpence and one penny； respectively。
These low prices； made possible by their policy of selling the books at
cost or below cost；〃 etc。New York Sun； February 25； 1903。
CHAPTER IX
We may now make a final footing…up of Mrs。 Eddy； and see what she is； in
the fulness of her powers。 She is
The Massachusetts Metaphysical College
Pastor Emeritus；
President；
Board of Directors；
Board of Education；
Board of Lectureships；
Future Board of Trustees；
Proprietor of the Publishing…House and Periodicals；
Treasurer；
Clerk；
Proprietor of the Teachers；
Proprietor of the Lecturers；
Proprietor of the Missionaries；
Proprietor of the Readers；
Dictator of the Services； sole Voice of the Pulpit；
Proprietor of the Sanhedrin；
Sole Proprietor of the Creed。 （Copyrighted。）；
Indisputable Autocrat of the Branch Churches； with their life and death
in her hands；
Sole Thinker for The First Church （and the others）；
Sole and Infallible Expounder of Doctrine； in life and in death；
Sole permissible Discoverer； Denouncer； Judge； and Executioner of
Ostensible Hypnotists；
Fifty…handed God of Excommunicationwith a thunderbolt in every hand；
Appointer and Installer of the Pastor of all the Churchesthe Perpetual
Pastor…Universal； Science and Health； 〃the Comforter。〃
CHAPTER X
There she stands…painted by herself。 No witness but herself has been
allowed to testify。 She stands there painted by her acts； and decorated
by her words。 When she talks； she has only a decorative value as a
witness； either for or against herself； for she deals mainly in
unsupported assertion； and in the rare cases where she puts forward a
verifiable fact she gets out of it a meaning which it refuses to furnish
to anybody else。 Also； when she talks； she is unstable； she wanders； she
is incurably inconsistent； what she says to…day she contradicts tomorrow。
But her acts are consistent。 They are always faithful to her； they never
misinterpret her； they are a mirror which always reflects her exactly；
precisely； minutely； unerringly； and always the same； to date； with only
those progressive little natural changes in stature； dress； complexion；
mood； and carriage that markexteriorlythe march of the years and
record the accumulations of experience； while interiorlythrough all
this steady drift of evolution the one essential detail； the commanding
detail； the master detail of the make…up remains as it was in the
beginning； suffers no change and can suffer none； the basis of the
character； the temperament； the disposition； that indestructible iron
framework upon which the character is built； and whose shape it must
take； and keep； throughout life。 We call it a person's nature。
The man who is born stingy can be taught to give liberallywith his
hands； but not with his heart。 The man born kind and compassionate can
have that disposition crushed down out of sight by embittering
experience； but if it were an organ the post…mortem would find it still
in his corpse。 The man born ambitious of power and glory may live long
without finding it out； but when the opportunity comes he will know； will
strike for the largest thing within the limit of his chances at the time…
constable； perhapsand will be glad and proud when he gets it； and will
write home about it。 But he will not stop with that start； his appetite
will come again； and by…and…by again； and yet again； and when he has
climbed to police commissioner it will at last begin to dawn upon him
that what his Napoleon soul wants and was born for is something away
higher uphe does not quite know what； but Circumstance and Opportunity
will indicate the direction and he will cut a road through and find out。
I think Mrs。 Eddy was born with a far…seeing business…eye； but did not
know it； and with a great organizing and executive talent； and did not
know it； and with a large appetite for power and distinction； and did not
know it。 I think the reason that her make did not show up until middle
life was that she had General Grant's luck Circumstance and Opportunity
did not come her way when she was younger。 The qualities that were born
in her had to wait for circumstance and opportunitybut they were there：
they were there to stay； whether they ever got a chance to fructify or
not。 If they had come early； they would have found her ready and
competent。 And theynot shewould have determined what they would set
her at and what they would make of her。 If they had elected to
commission her as second…assistant cook in a bankrupt boarding…house；
I know the rest of itI know what would have happened。 She would have
owned the boarding…house within six months； she would have had the late
proprietor on salary and humping himself； as the worldly say； she would
have had that boarding…house spewing money like a mint； she would have
worked the servants and the late landlord up to the limit； she would have
squeezed the boarders till they wailed； and by some mysterious quality
born in her she would have kept the affections of certain of the lot
whose love and esteem she valued； and flung the others down the back
area； in two years she would own all the boarding…houses in the town； in
five all the boarding…houses in the State； in twenty all the hotels in
America； in forty all the hotels on the planet； and would sit at home
with her finger on a button and govern the whole combination as easily as
a bench…manager governs a dog…show。
It would be a grand thing to see； and I feel a kind of disappointment
but never mind； a religion is better and larger； and there is more to it。
And I have not been steeping myself in Christian Science all these weeks
without finding out that the one sensible thing to do with a
disappointment is to put it out of your mind and think of something
cheerfuler。
We outsiders cannot conceive of Mrs。 Eddy's Christ