How lovely! There were not more than fifty thousand Christian Scientists at this time, but, if each chipped in five dollars toward Mother’s jackets, two hundred and fifty thousand dollars dropped into her lap.
I am only giving my interpretation of Mrs. Eddy’s strange request, when I say that clearly what she wanted was not tea jackets, but money to finance her very elaborate and expensive preparations to contest Mrs. Woodbury’s suits. She wanted money, she wanted it at once, and so she asked for it immediately. The request was made for a Christmas present, and it was made four days before Christmas.
My understanding that what Mrs. Eddy was after was money and not tea jackets, is confirmed by her own subsequent statement that she didn’t really want the garments after all. She gave her “Beloved” a whole week to decide how much the contribution should be and to make it. A minute was time enough, and she graciously gave them a whole week; and then she withdrew the request altogether.
On December 28, 1899, a week after the publication of the first “Card,” Mrs. Eddy published another, which is a perfect gem of characteristic ambiguity. It follows:
A Card.
Beloved: I accept most gratefully your purpose to clothe me, and when God has clothed you sufficiently, He will make it easy for you to clothe one of his little ones. Give yourselves no more trouble to get the three garments called for by me through last week’s Sentinel.
Mary Baker Eddy.
Pleasant View, Concord, N.H., Dec. 25, 1899.
Mother had asked for contributions for three tea jackets, and now accepts most gratefully the purpose of her “Beloved” to clothe her; and modestly puts it by. When God has clothed them sufficiently, He will make it easy for them to clothe one of His little ones. There speaks the oracle for you with true Delphic vagueness. “Give yourself no more trouble to get the garments called for by me through last week’s Sentinel.”
One thing, at least, is plain. She hadn’t called for jackets, but for contributions for jackets; and a week had been accorded her dear followers to contribute.
After everybody from whom a contribution could be expected, had sent it along, they are informed that the tea jackets were not wanted and that when God had sufficiently
clothed them, He would make it easy for them to clothe one of His little ones.
Mother concluded that the common-sense jackets were not necessary to her work and that she could sufficiently grace her drawing-room without the help of the Beloved; but it has not appeared that any of the solicited contributions were returned.