Its appearance is shown in the pictures we are permitted to publish. In the
belfry is a set of tubular chimes. Inside is a basement room, capable of
division into seven excellent class-rooms, by the use of movable
partitions. The main auditorium has wide galleries, and will seat over a
thousand in its exceedingly comfortable pews. Scarcely any woodwork is to
be found. The floors are all mosaic, the steps marble, and the walls stone.
It is rather dark, often too much so for comfortable reading, as all the
windows are of colored glass, with pictures symbolic of the tenets of the
organization. In the ceiling is a beautiful sunburst window. Adjoining the
chancel is a pastor's study; but for an indefinite time their prime
instructor has ordained that the only pastor shall be the Bible, with her
book, called "Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures." In the tower
is a room devoted to her, and called "Mother's Room," furnished with all
conveniences for living, should she wish to make it a home by day or night.
Therein is a portrait of her in stained glass; and an electric light,
behind an antique lamp, kept perpetually burning[E] in her honor; though
she has not yet visited her temple, which was dedicated on New Year's
Sunday in a somewhat novel way.
There was no special sentence or prayer of consecration, but continuous
services were held from nine to four o'clock, every hour and a half, so
long as there were attendants; and some people heard these exercises four
times repeated. The printed program was for some reason not followed,
certain hymns and psalms being omitted. There was singing by a choir and
congregation. The _Pater Noster_ was repeated in the way peculiar to
Christian Scientists, the congregation repeating one sentence and the
leader responding with its parallel interpretation by Mrs. Eddy. Antiphonal
paragraphs were read from the book of Revelation and her work respectively.
The sermon, prepared by Mrs. Eddy, was well adapted for its purpose, and
read by a professional elocutionist, not an adherent of the order, Mrs.
Henrietta Clark Bemis, in a clear emphatic style. The solo singer, however,
was a Scientist, Miss Elsie Lincoln; and on the platform sat Joseph
Armstrong, formerly of Kansas, and now the business manager of the
Publishing Society, with the other members of the Christian Science Board
of Directors--Ira O. Knapp, Edward P. Bates, Stephen A. Chase,--gentlemen
officially connected with the movement. The children of believing families
collected the money for the Mother's Room, and seats were especially set
apart for them at the second dedicatory service. Before one service was
over and the auditors left by the rear doors, the front vestibule and
street (despite the snowstorm) were crowded with others, waiting for
admission.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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