● ● ● believing a lost paradise restored in “the green bower of home” while I, unlike his “Satanic Majesty,” gaze only to admire and approve. . . . I again sought my materials for a conversation with you; when who should present themselves as the sure precursorer of my letter’s fate, but the marvelous James Smith! Your crazy correspondent was correct, so far as pretensions warrant; he professes to have religion, and so far succeeded in exhausting that interesting and exalted subject, I grew weary and retired. The next morning (Sabbath) a long series of meetings commenced at the Methodist Church, and continued five weeks held alternately at both societies. . . . But dear Augusta, the meetings were so very interesting, and every day brought with it some extra labor (the constant arival of friends or connexions,) . . . almost all of your acquaintances are now rejoicing in the hope set before them of higher aims and nobler joys. The sceptic’s scoff, and the ribaldry of the multitude is scarcely left among us.120
Among the converts were her sister Abigail and “Mr. Bartlett.” Although she feared for some, she rejoiced with many “whom I doubt not possess the ‘pearl’ which is priceless.” A brief “Hymeneal” was added as a postscript: “J. Tilton married—S. Bartlette is soon to be married to Electa Curry (second choice).”121
In July, 1843, she took a week’s trip to the White Mountains with her brother George. Always a lover of mountain scenery, she entered her rhapsodies in a journal and also wrote a poem, “Old Man of the Mountain,” which was to become one of her most popular verses.122 At Littleton she parted from George and took the stagecoach to Haverhill to visit Augusta. Two days later she reported in a letter to her brother that she had been the only passenger in the stagecoach “and such a sky-rocket adventure I never had; some times I really thought I was at ● ● ●
120 Mary Baker to Augusta Holmes Swasey, 24 February 1843, L02682, MBEL. Although James Smith bored her with his piety on this occasion, she later came to value his earnestness and integrity, and in her autograph album she wrote under his contribution that he was “one of the best friends I ever had” [Mary Baker, autograph album, 1846–1869, 2000.01.12, p. 23, MBEL]. However, she apparently rejected him as a suitor. See Lyman P. Powell, Mary Baker Eddy: A Life Size Portrait (Boston: Christian Science Publishing Society, 1950), p. 285n26.
121 [Mary Baker to Augusta Holmes Swasey, 24 February 1843, L02682, MBEL.]
122 [Mary Baker, “Old Man of the Mountain,” poem, A09001, pp. 15–16, MBEL.]