Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/323

Rh members were all the victims of mesmerism. The next day she made an effort to see in person several of the signers of the memorial, but they kept well within their doors and refused her admittance. Mr. Howard had been Mrs. Eddy's business representative; Mrs. Dunshee, Mrs. Newman, and Mrs. Stuart were all able and intelligent women, and their membership had been a source of great pride to Mrs. Eddy. Mrs. Rice and Miss Rawson had been her friends and followers for more than eleven years, and were the only ones of her early students who had been faithful until the founding of the Church. They had believed in her sincerely, and had served her, heart and soul. Because of Mrs. Rice's robust health, Mrs. Eddy liked to have her much about her. Mrs. Rice had been more successful than any other student in treating Mrs. Eddy in her illnesses, and a messenger from Broad Street often summoned her to Mrs. Eddy's side in the hours after midnight. When Mr. Eddy was arrested on the charge of conspiracy and thrown into jail, it was Mrs. Rice who persuaded her husband to furnish bail. On the morning after her resignation from the Church, Mrs. Rice saw Mrs. Eddy a moment from her window, but from that day to this she has never seen her again.

Instead of accepting the eight resignations, Mrs. Eddy notified the resigning members that they were liable to expulsion, and summoned them to meet the Church on October 29th. They did not appear, but at this meeting Mrs. F. A. Damon, at whose house the church services were formerly held, and Miss A. A. Draper, secretary of the Church, also resigned. In their letters of resignation they stated that they "could no longer entertain the subject of Mesmerism which had lately