Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/384

332 took hold of the book, and many passages of the work to-day remain practically in the form into which he put them.

For four years Mr. Wiggin was employed in the capacity of literary aid to Mrs. Eddy, doing editorial work upon the Journal, and assisting her in the composition and proof-reading of three successive editions of Science and Health. Mrs. Eddy paid him well, and, in addition to his salary, he got a deal of entertainment out of his connection with Christian Science. He even wrote an amusing pamphlet defending the new sect upon Biblical grounds. For Mr. Wiggin combined the qualities of a humourist and a theologian. He was a man of enormous bulk and stature and immense geniality. A slight hesitation in his gait, resulting from near-sightedness, sometimes caused his friends to liken him to Dr. Johnson. Extremely courtly and polished in manner, Mr. Wiggin was not only a scholar, but a man of fine tastes and of considerable critical ability. He was a musical critic of no mean order and an indefatigable concert-goer. He united a love of theology and theological disputations with an incongruous passion for the theatre. But, as it never occurred to Mr. Wiggin that there was anything unusual in delightedly pursuing the study of the drama and church history at the same time, so it seldom perplexed his friends or his fellow-clergymen.

For years after he had given up active pastorate duties, he often supplied the pulpit of some other minister, and occasionally went back to one of his old parishes to preach, lecture, or deliver a funeral sermon. His friendships with many of his old parishioners continued until his death, and the most cordial