Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/455

Rh church, her messages to the workers in the field continually urged them to organise churches. It would seem that what was hurtful to spirituality in Boston would be hurtful elsewhere; but the fact was that ever since the schism of 1888 Mrs. Eddy had been dissatisfied with her Boston church, and she had decided to take it to pieces and make it over. A plan was forming in her mind, and putting a stop to all the business transactions of the church gave her time to feel her way toward its accomplishment.

The Boston church was still homeless and held its meetings in public halls. In 1886 its members had purchased a lot on Falmouth Street—where the original Mother Church now stands—with the intention of erecting upon it a church building. They paid two thousand dollars down upon the date of purchase and assumed a mortgage for the balance due. By December, 1888, the church had paid $5,800 upon the property, and had reduced the mortgage to $4,963.50. Mrs. Eddy then stepped in and, through her lawyer, secured an assignment of the mortgage for the amount due upon it. Eight months later she foreclosed and bought in the property herself through her lawyer's brother.

In other words, Mrs. Eddy sold to herself the land upon