Page:The Life of Mary Baker G. Eddy.djvu/489

Rh they joined in a spontaneously appropriate hymn of praise."

Mrs. Woodbury would not permit the child, who was called Prince for short, to address her husband as "father," but insisted that he address Mr. Woodbury as "Frank" and herself as "Birdie." The fact that he was a fine, healthy baby, and was never ill, seemed to Mrs. Woodbury's disciples conclusive evidence that he was the Divine principle of Christian Science made manifest in the flesh. It was their pleasure to bring gifts to Prince; to discover in his behaviour indications of his spiritual nature; and they professed to believe that when he grew to manhood he would enter upon his Divine ministry.

Six months before the birth of Prince, Mrs. Woodbury paid a visit to Mrs. Eddy, and she seems to imply that the venerable leader oracularly foretold the coming of her child. "In January," writes Mrs. Woodbury, "I enjoyed a visit with my ever-beloved Teacher, who gave comfort in these words, though at the moment they were not received in their deeper import: 'Go home and be happy. Commit thy ways unto the Lord. Trust him, and he will bring it to pass.' " This may have suggested to the faithful the visit of Mary to Elizabeth; but if there was any miracle-play of this sort in progress, Mrs. Eddy had certainly no intention of playing Elizabeth to Mrs. Woodbury's Mary. When word was brought her of the birth of Mrs. Woodbury's "little Immanuel," as he was often called, she was far from being convinced. "Child of light!" she exclaimed indignantly. "She knows it is an imp of Satan." In the libel suit which Mrs. Woodbury later brought against her Teacher, a letter to her from Mrs. Eddy was read in court,