Quarter!yJVews VOL. 28, NO.2 PUBLISHED BY LONG YEAR MUSEUM AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY SUMMER 1991 CAROL NORTON "Because he represented a noble type of true manhood he was keenly appreciative of the advancing idea of true womanhood, and ever held in the highest reverence our beloved Leader. ... " From a tribute to Norton in The Christian Science Journal, May 1904 Carol Norton On the afternoon of December 18, Norton, spoke extemporaneously for and that he handled his subject "in a 1898, an unassuming but earnest over an hour and a half, and "held the masterly manner. " 3 young man, still in his twenties, close attention of his vast audience .... Norton's lecture was presented at addressed an audience of over 3,000 He declared that the philosophy of a time when Christian Science was people at Carnegie Hall in New York Christian Science would stand the test being viciously attacked by the press, City on the subject of Christian Sci­ of time; that it proved its accuracy and this was no doubt the reason that ence. Prominent clergymen were in by its results, and demonstrated its all but one New York newspaper attendance, and a physician of the divinity from the Bible .... " 1 ignored the event in their columns. allopathic and homeopathic schools We cannot know how the distin­ Just six months later, however, it'was was seated on the platform. The only guished audience responded to such a different story. Norton's appearance New York newspaper that reported the statements as: "The restored Church of at the Metropolitan Opera House on event stated that the lecturer, Carol Christ on earth is rising in our midst''; May 28, 1899 was reported by every and '' ... since the days of the Pales­ major newspaper in the city. The New tine Healer and Reformer nobody in York Mail and Express printed the Quarterly News Summer 1991 Christendom or in any other reli­ lecture in full. The Herald, the World, "Longyear Foundation 1991 Vol. 28, No.2 gious world, has gone to the supreme the Times, the Sun, the Tribune, the end of pure Monotheism except Mrs. Daily News, all provided thorough Sent without charge to 2 Members of Longyear Eddy. " But we do know that the lec­ coverage, and most of them under­ turer was "enthusiastically received," scored what must have been a most 423 dramatic moment during the course of of Samuel Longfellow, the author of the lecture: Norton asked all in the many sacred hymns. NEW YORK CITY audience to stand who had been After the loss of his parents, Carol healed in Christian Science. It was lived with an uncle and aunt in New CHRISTIAN SCIENCE INSTITUTE. reported that of the 3,000 people in York City. Completing his formal edu­ attendance, about one-third rose, and cation at fifteen, he entered the busi­ were acknowledged by "a great out­ ness world. Though successful, his 96 FIFTH AVENUE, RooMa 5, 8, 7, a, burst of applause. " 4 The Maj] and heart was still fervently committed to OF"F"ICE, ROOM 1. Express noted: " ... the address of Mr. theological concerns. He never aban­ Norton was such in text and temper doned the strong moral teaching of his CLASSES FORMED MONTHLY. that no honest truth-seeker, be he faith, and his commitment to church friendly or hostile, will care to ignore work and love for humanity led him to For further Information apply to it. ... Mr. Norton has certainly made help meet the spiritual needs of the the strongest presentation of the phi­ young men in his home town. Carol Rev. AUGUSTA E. STETSON, C.S.D., PRINCIPAL. losophy and method of Christian Sci­ spent long hours studying religious CAROL NORTON, C.S., ence that has thus far come to public works in his search for truth. Though A&SISTANT notice. " 5 unsatisfied, he never questioned God's Carol Norton had been appointed by existence or yielded to cynicism. There SCIENCE and HEALTH, by Rev. Mary B. G. Eddy, Mary Baker Eddy to the newly-formed must be, he felt, a divine solution to ilnd all other writinra of the Author, alao all publi· cations or the Christian ScleDce Publlahlnr Society Christian Science Board of Lecture­ life's problems. on a:l.le. ship a year and a half earlier. He had After wrestling with a longstand­ endeared himself to her through his ing physical difficulty which medical gentle, loving nature, strong moral treatment failed to cure, he turned to Page from leaflet published by the character, writing and speaking ability, Christian Science. The first treatment precursor of First Church of Christ, and appreciation of womanhood.l\1rs. healed him. He writes: "I could hardly Scientist, New York City, c. 1891 Eddy was not the only one who found realize it; ... Life to me now had a new Carol to be an exceptional young man. meaning. I was fairly drunk with the the demands of impersonal Christian During his brief lifetime, many felt his new wine of spiritual Illumination. Science upon me at this hour.... [It] influence for good. The revelation was indescribable. " 7 has of course meant much prayer and Born and raised a Unitarian in His eager delving into the theology of fasting, demonstration and prayerful Eastport, Maine, Carol early lost both Christian Science settled for him the thought, and I feel to-day a deeper his parents. As a result, his faith in troubling questions about God's nature loyalty than ever to the cause of God was sorely tested, particularly for which he had long sought satisfy­ Christian Science, its Leader, the Rev. after his father's passing. He writes ing answers. He gave up his business Mary Baker G. Eddy, and the Church of this experience: "My beloved career, and in the words of a lifelong of Christ, Scientist, ... feeling that father became ill, and gradually grew friend, "he renounced the comforts impersonality, liberalism, individual worse .... All this time, with the trust and ease of prosperity for the limita­ spiritual freedom, divine democracy of boyhood, I prayed that he might be tion and privation of a reformer. He ... and equality, consistent compassion­ spared to us. There seemed no good began at the humblest phase of the ate love, purity and chastity of thought reason why, just at a time when his work he could find as a helper in one and unity born of divine love are the young son most needed him, he should of the Christian Science churches. " 8 cardinal and vital demands of Chris­ be taken; but, one evening after I had That church was the precursor of tian Science in this hour.' '11 climbed down out of his loving arms, First Church of Christ, Scientist, New In 1898 Carol was invited to attend he slipped away from his loved ones, York City. At the time Carol united what was to be Mrs. Eddy's last class, and I awoke to two awful facts. I was with it, Augusta Stetson was pastor held in Concord, New Hampshire, fatherless; and, God had not answered of the church, as well as principal of after which he was given the degree of my prayers .... Had God deserted me? the New York City Christian Science C.S.D. Another member of the class, To my regret, my religion threw no Institute. Carol's name first appeared Sue Harper Mims, described her fellow light on the question as to why this in The ChrisUan Science Journal of students: "There were lawyers, phy­ great sorrow should enter my young February 1891 as assistant to Mrs. sicians, judges, businessmen and, life. " 6 Throughout this experience, Stetson. Recognizing his talent and what was to me the most beautiful however, Carol felt that somehow good ability, she gave him opportunities to of all, several young men of twenty would triumph over evil, and this preach, lecture, and aid in the pro­ to twenty-five years of age, who had hope, he later saw, was "the voice of motion of Christian Science. She even given up every kind of business occu­ the impersonal Christ." went so far as to seriously consider pation just to become Christian Sci­ Although Unitarianism failed to adopting him.9 entists .... The sweetest thing to me answer his heart-yearnings, he was Mrs. Eddy, however, foresaw prob­ was to see those young men - just befriended by a minister of that lems arising from Mrs. Stetson's hold leaving all for Christ.' '12 Carol Norton denomination, with whom he walked on her young prote§e, and warned him was no doubt one of those young men "hand in hand the rocky road of the­ of her influence.1 Carol ultimately whose commitment to Christian Sci­ ology." Other Unitarian thinkers had severed his connection with her as ence so touched Mrs. Mims' heart. a profound effect on Carol as well. assistant teacher and as Second Reader In January 1898, Carol-at the age Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and his of the church. In a letter explaining his of 2 7 - began his work as one of the brother Samuel were cousins of Carol's action, he wrote: "This step is essen­ first five members of the Board of Lec­ mother. In particular, Carol drank in tially one of individual conviction and tureship. His early lecture engage­ the spirituality inherent in the poems represents my own interpretation of ments kept him for the most part in the 424 middle Atlantic states and Ontario. thanksgiving to the eternal Good for Health: "The author of the Christian The individuals who introduced him the great good that has come to Science text-book takes no patients, were often prominent members of humanity through the career of this does not consult on disease, nor read 15 the community: physicians, editors, God-governed woman.