A Book a Day, week 10

BOOK SIXTYFOUR
"How to Use Your Senses - Magnifying the Five Loaves" by Ervin Seale, 1945.

Another book by Seale, this one is from a year prior than day 60's book.

The name "Pearl" is written at the top of the title page in pencil, and the Metaphysical Bookstore's name and address is stamped in ink on the bottom.

The booklet is a quick 28 pages and reads like a long sermon, applying the story of Jesus with the fish and loaves of bread to modern life. Seale talks a lot of the Bible being very applicable to today, arguing against those who think its use has been outgrown and is for a former age. This was 65 years ago.

BOOK SIXTYFIVE

"The Works of Edgar Allan Poe - The Cameo Edition - Volume Five" published by Funk & Wagnalls Company, 1904.

This book has both covers detached from the binding, and inside each cover "H.F. Garver" is written. I can only assume this is Henry Fusselman Garver, my great-great-grandfather, and the older brother of Carlton Martin Garver, the Mayor of Des Moines. I believe this is the first time I have come across his name written in any of the books, which now gives me a book from him, his brother Carlton, his wife Winnie, his daughter Jean, his granddaughter Juliette, his father George (whose cane I also have), his mother Barbara, his wife's mother Juliette Preston, and his grandfather, old Henry Fusselman.

I like being able to tie the family all together here.

I also particularly like how the one book of H.F. Garver's that I have here is an extreme detour from the usual religious theme that his daughter's book collection took. Can I infer that H.F. had a more morbid sense of character than the rest of the family? Or, not having any other books of his, is this just not enough information to drawn conclusions?

I think I will speculate just as I would prefer to anyways.

I love Poe and with Halloween being only ten days away, I am very tempted to read as much of this book as I can before the month ends.

Whether or not the deteriorating state of the book deters me remains to be seen...

BOOK SIXTYSIX

"Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, 1851 - this publishing, 1948.

One of the great English-language novels, this book is marked up thoroughly with notes and underlined passages. Since there is no name written in the book, I will go through other books and try to match the handwriting, but the script is not cursive as my great-grandmother always wrote, so judging by the date of the book I am hoping to match it to either my grandmother or grandfather.

Since my grandfather tended to put his address labels inside all his book and I haven't seen his handwriting in any of them yet, I'm not expecting to find a match with him. So, my grandmother is the primary suspect here, although a novel like this doesn't particularly go with the theme of her usual readings...


BOOK SIXTYSEVEN

"The Mother of Jesus in the New Testament" by John McHugh, 1975.

On the first page, someone wrote "Prop of Angie A-----". I cannot make out the last name, but judging by the paperclip bookmark binding the first few pages of the introduction, it looks like my grandmother had her hands on this book after Angie.

The book itself is dedicated "To my Mother and Father" which is also where the paperclipped pages begin. No other pages have been marked in any other way.


BOOK SIXTYEIGHT

"Every-Day Dishes and Every-Day Work" by Mrs. E. E. Kellogg, 1896 - this publishing, 1900.

Full of recipes for all sorts of things from over a century ago, Ella Ervilla Kellogg's book also has a useful section titled "General Suggestions for Economical Housework.

There are three additions to the book - a recipe for chocolate cake, a menu from the Iowa Sanitarium for May 19th, and another recipe written inside a ripped open envelope addressed to Mrs. Barbara Garver. The stamp is a one-cent stamp featuring Ben Franklin.

The book was published by the Modern Medicine Publishing Company of Battle Creek, Michigan, where Ella's husband, John Harvey Kellogg, ran the Battle Creek Sanitarium.

I can't help but think of Corn Flakes and suddenly want to watch "The Road to Wellville".

On the top of the cover is written "Mrs. H.F. Garver" with a Des Moines address that I have seen a few times before. In addition to book 22, this is the 2nd book with my great-great-grandmother's name in it, although that time she used her actual name, instead of her husband's.

BOOK SIXTYNINE

"What Will We Eat Today? Pressure Cookery for Every Meal" by Ruth Berolzheimer, 1949.

This recipe book is a companion for the Ekconomic Pressure Cooker, made by the Ekco Products Company in the late 40's. The book itself was published by the Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago while Berolzheimer was the director of the institute, but clearly it was an Ekco project.

One page before the introduction by Berolzheimer, praising the modern wonders of pressure cookery, there is an endorsement by "internationally known singer and commentator" Kate Smith.

While her expertise in the kitchen is debatable, Smith's professional career as a singer is full of fascinating moments. An inductee in the Radio Hall of Fame in 1999, she was known for many songs, among them the controversial top twenty song of 1931, "That's Why Darkies Were Born".

Often played during the 7th inning stretch at Yankee games, her version of "God Bless America" has also been a part of the Philadelphia Flyers' history since 1969 and is perceived to bring good luck to the team when played at home games.

Three bookmarks are inside the pages of the book. One being an ornate paper napkin, the other 2 are recipes. The one used in today's shot is for "pecan pie or pudding".

BOOK SEVENTY

"The Reappearance of the Christ and the Masters of Wisdom" by Benjamin Creme, 1980.

My grandmother's address label is inside the front cover and she put three paperclip bookmarks into this one. Also, there is a newsletter from the "There is a Way" television ministry dated October 1985. I haven't seen Dale Batesole's smiling face since book #28.

Tucked into the same page as the newsletter is a thin sheet of paper courtesy of Sharyn Gailey from the Caldwell Real Estate Company in Whittier, CA. The lined sheet is filled out and has the header "Dream - Feb 9, 1987".

My grandmother's handwriting is very difficult to read, but I am very interested in deciphering as much of this as I can. I had no idea that she wrote down her dreams and I am excited to learn about them.

Another bookmark is a proper bookmark from W.D. Nelson, Bookseller, at 4226 Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach. I wonder if the Pacific Ocean is offended when it can see a street named after the Atlantic, or merely annoyed.

A few pages further in, there is a prayer notecard from the Unity School of Christianity. My grandmother double underlined the first two lines of the prayer.

A white button tied to a length of dental floss serves as another bookmark.

The final treasure is a newspaper clipping from Whittier's "The Daily News", February 10th, 1982. It is an article about the author, Benjamin Creme, and his predicting of the Second Coming of Christ.

Creme claims "the savior figure is alive, walking the Earth" already and adds "I'm too lazy to take this much trouble to hoax anyone."

A Book a Day, week 9

BOOK FIFTYSEVEN

"Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare, c. 1599 - this publishing, 1889.

This is the 3rd edition of the play by Harper & Brothers Publishing, also known for Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Harper's Weekly, and Harper's Bazaar. The company is known as HarperCollins today.

My great-great-grandmother, Winifred, wrote her name inside the front cover, dated May 8th, 1890. She also wrote in some notes on Caesar inside the back cover. Between pages 162 and 163 is a folded up sheet with further historical notes in her handwriting.

The only information we have on Winifred so far is that her mother's name was Juliette Preston and her father was Colonel York. Something tells me that tracking down military info on a Colonel York from the 1860s is going to be next to impossible.

But I already have a lead...

UPDATE - A FEW HOURS LATER: Since this morning's post, I have traced back Winifred's side and went back to Thomas Minor, who was born in Chew Magna, Somersett, England in 1608. I've never wanted to go to a place named Chew Magna as much as I do right now. I also found out that my mother's mother's mother's mother's father's mother was born in Toronto. So, that makes me Canadian, too.

BOOK FIFTYEIGHT

"The Hidden Power" by Thomas Troward, 1921 - this 11th edition, 1947.

Along with Troward's other book in the collection (day 47), this book has my great-grandmother's name in it also dated September, 1948.

Between pages 106 and 107 is a card with some watercolor-esque art on it, with very little color. It appears to be of a large tree and three people - one walking and two riding a horse (or donkey, perhaps?) and all three with halos. As subtle as the image is, my mind is immediately drawn to Joseph, Mary and an infant Jesus.

Many pages have been earmarked and written in, with some notes added in the edges of the pages. On page 50, my great-grandmother wrote: "facts change - Truth never changes."

BOOK FIFTYNINE

"Spiritual Letters on the Practice of Self-Abandonment to Divine Providence" by Jean Pierre de Caussade - this publishing, 1948.

De Caussade was a French Jesuit priest who lived from 1675 to 1751. Although the tattered dust jacket on this book reads "J.P" for Jean Pierre, the title page reads "P.J." which gives me concern for the rest of the book's translation by Algar Thorold, if the original author's name was twice (2 title pages) written incorrectly.

My grandfather's address sticker is inside the front cover.

BOOK SIXTY

"The Great Prayer" by Ervin Seale, 1946.

My grandmother wrote her name on a sticker on the first page, and there is an ink stamp for the Institute of Religious Science at 177 Post Street underneath that.

There is a small bookmark on page 41 of "Our Lady of Sorrows" with the message "Pray for us!" Underneath that, it reads: "Remembrance of the Happy Days I spent at Sacred Heart Retreat House, Alhambra, Cal." There is a copyright date of 1936.

Many pages are marked up with notes and passages underlines.

I am still smiling every time I see my grandmother's use of a paperclip for a bookmark in all of these books. This one has four.

BOOK SIXTYONE

"Monarch Notes and Study Guides - Chaucer's Canterbury Tales" by Joseph E. Grennen, 1964.

Apparently a competitor to Cliffs Notes, Monarch Press seems to now be defunct.

Very few pages are written on, and there are no names written inside the covers, but I am assuming this to be my grandmother's book, taking the indication from the paperclip bookmark.

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In other news, yesterday proved to be quite exciting. While cleaning up my parents' storage unit, we found an old red crate filled with framed photos of relatives and a hefty stack of papers from my great-aunt Bayne's genealogy research from 1971, using Daughters of the American Revolution resources.

I haven't dissected the crate yet, but a quick thumbing through the paperwork shows a ton of family connections - many of which my sister and I have made on our own in the past few months, but seemingly a few that we had missed.

There are other treasures in there as well, such as sheet music for a song titled "Sitting on the Door-Step" with lyrics written by Barbara R. Garver, 5 pages titled "Americans of Royal Descent", copies of old letters and newspaper clippings, a photocopy of an envelope addressed to Barbara from 1879, and even a copy of the diary kept by Barbara of her trip from Des Moines to Philadelphia for the Centennial Exhibition of 1876.

On one page I landed upon, there is mention of Ella Garver Pitcairn, a name that came up in book 16, but without the "Garver". Looks like she is family, after all!

Some excerpts from letters written by Ella mention the name Garver coming from Switzerland (a connection I had already made), but that the name was originally Gerber, later changed to Garber and Garver generations later. I suddenly want to watch the scene from The Godfather II where young Vito has his name changed for him on Ellis Island.

Somewhere in this stack of papers, I am most hoping for some clues on the story of the two Garver brothers, one of which stealing the other's money and possibly losing it in the stock market crash of 1929, while keeping onto his own wealth. Also, I'm expecting to finally make the official connection to the Mayor Garver of Des Moines from 1922-1926.

Also, I found a poem written by a friend of Bayne's in 1976 after he, Bayne and Marian (Bill) visited the cemetery in Newville, Indiana where family is buried. The same cemetery was visited and written about by Barbara on her trip 100 years prior. I'm going to be 99 years old in 2076, so I'm not so sure I'll be able to make the next trip.

Update 10-19-10: A few more tidbits on Bill, coming from my own memory of her and a few passages I found in these papers. Bayne and Bill were sisters. They had an older brother named George Carlton Garver. Although when Bill, the youngest, was born, she was named properly named Winifred Marian Garver, their grandfather, George Garver, came over to the house to ask the children about the new baby. The family was in the dining room having breakfast, and he asked the two children, "What shall we call the baby? Shall we name the baby 'Billie'?" They agreed, and from then on she was called "Billie". This was in 1905.

BOOK SIXTYTWO

"The Quiet Way" by Gerhard Tersteegen - translated by Emily Chisholm, 1950.

Tersteegen was a German religious writer who lived from 1697 to 1769. This book is composed of sections of letters he had written. It is primarily single sentences or small paragraphs - quick spiritual messages or small sermons, mostly.

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Here is my great-aunt's cover letter for the stack of papers, dated 1971. There are some updates since then (such as the info on her and her sister going to Newville, Indiana in 1976 as well as a penciled in date of death for her younger sister, Billie), but clearly in 1971 she was family-minded, although there is no mention of whom this could be for. Herself? Generations to follow? There is no way to say, but I hope I use it as well as she could have hoped me to, and I will certainly pass it on to future generations, possibly adding my own work (and stories of my generation) to the collection.

Bayne and Bill were two of a very few of my extended family that I have met. My mother tells me that the sisters were quite the society girls of Des Moines, back in the day. I believe my sister phrased it as "the Iowa versions of Paris and Nicky in the 1920s."

Although they are both deceased now, and I was quite young on the few occasions when I did meet them, I do remember visiting some fancy place near the La Brea tar pits that was filled with antique furniture and I was not allowed to touch anything. Rightly so.

BOOK SIXTYTHREE

"The Magic Nuts" by Mary Louisa Molesworth, 1899.

The book is credited as simply "Mrs. Molesworth" as were all her children's stories, although her first two novels were for adults and written under the pseudonym of "Ennis Graham."

"Mary Louisa Molesworth typified late Victorian writing for girls. Aimed at girls too old for fairies and princesses but too young for Austen and the Brontës, books by Molesworth had their share of amusement, but they also had a good deal of moral instruction. The girls reading Molesworth would grow up to be mothers; thus, the books emphasized Victorian notions of duty and self-sacrifice.

Typical of the time, her young child characters often use a lisping style, and words may be mis-spelt to represent children's speech—'jography' for geography, for instance." (taken from wikipedia)

The inscription reads "Jean, from Auntie May, Xmas 1900"

My great-grandmother Jean would have been 8 years old that Christmas, but I cannot find any record of her having an aunt named May, even though I believe I finally have all the family tree connections in my possession on that branch now.

Still, it is rather tedious going through name after name when so many of these relatives from the 1800s had upwards of 12 children (who, in turn, would have their own armies of offspring). So many names...

A Book a Day, week 8

BOOK FIFTY

"Keep a True Lent" by Charles Sherlock Fillmore, c.1953.

There is no publishing date in the book, and sources online don't give much info, either. The best date I can find is 1953...although Fillmore died in 1948. This book could easily be 57 years old, though.

When he was ten, Charles broke his hip in an ice-skating accident that left him permanently injured. He married his wife, Myrtle, in 1881, who suffered from tuberculosis as a child and was never expected to live.

In the early 1880s, he established a real estate business with the brother-in-law of Nona Lovell Brooks, the founder the Church of Divine Science in 1899.

In 1886, the Fillmores attended New Thought classes and soon began to both heal from their childhood afflictions and injuries, both attributing their recoveries to prayer and the new philosophies that they had begun to study.

Charles and Myrtle founded Unity Church in 1889, the name coming from Charles' prayer group named "Silent Unity" and out of a legal dispute over Mary Baker Eddy's use of "Christian Science."

Two years later, Charlies published his first magazine, titled "Unity" which would feature H. Emilie Cady's articles "Lessons in Truth", which would later be published into a book themselves and become the core text of the church (see yesterday's book).

Unity now has over 2 million followers and its headquarters is now "Unity Village" in Jackson County, Missouri, population 140 in 2000.

I am fascinated that all these people knew each other and split off into their own branches of the New Thought movement.

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Inside the book is an address label of my grandmother's as well as a handful of bookmarks, once again.

The first bookmark is a medical appointment card from the Friendly Hills Medical Group on Almahurst, City of Industry. Her appointment was at 11am on Tuesday, December 13. Within the last few decades of my grandmother's life, December 13th fell on a Tuesday in 1966, 1977, 1983, and 1988. I don't think the card is older than 1983, though.

The second bookmark is a yellow business card for Sotero Fernandez Tree Care, still in business.

The third bookmark is a hand-painted bookmark depicting a sailboat race on one side and a tree-lined beach on the other. It reads "Palm Park, Santa Barbara" on the beach side.

The fourth bookmark is a green Unity pamphlet titled "Spiritual Communion Service".

The fifth bookmark is a paperclip gripping the side of page 107/108.

The sixth bookmark is a valentine card with Chip and Dale Chipmunk and one of the Three Little Pigs having a cupcake picnic. On the back: "Love, Jim, Jan, Susie + Lisa" - my uncle, aunt and cousins. The pig is the smarter one who build his house from bricks - he's wearing overalls.

The seventh bookmark is another paperclip on the top of the last page, before the index. The metal on both paperclips has stained the touching pages.

Tucked into the index is a typed sheet, folded twice to fit inside the book. "Affirmations from MAY ROLAND'S personal notebook." It talks about being eternally young, giving thanks for having a perfect weight, not overeating, being new and fresh every morning, rejuvenating brain cells, being divine and how the mind constantly creates the youth pattern instead of the pattern of age. The number "135" was hand-written in for the perfect weight, but it was clearly changed from "145".

The final bookmark is just inside the back cover, and it is "The Unity Lenten Guide to be used with the book Keep a True Lent".

BOOK FIFTYONE

"The Kingship of Self-Control" by William George Jordan, 1899.

On the first page is a name that (as best as I can tell) reads "Belle C. Murdoch, Chicago 1918". The name is completely unfamiliar to me, but my grandfather was born in Chicago and grew up there.

In the early 1900s, William wrote a handful of religious and self help books. This is not his most famous one.

Chapters 2, 3 and 5 are titled: "The Crimes of the Tongue", "The Red Tape of Duty", and "Worry, The Great American Disease".

At 59 pages, the book is a quick read and a few passages from chapter 3 are marked in pencil, the final part of the chapter is as follows:

"The greatest triumph of the nineteenth century is not its marvellous progress in invention; its strides in education; its conquests of the dark regions of the world; the spread of a higher mental tone throughout the earth; the wondrous increase in material comfort and wealth, - the greatest triumph of the century is not any nor all of these; it is the sweet atmosphere of Peace that is covering the nations, it is the growing closer and closer of the peoples of the earth. Peace is but the breath, the perfume, the life of love. Love is the wondrous angel of life that rolls away all the stones of sorrow and suffering from the pathway of duty."

15 years later, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria would be assassinated, triggering The First World War.

BOOK FIFTYTWO

"Don't Worry Nuggets" by Jeanne G. Pennington, 1898.

Pennington compiled paragraphs from Epictetus, Emerson, George Eliot, and Robert Browning for this tiny book. She also published "Good Cheer Nuggets" and "Philosophical Nuggets".

Attached to the first page is a tiny note card reading:

"For Marcia, From 'Jennie.' Xmas 1898. Not because I think she needs 'Don't Worry Nuggets', but they may prove interesting at odd moments. Affectionately, Judith"

The names are not familiar.

I also found an ad for the book (and its series) in 'The Publishers' Weekly' from September 30th, 1899. The review reads: "Hardly a paragraph that does not bring a new sense of strength and comfort."

BOOK FIFTYTHREE

"Training for the Life of the Spirit - Pamphlet No. 2" by Gerald Heard, 1942.

There are 2 copies of this book, along with Pamphlet No. 1, which I will save for another day. One of the books is in perfect original condition, save for a stamp on the first page for the Metaphysical Bookstore at 177 Post St. The other book has the same stamp, of course, but is marked up something fierce with penciled-in notes, presumably Jean's.

Heard was a well-regarded British/Irish philosopher, but wrote this book 3 years after meeting Swami Prabhavananda, the founder of the Vedanta Society of Southern California. After his shift in thought, he was dismissed as a "mystic" by the press, although still respected as a brilliant man.

Another work by Heard is titled "Pain, Sex and Time".

BOOK FIFTYFOUR

"Divine Remedies - A Textbook on Christian Healing" by Theodosia DeWitt Schobert, 1945.

A revised edition of day 43's book, this one has yet another sticker from the Metaphysical Bookstore at 177 Post Street.

Between pages 14 and 15 is an aged business reply card for Lawrence G. Newhouse in Vista, California to order a copy of 'The Drama of Incarnation' by Flower A. Newhouse.

Flower and her husband Lawrence were Reverends who founded a 640 acre retreat in the hills north of San Diego during the early 1940s. They began their dream of providing a spiritual haven with the renovation of one small, abandoned, stone house. You can still receive inner guidance at 'Questhaven Retreat' today.

BOOK FIFTYFIVE

"The Dying Day" by Wlodzimierz Odojewski, 1959 - this English translation, 1964.

A novel by the Polish writer, his work "is characterized by an obsession with time, memory, and the inevitable coming of disaster and catastrophe." (taken from culture.pl) I'm already fascinated and wish I could read the original Polish text. Until I learn that language, this translation will have to do.

BOOK FIFTYSIX

"Miscellaneous Writings" by H. Emilie Cady, 1926.

Another work by Cady, this is also published by the Unity Church out of Kansas City.

On the first page, a few names are written: June Leland, J. M. L., and Mitele J. Leland. There are a handful of childlike scribbles on a few pages and I'm wondering if "Mitele" was a misspelled attempt at Michelle or Michael, as "Mitele" isn't in the most accomplished of cursive, whereas June's was.

Either way, none of the names are familiar to me.

Between pages 32 and 33 is a folded up "Practice Quiz on California Vehicle Code" issued by the Automobile Club of Southern California from September 1957. The page is aged brown and has stained pages 32 and 33.

All 60 questions are multiple choice (A, B, or C) and have a circled answer penciled in. Using the answer guide on the back of the pamphlet, I checked the subject's work and found that only one question was answered incorrectly, and one (a 3-part question on hand signals) was left unanswered.

Overall, I think this motorist is ready for the roads of 1957.

A Book a Day, week 7

BOOK FORTYTHREE

"Divine Remedies - A Textbook on Healing" by Theodosia DeWitt Schobert, 1926.

A fourth edition book published by the Unity Church in Kansas City, Missouri, there is a stamp on the title page from the Unity Truth Center in Des Moines, Iowa. The phone number was 4-8713. 5-digit phones numbers are a foreign concept to me.

There is a blue Unity Church bookmark at the beginning of the chapter "Healing of Headaches" and a small newspaper clipping between pages 34 and 35. It mentions my great-grandmother transferring from the Grundy Country Emergency Relief organization to "similar work in Bureau county and will make her home in Spring Valley."

The back of the clipping mentions the finals of the Canadian amateur golf tournament in Vancouver between Kenny Black from Vancouver and Albert Campbell from Seattle. With a little research, I found that Campbell defeated Black in 1933. Campbell won again the following year, but Black finally placed first in 1939.

All golfing aside, it looks like a solid 1933 for the date on this newspaper.

BOOK FORTYFOUR

"Christ and Oriental Ideals" by Swami Paramananda, 1923.

(taken from wikipedia) "Swami Paramananda was one of the early Indian teachers who came to the United States to spread the Vedanta philosophy and religion in America. He was a mystic, a poet and an innovator in spiritual community living."

My grandfather's address label is inside the front cover.

BOOK FORTYFIVE

"My Vast New World" by Lora B. Holman, 1969.

Holman was a minister in the church of Religious Science.

BOOK FORTYSIX

"The Zen Environment" by Marian Mountain, 1982.

Although it doesn't have his usual address label stuck inside the front cover, I'm assuming this book to be my grandfather's. Most of the books in the collection are clearly from my grandmother or her mother (mostly Jean), but the small handful that were my grandfather's stick out from the rest due to their take on eastern philosophies, or eastern philosophy's take on western thought (primarily Christian).

At the time of this book's publishing, my grandfather would have been 70 years old. I can't say if he and my grandmother were looking for answers more so in their later years or if this was a theme throughout their lives.

Clearly, though, my great-grandmother's influence upon her daughter stuck, as she followed in the Unity Church as well. Although, she was once kicked out of the Unity Church, went to Religious Science, was kicked out of there, and then finally went back to Unity Church, as my mother informed me this week.

BOOK FORTYSEVEN

"The Edinburgh Lectures on Mental Science" by Thomas Troward, 1909 - this 24th printing, 1947.

Thomas Troward was an English author whose works influenced the New Thought Movement. This book was strongly encouraged for early AA members to read to help their recovery and Troward's philosophies are credited in the opening of the 2006 film 'The Secret' for inspiring the book and film.

The book 'The Secret' reached the top of the New York Times bestseller list, after being featured on 2 Oprah episodes. New Thought is clearly alive and strong now, even though the movement began well over 100 years ago.

My great-grandmother's name is inside the front cover, dated September 1948, and she ear-marked and wrote on quite a few pages. One of her penciled-in notes reads: "You are myself in another expression."

BOOK FORTYEIGHT

"The Handbook of Scientific Right Thinking" compiled from the writings of F. L. Rawson and edited by Elizabeth Carrick-Cook, 1942 - this 3rd printing, 1944.

Well, well, well...look whose name comes up again! Mr. Rawson, I haven't seen you in nearly three weeks! Both my grandmother and great-grandmother had a copy of your book and now here is a "Cliffs Notes" version of your work by "the leader of Mr. Rawson's work in America", or so the description of Carrick-Cook reads on the title page.

Other than being the chairperson of the 1930 San Fransisco Congress of the International New Thought Alliance, I can't find any substantial information on Carrick-Cook, though.

Interestingly enough, after explaining the reason behind the handbook in the foreword dated April 1942, she references the Metaphysical Library at 177 Post Street, encouraging readers to order Rawson's books from there. She also makes note of there being a particularly higher demand for the books than the publishers in England can supply for the Americas.

More fascinating for me, of course, are all the notes my great-grandmother wrote into this book. Her name is on both the cover and title page and most pages have words or phrases underlined, with notes scribbled into the margins at times.

The last few pages were left blank by the publisher, encouraging the reader to leave their own notes there. Jean certainly took advantage and filled in each of those pages.

The final page has a full 8.5x11 sheet twice stapled to it, folded twice neatly to fit inside the book. One side has a typed list of "Reversals for Treatment Class" and the other side has extra notes added as well. On the list itself, Jean hand wrote in her own principles relating to each illness or affliction. It almost seems like a worksheet. Jean clearly got an "A" for this homework assignment.

Depression, Idleness, Misery, Laziness, Danger, Pride, Evil Power, Problems, Anxiety...these are just a few of the listed afflictions.

So far, I've tried to not be critical of the religion or its beliefs, and give a more objective documentary on what I'm learning from this project, but a chat with my mother this last week brought up her being blamed for being sick as a child for not being close enough to God. I can only imagine how a more serious and adult concern (like mental illness or cancer) would have been received, considering how chicken pox, measles, or even a cold had been treated. And certainly, there were more far serious health concerns in my family history.

I very much have a great love and respect for my parents for being able to break away from the belief system that was pushed upon them and then to teach my siblings and myself a far more open and compassionate way of thinking, concerning all aspects of life, not just religion and health.

BOOK FORTYNINE

"Lessons in Truth - A Course of Twelve Lessons in Practical Christianity" by H. Emilie Cady, 1896 - this publishing, 1925.

Cady "was an American homeopathic physician and author of New Thought spiritual writings." This book "is now considered the core text on Unity Church teachings. It is the most widely read book in that movement, and has sold over 1.6 million copies since its first publication." (taken from wikipedia)

My great-grandmother's name is on the first page and there is a purple bookmark at the end of the 12th lesson.