ts the strongly
distinctive features observable in the virgin passages from her pen
already quoted by me:

Desert vacancy, as regards thought. Self-complacency. Puerility.
Sentimentality. Affectations of scholarly learning. Lust after eloquent
and flowery expression. Repetition of pet poetic picturesquenesses.
Confused and wandering statement. Metaphor gone insane. Meaningless
words, used because they are pretty, or showy, or unusual. Sorrowful
attempts at the epigrammatic. Destitution of originality.

The fat volume called Miscellaneous Writings of Mrs. Eddy contains
several hundred pages. Of the five hundred and fifty-four pages of prose
in it I find ten lines, on page 319, to be Mrs. Eddy's; also about a
page of the preface or "Prospectus"; also about fifteen pages scattered
along through the book. If she wrote any of the rest of the prose, it
was rewritten after her by another hand. Here I will insert two-thirds
of her page of the prospectus. It is evident that whenever, under the
inspiration of the Deity, she turns out a book, she is always allowed to
do some of the preface. I wonder why that is? It always mars the work.
I think it is done in humorous malice I think the clerks like to see
her give herself away. They know she will, her stock of usable materials
being limited and her procedure in employing them always the same,
substantially. They know that when the initiated come upon her first
erudite allusion, or upon any one of her other stage-properties, they
can shut their eyes and tell what will follow. She usually throws off
an easy remark all sodden with Greek or Hebrew or Latin learning; she
usually has a person watching for a star--she can seldom get away
from that poetic idea--sometimes it is a Chaldee, sometimes a Walking
Delegate, sometimes an entire stranger, but be he what he may, he is
generally there when the train is ready to move, and has his pass in his
hat-band; she generally has a Being with a Dome on him, or some other
cover that is unusual and out of the fashion; she likes to fire off a
Scripture-verse where it will make the handsomest noise and come nearest
to breaking the connection; she often throws out a Forefelt, or a
Foresplendor, or a Foreslander where it will have a fine nautical
foreto'gallant sound and make the sentence sing; after which she is
nearly sure to throw discretion away and take to her deadly passion,
Intoxicated Metaphor. At such a time the Mrs. Eddy that does not
hesi