THE LAST YEARS 375 
strange that we should be two old women talking of 
the days when we were young. 
TO FRAU CECILE METTENIUS 
November 6, 1901 
... Tue old pantheistic idea of “God in Nature” 
... holds a very beautiful truth, no doubt; —a 
divine being ever present in the world he has made. 
But when you try to specialize (I would almost say 
materialize) this thought, it escapes you and is lost 
in the vast distance where these great mysteries lie; 
they are intangible — in trying to hold them we lose 
them. This “new thought” may perhaps be leading 
through scientific research to some unlooked-for rev- 
elation, but I do not hear any confirmation of these 
theories of Christian Science and the like from the 
men who are the closest investigators. They come 
rather from the outsiders than from the laboratories 
where the researches are carried on. The only man I 
know who has given his name to this new aspect of 
speculation is our dear friend William James, the 
psychologist. I think he does believe in the healing 
power of some of these “Christian Scientists” and 
does believe that their methods may lead to good in 
the end. But I will not talk farther of these vague 
and as it seems to me crude views. 
December 5.— My birthday — seventy-nine. Flow- 
ers and love from every side. I should be and am very 
grateful. 
December 6. — All went well yesterday. I think it 
