may ask.  Easily.  Pupils flocked from far and near.  They came by the hundred.  Presently the term was cut down nearly half, but the price remained as before.  To be exact, the term-cut was to seven lessons —­price, three hundred dollars.  The college “yielded a large income.”  This is believable.  In seven years Mrs. Eddy taught, as she avers, over four thousand students in it. (Preface to 1902 edition of Science and Health.) Three hundred times four thousand is—­but perhaps you can cipher it yourself.  I could do it ordinarily, but I fell down yesterday and hurt my leg.  Cipher it; you will see that it is a grand sum for a woman to earn in seven years.  Yet that was not all she got out of her college in the seven.

At the time that she was charging the primary student three hundred dollars for twelve lessons she was not content with this tidy assessment, but had other ways of plundering him.  By advertisement she offered him privileges whereby he could add eighteen lessons to his store for five hundred dollars more.  That is to say, he could get a total of thirty lessons in her college for eight hundred dollars.

Four thousand times eight hundred is—­but it is a difficult sum for a cripple who has not been “demonstrated over” to cipher; let it go.  She taught “over” four thousand students in seven years.  “Over” is not definite, but it probably represents a non-paying surplus of learners over and above the paying four thousand.  Charity students, doubtless.  I think that as interesting an advertisement as has been printed since the romantic old days of the other buccaneers is this one from the Christian Science Journal for September, 1886: 

“MASSACHUSETTS METAPHYSICAL COLLEGE

“Rev. Mary Baker G. Eddy, President

“571 Columbus Avenue, Boston

“The collegiate course in Christian Science metaphysical healing includes twelve lessons.  Tuition, three hundred dollars.

“Course in metaphysical obstetrics includes six daily lectures, and is open only to students from this college.  Tuition, one hundred dollars.

“Class in theology, open (like the above) to graduates, receives six additional lectures on the Scriptures, and summary of the principle and practice of Christian Science, two hundred dollars.

“Normal class is open to those who have taken the first course at this college; six daily lectures complete the Normal course.  Tuition, two hundred dollars.

“No invalids, and only persons of good moral character, are accepted as students.  All students are subject to examination and rejection; and they are liable to leave the class if found unfit to remain in it.

“A limited number of clergymen received free of charge.

“Largest discount to indigent students, one hundred dollars on the first course.

“No deduction on the others.