Did Eddy comment on her use of italics?

In searching our collections, we located only a few comments from Mary Baker Eddy on how she used italicized words and phrases in her writings.

In November 1901 she noted this as a “rule” for Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures: “Do not have many words italicised.” She repeated that statement in a letter to her students Edward A. Kimball and William P. McKenzie, who were assisting her with a revision of that book’s 226th edition (issued in 1902): “… avoid italicising words as much as possible. I find too many italicised words in my last edition of Science and Health.” ¹

Then in 1903, Eddy’s secretary Calvin Frye wrote to her publisher, Joseph Armstrong, noting that Science and Health did not need to adhere literally to the italicizing and capitalization found in the King James Bible.²

We also consulted The Mother Church’s Office of the Publisher’s Agent. That department is responsible for the publication of Eddy’s writings. They were unable to provide specific insights regarding her occasional use of italics. But they did note that authors generally use italics to add emphasis, indicate words in other languages, or identify titles, or for a combination of these and other reasons.

We should not forget as well that publishing was a very different kind of activity in Eddy’s day. That was a time when the task of typesetting required people to move around pieces of metal, rather than typing on a laptop! From a practical standpoint, the excessive use of italics could cause serious issues related to the spacing, or even the linage, of a printed work. Avoiding excessive italics would keep the overall appearance of the pages more attractive and readable.