From the Papers: Orrilla Day and her Christian Science practice

Orrilla W. Day was a practitioner and teacher of Christian Science. While she is rarely mentioned in biographies of Mary Baker Eddy or histories of the Christian Science movement, she played an important role, particularly through her work in the cities of Chicago, Illinois, and Toledo, Ohio. Her correspondence with Mary Baker Eddy throws its own light on the trials and triumphs that Eddy’s young church was encountering in the 1880s and beyond.

Day was born in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania, circa 1833. While not much is known about her formative years, she emerges as the spouse of George B. Day, a Methodist minister who was one of several clergy who became interested in Christian Science in the 1880s. He studied with Eddy at the Massachusetts Metaphysical College. Orrilla became interested in Christian Science in 1885, around the same time as George. She wrote to Eddy on January 31 of that year:

I have been interested in the science of which you and your school are the founders – or exponents….

 

I have no religious belief. except a belief in a primal Cause – I know nothing else and therefore can believe nothing else. I am not credulous – and am afraid I shall find it difficult to lay hold of a science that is not demonstrable¹

Through the early part of 1886, Orrilla and George studied Eddy’s textbook, Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, and practiced Christian Science healing in the Chicago area. In March 1885 Orrilla enrolled in a class taught by Eddy’s student Caroline D. Noyes. The following year Eddy admitted them both into her April Primary class, which began on March 29, 1886, at 10:00 a.m. Afterward the Days sent Eddy a letter of thanks:

We are home again from attendance upon your April Course of Lectures…. Your exposition of Christian Science was so clear and forcible as to produce Connection, and so much in harmony with the Sacred Scriptures that we are sure no nearer approximation to the truth of Revelation was ever before presented.²

During the summer of 1886 George was involved in two projects, the complexities of which entailed fairly extensive correspondence with Eddy. He became pastor of the fledgling Christian Science church in Chicago, and Eddy also asked him to head an institute for teaching Christian Science. He continued work as a healer and lecturer. Despite doing well in some of these areas for a few years, George eventually developed doubts about Christian Science. In 1890 he withdrew as pastor of the Chicago church and left the movement.

For her part, Orrilla continued a successful career in Christian Science. She joined the Christian Scientist Association on April 7, 1886, and took Eddy’s Obstetrical course in 1888. A member of First Church of Christ, Scientist, Chicago, she also joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, on June 30, 1894. Even though her desire to take a Normal class at the Massachusetts Metaphysical College was unfulfilled, at some point she was authorized to teach. From 1888 until her death in 1907 she was listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal as both a practitioner and teacher. Her correspondence with Eddy provides insight into her excellent healing work, while at the same time showing the tension between her loyalty to Christian Science and to her husband.

At the time she first studied with Eddy in 1886, Orrilla took the opportunity to write and personally thank her: “I returned to my work in this place on Monday. I had very wonderful success as a healer before I went to Boston and they all seem to think I ought to do still more wonderful things now.”³

A few months later, she wrote to Eddy on August 6 about some of the healings that had taken place in her practice:

have had healed- One case of strabismus⁴ in three treatments; I did mental surgery in Freeport, . Curvature of spine- healed in three weeks. A case of misplaced and broken knee caps-, helpless for 9 months–, healed- The cases were so prominent and pronounced-, that in a short time I had more work offered than I could possibly do,…

 

The “Light” shines- to me so clearly that I am always surprised that my patient does not go away healed at every treatment. I was called early this morning to a neighbors servant. with bilious colic– In fifteen minutes after I sat down by her she was asleep- has had no cramps since- ⁵

That September, correspondence between Orrilla and Eddy contained a disagreement, involving a series of letters between George and Eddy, concerning the Christian Science Institute in Chicago. Orrilla wrote Eddy on September 9:

I found in looking over some letters of yours to my husband in one of Aug 17. express orders for him to start a College instantly – In one of Aug 22, You are glad he has called it ” college or university.” I for one am in hopes he can get out of it honerably at this late date, He has sacrificed time money and labor, and has been loyal to you and the Science- as few even of your students have been Both he and I prefer to work and teach independently – as others of your students are doing. or if he cannot labor peaceably with you in this will go back to business life – … I hope the college will be disbanded – I do not care to enter into competition either with you or Scwhartz an, Co⁶ as in the estimation of outsiders, we evidenly have – I feel as tho. My husband has been made a cats paw⁷ of – by whom I cannot say. I do know he has tried very earnestly to carry out your orders at every step in this matter, and will be glad – as I shall be, to drop it, I have not discussed the matter with him – I was too disheartened at the whole thing – and to tell the truth – disgusted –⁸

That Eddy was not happy with Day’s letter is evident from what she wrote to an unknown recipient on October 5:

I have to look down the ages when I act and have done this up to now I feel that I must be greatly misjudged in this by some of my students if they coincide with Mrs Day’s letters to me that are abusive.

 

She says “she does not care to have her husband go into competition with Mrs Eddy and Swarts &cc”– that I made him a cat’s paw etc It was unladylike and destitute of the respect due to my toilsom efforts for all.⁹

However, Orrilla wrote to Eddy on September 29, working to attenuate any negative feelings her letter had aroused:

I am not unjust to you or underrate what glorious things you have been enabled to accomplish, but I hope I am brave enough to speak the truth even to you….I do love you very dearly- and hope you will not forget your student who is trying to “stand fast” – … just write me a line to say you still like me, will you?¹⁰

She once again alluded to this incident in a February 16, 1888, letter:

I wrote once to you that I was sorry for my very impertinent letter to you- and judging You by your loving and forgiving disposition, had put it all out of mind.

 

I hope I am two years wiser than then-

 

…I am Irish, you must not forget that, and have a lovely Irish temper.¹¹

By June 1888, Orrilla had moved to Toledo, Ohio, at the request of Sarah Jane Clark, who had taken three classes with Eddy and was teaching Christian Science there. Clark believed it would be helpful to have the support of another Christian Science healer in Toledo. Orrilla shared her impressions of the city and its people in a June 23 letter to Eddy:

I am so sorely tempted to go to easier fields. and leave Miss Clark– to carry it on alone- they are a very sweet natured people here. but conservative. It seems easy to heal them, but not easy to create any interest, – a very singular state. of mind in regard to C. S. ¹²

By February 1889, Orrilla had begun to feel she should leave Toledo and return to the Chicago area to once again live with her husband. George had been experiencing mental turmoil due to his growing doubts about Christian Science, but on her return Orrilla felt he was doing better. She wrote Eddy on April 26:

I have been home nearly two weeks – and I am happy to say that Mr Day seems “clothed and in his right mind.” He had said “I should not come home – if I did he would leave etc” and he did not write for weeks, but he has seemingly forgotten it all, and acts and looks more natural than for two years before. When my daughter was home in the winter she thought him insane…. He was not himself…I have had great physical suffering for a month past – Fear – I had to go back over all I had done for others to get encouragement, I could not help my own case in the least, but I am losing my fear – and pain to-day. I am never going away again – but will stand by The church here –¹³

George finally severed ties with Christian Science in 1890. He and Orrilla continued to live together, and their home life was apparently peaceful. In a letter dated March 1, 1891, she commented to Eddy that “we are very harmonious in our family relations, but never talk Science…”¹⁴

Until her passing in River Forest, Illinois, on November 14, 1907, Orrilla continued to dedicate herself to working as a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. After 1891, she wrote very few letters to Eddy. Perhaps she had taken to heart Eddy’s words to her in a January 25, 1892, letter:

Am glad for all the good things written and felt- I have so extensive a correspondence can seldom write to all in one year!

 

My selfish hope is for exemption from all knowledge of what my dear students are about. My heavenly hope is to know that they are walking in “the paths of his testimony”¹⁵

Please note: Quoted references in our “From the Papers” article series reflect the original documents. For this reason they may include spelling mistakes and edits made by the authors. In instances where a mark or edit is not easily represented in quoted text, an omission or insertion may be made silently.