President of The Mother Church. The wood of the head of the gavel was taken from the old Yale College Athenæum, the first chapel of the college. It was built in 1761, and razed in 1893 to make room for Vanderbilt Hall. The wood in the handle was grown on the farm of Mark Baker, father of the Rev. Mary Baker Eddy, at Bow, N. H.
In presenting this gavel to President Bates, Mrs. Eddy spoke as follows to the members of her church. The First Church of Christ, Scientist, Boston, Mass.: —
“My Beloved Brethren: — Permit me to present to you a little gift that has no intrinsic value save that which it represents — namely, a material symbol of my spiritual call to this my beloved church of over thirty thousand members; and this is that call: In the words of our great Master, ‘Go ye into all the world,’ ‘heal the sick,’ cast out evil, disease, and death; ‘Freely ye have received, freely give.’ You will please accept my thanks for your kind, expert call on me.”
In reply Mr. Bates said, —
“I accept this gift in behalf of the church, and for myself and my successors in office.”
The box containing the gavel was opened the following day in Boston at the annual meeting of The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, and the enclosed note from Mrs. Eddy was read: —
“My Beloved Brethren: — You will please accept from me the accompanying gift as a simple token of love.”
