One of our main characters. Frye was trained as a machinist in gritty Lawrence, Mass. Endured tough childhood as son of a disabled father and a mother who suffered from insanity. Both Frye and his mother were helped by Eddy’s teachings. Began working as her secretary a month after her husband dies. Frye meets her at train in Boston, and remains with her for 28 years – with only 4 days off.
Tags: Calvin Frye, devotion, obedience, secretary
His dedication to faith is awe-inspiring and admirable! If only more people would be so devoted and not fair-weather when it comes to their beliefs and faith.
Clearly, wikipedia needs to be updated on Mary Baker Eddy. I don’t remember reading about this Calvin Frye on there.
It’s quite amazing Mr. Frye was so influenced by Mary Baker Eddy, that he would leave the profession as a machinist which takes a skill in precision not easily learned over night, but over a course of time. Then, stayed as her secretary for over twenty years. How did he learn to be proficient in his new career. Was he clumsy at first as her secretary over filling trash cans with mis-typed crumpled up paperwork, a job that also requires interpersonal multi tasking which is quite different from machining? Did MBE have to teach him this new trade? It would be interesting to see how this relationship develops over this long period and motivates his loyalty with such devoted dedication towards her and her work.
According to wikipedia, Mary was married 3 times. For Mr. Frye to be as personally dedicated as he apparently was, as she got married twice…baffles me a little. But then it makes sense, MBE must have been very charsimatic, and likeable. Perhaps he trusted her and thought she was on to something/ worthy of devotion.
Upon reading the character bio my mind immediately went to Sean Penn. It would be interesting to see how he would internalize such an upbringing and show us mere glimpses of it during a tenure of 28 years devotion and a searching for understanding within her teachings.
I finally get it, why Frye was devoted to MBE. It has to do with his mom’s mental illness as well as MBE’s mental strength. MBE could be what his mom could not. And, if he helped MBE, she would be stronger, she would achieve, she would make the world a better place, she would help him, and even help his mom. MBE was a strong-minded woman. She knew what she believed, what direction in life she was going. She may have been like a rock to Frye, solid ground, perhaps even a mother-figure. At least, that’s my take.
Calvin Frye was a man of small nature statured, humble. Not a small man by any means. He was possibly the one soul that could step into Mary’s shoes, if need be. He was her head charge, confidant and friend. She loved him so, that she devoted a book to him and is said to brought him back to life on more than one ocassion. His grattitude came from, knowing what it was like to lose some of life’s most precious gifts. Ms Choate gave one back to him. She restored his mother. This is why Calvin and Lydia set off to find, this well of life and in return devote his life to releiving the sufferings of others. He had true compassion as did Mary.