Brother, free me from all work connected with preaching. I am now aloof from all that, you manage it yourselves. It is my firm conviction that Mother will get work done through all of you a hundredfold more than through me.
Many days ago I received a letter from Kali. He must have reached New York by now. Miss Waldo sends news now and then. I keep sometimes well and sometimes bad. Of late I am again having that ma.s.sage treatment by Mrs. Milton, who says, "You have already recovered!" This much I see - whatever the flatulence, I feel no difficulty in moving, walking, or even climbing. In the morning I take vigorous exercise, and then have a dip in cold water.
Yesterday I went to see the house of the gentleman with whom I shall stay. He is a poor scholar, has his room filled with books and lives in a flat on the fifth floor. And as there are no lifts in this country as in America, one has to climb up and down. But it is no longer trying to me.
There is a beautiful public park round the house. The gentleman cannot speak English; that is a further reason for my going. I shall have to speak French perforce. It is all Mother"s will. She knows best what She wants to have done. She never speaks out, "only keeps mum". But this much I notice that for a month or so I have been having intense meditation and repet.i.tion of the Lord"s name.
Please convey my love to Miss Boocke, Miss Bell, Mrs. Aspinel, Miss Beckham, Mr. George, Dr. Logan, and other friends and accept it yourself. My love to all in Los Angeles also.
Yours,
VIVEKANANDA.
CXCIII.
(Translated from Bengali)
To Swami Turiyananda
6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS,.
September, 1900.
MY DEAR TURIYANANDA, Just now I received your letter. Through Mother"s will all work will go on; don"t be afraid. I shall soon leave for some other place. Perhaps I shall be on a tour of Constantinople and other places for some time. Mother knows what will come next. I have received a letter from Mrs. Wilmot. From this, too, it appears that she is very enthusiastic. Sit firm and free from worries. Everything will be all right. If hearing the Nada etc. does anyone harm, he can get rid of it if he gives up meditation for a time and takes to fish and meat. If the body does not become progressively weak, there is no cause for alarm. Practice should be slow.
I shall leave this place before your reply comes. So do not send the reply to this letter here. I have received all the issues of Sarada"s paper, and wrote to him lots a few weeks ago. I have a mind to send more later on. There is no knowing where my next stop will be. This much I can say that I am trying to be free from care.
I received a letter from Kali, too, today. I shall send him a reply tomorrow. The body is somehow rolling on. Work makes it ill, and rest keeps it well - that is all. Mother knows. Nivedita has gone to England. She and Mrs. Bull are collecting funds. She has a mind to run a school at Kishengarh with the girls she had there. Let her do what she can. I do not intervene any more in any matter - that is all.
My love to you. But I have nothing more to advise as regards work.
Yours in service,
VIVEKANANDA. *.
CXCIV.
(Translated from the original in French)
6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS, PARIS,.
October, 1900.
MY DEAR MADEMOISELLE, I have been very happy and content here. I am having the best of times after many years. I find life here with Mr. Bois very satisfactory - the books, the calm, and the absence of everything that usually troubles me.
But I don"t know what kind of destiny is waiting for me now.
My letter is funny, isn"t it? But it is my first attempt.
Yours faithfully,
VIVEKANANDA. *.
CXCV.
(Translated from the original in French)
To Sister Christine
6 PLACE DES ETATS UNIS, PARIS,.
14th October, 1900.
G.o.d bless you at each step, my dear Christine, such is my constant prayer!
Your letter, so beautiful and so calm, has given me that fresh energy which I am often losing. I am happy, yes, I am happy, but the cloud has not left me entirely. It sometimes comes back, unfortunately, but it no longer has the morbidity it used to have.
I am staying with a famous French writer, M. Jules Bois. I am his guest. As he is a man making his living with his pen, he is not rich; but we have many great ideas in common and feel happy together.
He discovered me a few years ago and has already translated some of my pamphlets into French. We shall in the end find what we are looking for, isn"t it?
Thus, I shall travel with Madame Calve, Miss MacLeod, and M. Jules Bois. I shall be the guest of Madame Calve, the famous singer. We shall go to Constantinople, the Near East, Greece, and Egypt. On our way back, we shall visit Venice.
It may be that I shall give a few lectures in Paris after my return, but they will be in English with an interpreter. I have no time any more, nor the power to study a new language at my age. I am an old man, isn"t it?
Mrs. Funke is ill. I think she works too hard. She already had some nervous trouble. I hope she will soon be well.