Swami Vivekananda

C/o Miss Dutcher’s
Thousand Island Park
N.Y.
2nd July 1895
Dear Mother–
You did not write to me a single line for a long time. Neither did Sister Mary write about the duty paid on the rugs [from the Dewan of Junagadh]. I am afraid the rugs are small.
Here is another consignment from Raja Ajit Singh [the Maharaja of Khetri] consisting of carpets, shawls, etc., etc., for which the bill of lading you sent me the other day. This consignment has no duty to pay because it was all prepaid in India, and the bill of lading says so expressly. I will send you the bill of lading and the receipt for the duty. Kindly take one more trouble for me and get it out of the express company. And keep it with you till I come. The goods have arrived in New York and I had a notice of that. They are on their way to Chicago.
In two or three days I will send the bill of lading and the receipt for duty paid, to you. I foolishly asked Miss Phillips, as soon as I got the Company’s 93 notice, to get them out before I got the bill of lading. Now the bill of lading shows that it is bound for Chicago. So I am bound to give you this trouble. I am so sorry. Again with my usual business instincts–I forgot to note down the name of the express company. So I have written to New York for the letters of the Company. As soon as that comes I will send over to you.
I am going to Europe by the end of August or a little later.
I will come to see you by the end of August.
Lord bless you and yours for ever and ever.
Your ever affectionate Son,
Vivekananda

Thousand Island Park, N.Y.
C/o Miss Dutcher
July 3, 1895
Dear Mother–
Herewith I send you the bill of lading and the inventory of the goods sent from India. The duty, as you will find, has been prepaid, so there is no botheration on that score. The goods have reached Hull. 94 They will be here by the middle of this month. And if you see a letter with the Morris American Express Co. name on the envelope, tear it open. You need not forward it to me, for that will be the notice of arrival to Chicago. I am sure Dewanji’s carpets were too small, but why do you not write to me about the duty if you had to pay it? I insist upon paying it myself. The Raja’s things seem to come very quick. I am so glad too I will have something to present to Mrs. Bagley, Mrs. Bull, etc.

[Enclosed in the above letter was the following note.]

541 Dearborn Ave.
Chicago.
To the Morris Express Co.–
Dear Sir,
Please permit Mrs. G. W. Hale of 541 Dearborn Ave., Chicago, to act for me about the goods sent to me from India and receive the same.
I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
Swami Vivekananda

C/O MISS DUTCHER,
THOUSAND ISLAND PARK, N. Y.
7th July, 1895.
DEAR FRIEND,
I see you are enjoying New York very much, so excuse my breaking into your reverie with a letter.
I had two beautiful letters from Miss MacLeod and Mrs. Sturges. Also they sent over two pretty birch bark books. I have filled them with Sanskrit texts and translations, and they go by today’s post.
Mrs. Dora is giving, I hear, some startling performances in the Mahatma line.
Since leaving Percy I have invitations to come over to London from unexpected quarters, and that I look forward to with great expectations.
I do not want to lose this opportunity of working in London. And so your invitation, coupled with the London one, is, I know, a divine call for further work.
I shall be here all this month and only have to go to Chicago for a few days sometime in August.
Don’t fret, Father Leggett, this is the best time for expectation — when sure in love.
Lord bless you ever and ever, and may all happiness be yours for ever, as you richly deserve it.
Ever yours in love and affection,
VIVEKANANDA

19 W. 38, NEW YORK,
8th July, 1895.
DEAR ALBERTA,
I am sure you are engrossed in your musical studies now. Hope you have found out all about the scales by this time. I will be so happy to take a lesson on the scales from you next time we meet.
We had such jolly good time up there at Percy with Mr. Leggett — isn’t he a saint?
Hollister is also enjoying Germany greatly, I am sure, and I hope none of you have injured your tongues in trying to pronounce German words — especially those beginning with sch, tz, tsz, and other sweet things.
I read your letter to your mother from on board Most possibly I am going over to Europe next September. I have never been to Europe yet. It will not be very much different from the United States after all. And I am already well drilled in the manners and customs of this country.
We had a good deal of rowing at Percy and I learnt a point or two in rowing. Aunt Joe Joe had to pay for her sweetness, for the flies and mosquitoes would not leave her for a moment. They rather gave me a wide berth, I think because they were very orthodox sabbatarian flies and would not touch a heathen. Again, I think, I used to sing a good deal at Percy, and that must have frightened them away. We had such fine birch trees. I got up an idea of making books out of the bark, as was used to be done in ancient times in our country, and wrote Sanskrit verses for your mother and aunt.
I am sure, Alberta, you are going to be a tremendously learned lady very soon.
With love and blessings for both of you,

Ever your affectionate,

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA.

(Note: If this letter was dated correctly, it was written from Thousand Island Park. He went to New York a month later and stayed at 19W, 38th St, which was Mary Phillips’ residence. He might have mentioned this address as a return address for Alberta Sturges.)

U. S. A.,
9th July, 1895.

. . . About my coming to India, the matter stands thus I am, as your Highness (The Maharaja of Khetri) well knows, a man of dogged perseverance. I have planted a seed in this country; it is already a plant, and I expect it to be a tree very soon. I have got a few hundred followers. I shall make several Sannyâsins, and then I go to India leaving the work to them. The more the Christian priests oppose me, the more I am determined to leave a permanent mark on their country. . . . I have already some friends in London. I am going there by the end of August. . . . This winter anyway has to be spent partly in London and partly in New York, and then I shall be free to go to India. There will be enough men to carry on the work here after this winter if the Lord is kind. Each work has to pass through these stages — ridicule, opposition, and then acceptance. Each man who thinks ahead of his time is sure to be misunderstood. So opposition and persecution are welcome, only I have to be steady and pure and must have immense faith in God, and all these will vanish. . . .

VIVEKANANDA.

C/o Miss Dutcher
Thousand Island Park
N.Y.
13th [postmarked 11th] July ’95.
Dear Mother,
The shirts arrived yesterday; they are nice and fit me well.
Everybody liked them.
Landsberg arrived this morning with a picture of Shri Ramakrishna.
The Toronto affair has fallen through because the clergyman objected to a heathen. There is one invitation from the Christian Union of Oak Beach. I do not know whether I will go there.
As I intend to go to Chicago, in August, I ought to give to the people here all the time I can.
I do not know yet the exact date when I start [for Europe]
–but somewhere at the end of August, I am sure.
Landsberg sends his love to all the rest.
Ever yours in love and gratitude,
Vivekananda

Thousand Island Park
C/o Miss Dutcher
N.Y.
27th July ’95
Dear Mother–
I will be ever so much obliged if you kindly look into the “bead” affair. I think there will be a little duty to pay. I will pay it to you when I come.
I start from here next week. I will be in Detroit a day or two on my way. I will be in by the third or fourth of August.
With Everlasting love, your Son,
Vivekananda
[Enclosed in the above letter was the following note.]
27th July ’95
To the United States Express Company
Foreign Department.
Dear Sir,
Herewith I authorize Mrs. George W. Hale to take delivery of the “beads” that have been expressed to me from India. Hoping they will be regularly delivered to her, I remain yours obediently,
Swami Vivekananda

THOUSAND ISLAND PARK,
29th (July?), 1895.

A glorious time to you, dear Mother (Mrs. William Sturges.) and I am sure this letter will find you in all health. Many thanks for the $50 you sent; it went a long way.
We have had such a nice time here. Two ladies came up all the way from Detroit to be with us here. They are so pure and good. I am going from the Thousand Island to Detroit and thence to Chicago.
Our class in New York is going on, and they have carried it bravely on, although I was not there.
By the by, the two ladies who have come from Detroit were in the class, and unfortunately were mighty frightened with imps and other persons of that ilk. They have been taught to put a little salt, just a little, in burning alcohol, and if there is a black precipitate, that must be the impurities showing the presence of the imps. However, these two ladies had too much fright from the imps. It is said that these imps are everywhere filling the whole universe. Father Leggett must be awfully downcast at your absence, as I did not hear from him up to date. Well, it is better to let grief have its way. So I do not bother him any more.
Aunt Joe Joe must have had a terrible time at sea. All is well that ends well.
The babies (Hollister and Alberta — then at school in Germany) must be enjoying their stay in Germany very much. My shiploads of love to them.
We all here send you love, and I wish you a life that will be like a torch to generations to come.

Your son,

VIVEKANANDA

C/O MISS DUTCHER
THOUSAND ISLAND PARK
30th August [July] ’95
DEAR MOTHER,

I was starting for Chicago, Thursday next [August 1], but your letter stopped me. The letter and the package have safely arrived.

Write to me or wire if you want me to come to Chicago. I will then start for Chicago next week, i.e. on Tuesday next [August 6]. I thought Sister Mary was at home. When are the other babies coming? My going to Europe is not yet settled finally. The babies have not written me a line — not one of them.

Oh, Mother, my heart is so, so sad. The letters bring the news of the death of Dewanji. Haridas Viharidas has left the body. He was as a father to me. Poor man, he was the last 5 years seeking the retirement from business life, and at last he got it but could not enjoy it long. I pray that he may never come back again to this dirty hole they call the Earth. Neither may he be born in heaven or any other horrid place. May he never again wear a body — good or bad, thick or thin. What a humbug and illusion this world is, Mother, what a mockery this life. I pray constantly that all mankind will come to know the reality, i.e. God, and this “Shop” here be closed for ever.

My heart is too full to write more. Write to me or wire if you like.

Your ever obedient Son,

VIVEKANANDA

P.S. We will think of the coming package [from the Maharaja of Khetri] in Chicago. How long will you be in Chicago? If it is only a week or so, I need not come. I will meet you in New York. If more than that, I come to see you.

Yours,

V.

To Francis Leggett

C/O MISS DUTCHER,
THOUSAND ISLAND PARK, N. Y.
31st July, 1895.
DEAR FRIEND,
I wrote you before this a letter, but as I am afraid it was not posted carefully, I write another.
I shall be in time before the 14th. I shall have to come to New York before the 11th anyway. So there will be time enough to get ready.
I shall go with you to Paris, for my principal object in going with you is to see you married. When you go away for a trip, I go to London. That is all.
It is unnecessary to repeat my everlasting love and blessings for you and yours.

Ever your son,

VIVEKANANDA.

To Mrs. G. W. Hale

C/o Miss Dutcher
Thousand Island Park
N.Y.
[July 31, 1895]
Dear Mother–
I am afraid I can not come to see you and neither will you advise me. I am going with a friend to Europe, at his expense. We go first to Paris and from there to London. My friend will go to Italy and I to London. I will, however, come back to New York in September. So I am not going away for good.
I start on the 17th. So you see, it is impossible to come and go that way for 3 or 4 days. (The package from India ought to have reached by this time. If they come, 97 kindly take the delivery and send it back to New York to Miss Mary Phillips, 19 W. 38. If the package does not come to Chicago before you go away, then kindly send the bill of lading etc. to Miss Mary Phillips, 19. W. 38. The babies [the Hale daughters] did not write me a line, nor did they intimate where they are. I absolutely do not know anything about them. As they do not want it, it seems I ought not to disturb them with my letters. But you kindly convey them my love and eternal, undying blessings. So to you, Mother and Father Pope. I will pen a longer epistle in a few days. We will see each other next spring in Chicago, Mother, if we all live.
Ever gratefully your Son,
Vivekananda