The Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 8/Epistles - Fourth Series/XCI Miss Noble
XCI
To Sister Nivedita
ALAMBAZAR MATH,
CALCUTTA,
5th May, 1897.
MY DEAR MISS NOBLE,
Your very very kind, loving, and encouraging letter gave me more strength
than you think of.
There are moments when one feels entirely despondent, no doubt — especially when one has worked towards an ideal during a whole life's time and just when there is a bit of hope of seeing it partially accomplished, there comes a tremendous thwarting blow. I do not care for the disease, but what depresses me is that my ideals have not had yet the least opportunity of being worked out. And you know, the difficulty is money.
The Hindus are making processions and all that, but they cannot give money.
The only help I got in the world was in England, from Miss Müller, and Mr.
Sevier. I thought there that a thousand pounds was sufficient to start at
least the principal centre in Calcutta, but my calculation was from the
experience of Calcutta ten or twelve years ago. Since then the prices have
gone up three or four times.
The work has been started anyhow. A rickety old little house has been rented
for six or seven shillings, where about twenty-four young men are being
trained. I had to go to Darjeeling for a month to recover my health, and I
am glad to tell you I am very much better, and would you believe it, without
taking any medicine, only by the exercise of mental healing! I am going
again to another hill station tomorrow, as it is very hot in the plains.
Your society is still living, I am sure. I will send you a report, as least
every month, of the work done here. The London work is not doing well at
all, I hear, and that was the main reason why I would not come to England
just now — although some of our Rajas going for the Jubilee tried their best
to get me with them — as I would have to work hard again to revive the
interest in Vedanta. And that would mean a good deal more trouble
physically.
I may come over for a month or so very soon however. Only if I could see my work started here, how gladly and freely would I travel about!
So far about work. Now about you personally. Such love and faith and
devotion and appreciation like yours, dear Miss Noble, repays a hundred
times over any amount of labour one undergoes in this life. May all
blessings be yours. My whole life is at your service, as we may say in our
mother tongue.
It never was and never will be anything but very very welcome, any letters
from you and other friends in England. Mr. and Mrs. Hammond wrote two very
kind and nice letters and Mr. Hammond a beautiful poem in The Brahmavadin,
although I did not deserve it a bit. I will write to you again from the
Himalayas, where thought will be clear in sight of the snows and the nerves
more settled than in this burning plains. Miss Müller is already in Almora.
Mr. and Mrs. Sevier go to Simla. They have been in Darjeeling so long. So
things come and go, dear friend. Only the Lord is unchangeable and He is
Love. May He make our heart His eternal habitation is the constant prayer
of,
VIVEKANANDA.