Theosophical Society,
H P Blavatsky
A letter
from Countess Wachtmeister to A P Sinnet written during the writing of the
Secret Doctrine. The letter expresses concern at the effect that the damaging
report by the Society for Psychical Research had had on H P Blavatsky. It seems
however that HPB has recovered from the initial shock of the report and has
been able to resume her work. The Theosophical Society itself is also
recovering.
29th
Dec.
DEAR
MR. SINNETT,
I
feel that I have no right to offer you any advice, but as we all have at heart
the
welfare of the one and same cause I hope you will not think it interference
on
my part, or mind my telling you a few thoughts which have come to me since my
stay here.
Watching
Madame as I do every day writing her S.D. and seeing how thoroughly absorbed
she is in her work, it seems to me a sad pity that anything should come to
disturb her and I have often asked myself whether it would not be advisable to
crush all these slanders against Madame with the supreme contempt of silence.
The
more one attempts to refute the lies the more fuel one throws on the flames
and
so the scandal is kept alive. I do in my heart believe that nothing would be
so
galling to Messrs. Hodgson and Co. as allowing the whole affair to pass
without
taking any notice of it. You see this very scandal gives them notoriety and brings
them into Public notice, they are comparatively an obscure set and if you treat
them as such and pay no attention to their accusations, well the thing
will
be just a nine days wonder and then blow over to make room for something
else.
You have been very good to Madame for you have been one of the few who have
stood forth in her defence, but you see you cannot really make things clear for
her, for the Occult laws are not yet known, and therefore I think it is far
better
to keep silence. No quarrel or discussion can be kept up when there is
only
one side to do all the talking, it must die out, and we Theosophists have
borne
so much already I think we can bear this too. Very few people have left
the
Society on account of this scandal and those who remain are truer than ever.
In
philosophical
state of mind and says she does not really care what they say of
her,
she was annoyed about the Spy article for she feared it would prevent her
returning
to
and
she thinks the whole thing had better be allowed to die out of itself.
The
L. affair is very provoking coming just now, try and put an end to it as
quickly
as possible and say to the Secret Committee that you are commissioned by Madame
to say to them that if Miss L. has any REAL PROOF that Madame has wrongly
slandered her, even though what she said was said privately in a private and
confidential letter, still Madame would make her every apology—but the
Committee must be fully assured of her (Miss L.’s) innocence first.
You
see Madame must have peace of mind to enable her to write this book and it is
only by ignoring or crushing scandals that this can be done. Madame sends you
much love, she always speaks of you so gratefully and kindly, and she said to
me the other evening that you had been a true friend to her and that she had a
warm affection for you and Mrs. Sinnett—she said that you, the Gebhards and D.
Hubbe are her best European friends. Madame entirely approves of all I have
written for I have told her its contents, she is in a calm and peaceful frame
of mind and is perfectly happy writing the S.D. May this New Year bring you and
yours many blessings and may we at the end of it be able to say that we have
been staunch and true and have loved the Cause better than ourselves.
Yrs. very sincerely,
C. WACHTMEISTER.
P.S.
Madame supposes that there will be about 100 printed pages every month in the
S.D.
Theosophical Society,