Masonic, Occult and Esoteric Online Library
The Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett - 1925
By A. T. Barker
Letter No. 20
[A comment in M.'s writing appears in bold type. — Ed.]
December 7th. {Bombay}
My dear Boss,
'Pon my honour could not tell. Tried in America where they had stolen old millionaire Stewart's body, and Brothers said then it was no concern of mine, but that the body would never be found and — it never was, all manner of stories notwithstanding to the effect that it was found.
Your books for review arrived yesterday and with them my BOSS, who put up an appearance. Says — he would try to dictate to me the reviews himself, were it not for the fact — a quite and utterly impossible feat — required, to write as if I (he) belonged to the Church of England! Thanks.
Olcott telegraphed for I had telegraphed him to ask to announce to you the day of his arrival as you wanted him for Mrs. Sinnett. The Theosophist not out yet and we are the 8th to-day! Why? Because without me all went topsy-turvy and 2,000 Rupees of subscription money spent for what — better ask the wind. Damodar is as loony as a March hare.
As Vice-President and member of the Council you have to be notified of a certain thing. Mr. Padshah as I now find out, went Lucknow to open Branches and initiate Fellows without the sanction and even permission of the Council. He also took 125 Rupees of the subscription money — as there was no other — without asking either my or the Council's permission, and innumerable complaints against him have been pouring in since I returned, from Dr. Dudley and Council to the effect that he cares about them as much as he cares about a passing donkey; that he, all the time bossed here and played the Master and insulted the Council etc. etc. The worst of all was his lecture, which he gave "in connection with the Bombay Branch" whereas neither its President (Dudley) nor any of the Council had given him sanction or permission to do so. Now what's to be done in this case? My Boss orders me to notify you of this. With the exception of once 8 or 9 and at another as many lines, from Koot Hoomi, he never received one word from the Brothers, yet, he lowers down all other fellows and publicly boasted at his lecture Framji Hall — that he was one of the very few favoured ones by the Brothers, namely "Col. Olcott, Mr. Sinnett and himself!!" who were in constant communication with him. His behaviour is utterly untheosophical. Now will you, please, sign a paper we will send you (an official paper) blaming his conduct? He does not care a bit about native councillors and it will impress him far more if you sign it. We will send you the paper with his crimes detailed and you give your opinion thereon. M. says its about time to enforce respect for Rules; and if the Council is made so cheap then is the Society and its organisation a — farce. I am disgusted with all this for Padshah deceived me. He now goes on initiating Fellows and sends here neither obligations nor money, but spends it I suppose. Of course if we do not enforce the Rules, the Society is sure to be always in hot water. It is always K. H.'s kindness and extreme tenderness for everything suffering that brings on this. He pitied the Fellow who was disinherited by his Father, and had epileptic fits, and felt miserable and — wrote to him a few lines of consolation, and now, there's the thanks. The Brothers are again and once more brought into ridicule.
Well, such is our and my fate. Salaam. Yours in hot water,
Veuve Blavatsky.
When do you want your reviews? Please say. Did the Silent and Scornful "Cynical one" receive Tibet from Trubners I just sent him in lieu of his? Please inform.
P.S. You were mistaken in your supposition that the spiritualists would raise an outcry for Mr. Hume's Fragments. Not a paper has noticed it. Light not a word; Medium not a breath; the Spiritualist alone had a stupid short para. and a long and as stupid an article to-day about it. I sent to Mr. Hume, Terry's article in answer to it from Australia. He says that not a point is covered!! Well I have nothing more to say. I told Mr. H. that I could not answer this new article from Terry as my style would so clash with his in the Fragments. And yet the "Boss" always said that the Fragments was a magnificently written article. Oh Jesus, what a life!
Yours again,
H. P. B.
And the "Boss" says so still. But the "Boss" will ask no more Mr. Hume to do anything for either Society or humanity. Mr. Hume will have henceforth, to ride his own "donkey" and we too remain satisfied with our own legs.
M.
