XLIV Mother – Letters of Swami Vivekananda

To Mrs. G. W. Hale

NEW YORK

18 November 1894

DEAR MOTHER

I have been very late this time in writing you as Sister Mary1 has already written to you, no doubt, about me.

The clothes have all reached safe, only I will send over some of the summer and other clothes as it will be impossible to carry the burden all along with me.

The certainty about going to Europe this December has gone; so I am uncertain when I go.

Sister Mary has improved a great deal from what I saw her last. She lives with a number of fox-hunting squires and is quite happy. I hope she will marry one of those fellows with long pockets. I am going again to see her tomorrow at Mrs. Spalding’s — I was there last afternoon. I will be in N.Y. this month; then I go to Boston and perhaps will be there all through December. When I was sick in Boston last spring, I went over to Chicago, and not to Detroit as Mrs. Bagley expected. So this time I am going to Detroit first and then to Chicago, if possible. Else I altogether give up the plan of going to the West soon.

There is more chance of working my plans out in the East than in the West, as it now appears.

I have got news of the phonograph — it has reached safe, and the Râjâ2 wrote to me a very nice letter on that. I have a lot of addresses and other nonsense from India. I have written home to them not to send any more newspapers. My love to the babies at home and I am going to visit the baby3 abroad.

Mrs. Guernsey has been at death’s door. She is now recovering slowly. I have not seen her yet. She is not strong enough to see anybody. Hope she will soon be strong.

My love to Father Pope and everyone.

Your ever affectionate son,
VIVEKANANDA

1. ^Mary Hale, the daughter of Mrs. G. W. Hale.
2. ^Ajit Singh, the Maharaja of Khetri, a devoted disciple of Swami Vivekananda.
3. ^“” The “babies at home” refers to Mrs. Hale’s daughter and two nieces: Harriet Hale, and Isabelle and Harriet McKindley. The “baby abroad” refers to Mary Hale.