THE MAHATMA LETTERS

K. H.

The more I think of it, the more reasonable appears to me your plan of a Society within the London Society. Try, for something may come out of it.

Letter No. 118 (ML-96) Rec. January 1884

Now, suddenly, we have a letter to Sinnett from the Mahatma M., and the reason for it is an interesting one. Equally interesting is its appearance. It was enclosed in a letter from H.P.B. The first part of Letter No. 118 is on a folded sheet of smooth note paper about 5" x 7" in size. From the text we learn that it was a sheet of Sam Ward's monogrammed note paper.

William Eglinton had continued his mediumistic activities after his return to London and this letter (letter No. 118) is concerned in part with a seance he was holding in the quarters of Sam Ward.

Received 1883 or '84?

My humble pranams, Sahib. Your memory is not good. Have you forgotten the agreement made at Prayag and the pass-words that have to precede every genuine communication coming from us though a Bhoot-dak or medium? How like the séance of December the 15th — coroneted card, my letter and all! Very similar — as a Peling pundit would say. Yet, first a loving greeting from old woman to Lonie misspelled on card Louis, then to C. C. Massey whose name she now never pronounces, and that greeting coming after supper — when C.C.M. had already left. Then my message in a feigned hand when I am at dead loggerheads with my own; again I am made to date my supposed message from Ladakh December 16th, whereas I swear I was at Ch-in-ki (Lhasa), smoking your pipe. Best of all my asking you to "prepare for our coming as soon as we have won over Mr. Eglinton Sahib!!!" One Saturday and Lord Dunraven having failed why not try again. A solemn evening, that Saturday, at Piccadilly over old Sotheran the mouldy bookseller. Knew premises well, felt amused and watched with your leave. Why feel so disgusted? Spooks worked remarkably well nothing abashed by my presence of which neither W.E. nor his bodyguard knew anything. My attention was attracted by their forging H.P.B.'s handwriting. Then I put aside my pipe and watched. Too much light for the creatures coming from a Piccadilly Street though Sotheran emanations helped good deal. I would call your friend Mr. Myers' attention to psychic fact of rotten emanations. Raise a good Bhoot crop. Yes; the room with windows overlooking Piccadilly is a good place for psychic development. Poor entranced wretch.

"We wish to state to prevent any future misunderstanding that whatever phenomena may present themselves to you this evening we are in no way responsible for them and have no hand in their production." This is pure self-abnegation — modesty is no name for it. He paced the room and I followed from a distance. He went to Mr. Ward's writing desk and took a sheet of his monogram paper — and I helped myself to one — just to show you I watched. As for all of you, you did not watch very keenly while he was guided to place paper and envelope between the leaves of a book and when he laid it upon the table, or you would have seen something very interesting for science. The clock's silvery tongue strikes ten-fifteen and K.H.'s form descending a hill on horseback — (he is in the far off woods of Cambodia now) — is supposed to cross the horizon of "Uncle Sam's" vision — and disturbs the activity of the Pisachas. The astral disturbance impedes their dull progress. Their bells are fine — very.

Now Sahib, you must not be too hard upon the wretched young fellow. He was utterly irresponsible on that night. Of course his belonging to your L.L.T.S. is pure nonsense, for a paid and suspected medium is no peer for English gentlemen. Yet he is honest in his way, and however much K.H. made fun of him in his card addressed to the Gordons — that all of you took seriously at the time — he is really honest in his way and to be pitied. He is a poor epileptic subject to fits especially on the days when he is expected to have dinner with you. I mean to ask K.H. to beg a favour from Mr. Ward; to save the poor wretch from the two elementaries which have fastened on him like two barnacles. It is easy for good "Uncle Sam" to get for him an appointment somewhere and thus save him from a life of infamy which kills him; he will thereby do a meritorious and a Theosophical act of charity. Mr. Ward is wrong. W.E. is not guilty of any conscious, deliberate jugglery that night. He got a passionate desire to join the L.L., and as the wish is father to the deed his astral ticks fabricated that letter of mine through means of their own. Had he done it himself he would have remembered it was not my handwriting, as he is familiar with it through Gordons. Woe to the spiritualists! Their Karma is heavy with the ruin of men and women they entice into mediumship, and then throw off to starve like a toothless dog. At any rate ask him for the card of Upasika with her alleged writing on it. It is a good thing to keep and show occasionally to the Masseys of the L.L. who believe pure lies and will suspect fraud where none is meant. You are at liberty to regard me as a "nigger" and savage, Sahib. But though I am the first to advise Mrs. K.'s re-election — nevertheless, I would sooner trust W.E.'s clairvoyance than Mrs. K.'s, or rather her rendering of her visions. But this will soon stop. Subba Row is vindicating you. — Writing an answer to the Australian convert.²³³

M.

Letter No. 119 (ML-86) Rec. January 1884

Mrs. Kingsford has been President of the London Lodge for about a year. This was really due to the efforts of C.C. Massey, who felt she was the only one who could keep that group from dying. But Sinnett had been back in England for about nine months, and he himself very much wanted to assume that post for the London group. There was considerable division in the lodge as a result.

Received January, 1884.

Good friend, I take you at your word. In one of your recent letters to the "O.L." you express your readiness to follow my advice in almost anything I may ask you. Well — the time has come to prove your willingness. And since, in this particular case, I myself am simply carrying out the wishes of my Chohan, I hope you will not experience too much difficulty in sharing my fate by doing — as I do. "Fascinating" Mrs. K. has to remain President — jusqu' au nouvel ordre.²³⁴ Nor can I conscientiously, after reading her apologetic letter to H.P.B. — say that I do not side with her in much she has to say in her excuse. Of course much of it is — after-thought; still her very eagerness to retain her post contains good hope for the future of the London Lodge, especially if you help me by carrying out the spirit of my instructions. Thus, the London Theos. Soc. will be no more "a tail for her to wag" at her own sweet pleasure and fancy, but she will become herself part and parcel of that "tail" — and, the more she helps to wag it — the better such activity for your Society. Minute explanations would be rather too long and tedious a job. Suffice that you should know that her anti-vivisection struggle and her strict vegetarian diet have won entirely over to her side our stern Master. He cares less than we do for any outward — or even inward — expression or feeling of disrespect to the "Mahatmas." Let her do her duty by the Society, be true to her principles and all the rest will come in good time. She is very young, and her personal vanity and other womanly short-comings are to be laid at the door of Mr. Maitland and the Greek chorus of her admirers.