The Danish Peace Academy

GANDHI AND NORDIC COUNTRIES

Letter, after August 25, 1919

[In a letter dated August 25, Miss Faering expressed her desire to stay in India and serve the country as much as she could.]

[After August 25, 1919]

My dear child,

You have been writing fairly regularly but I have been unable to do so. You know the reason why.

The pain I suffered was really nothing. Chhotalal made more of it than was deserved. I am taking all reasonable care of the body.

I take it that there is no hurry about your giving a final answer to the Board or Mr. Bittmann. Yours is a difficult case. I am most anxious that you should be absolutely true and faithful to the Board and that they should not in any way feel that you had done anything unworthy. Shall I write to Mr. Bittmann (am I spelling his name correctly? I have not your letter by me) even as I wrote to the Governor? Your service to India should be rendered as a true Dane and a Christian. You are serving because your Christianity prompts you to do so. And it is not enough that you feel so, it is necessary that your people should realize it through your love, humility and nobility. I do not know how best it can be done. Anyway your letters to them should be gentle, true and charitable… never harsh, bitter or reproachful. After all, yours in a way is a rebellion and it can only be justified by success in the religious sense of the term, even as Daniel’s and Bunyan’s were justified.

I am glad you are keeping well. Are you comfortable? You will be a bad child if you fail to express your wants to me. If you are in need of money, you will not hesitate to tell me so.

It is a strange phenomenon - everybody wanting to learn English.⁷⁴ You should satisfy their desire within bounds. Do tell me a little more fully as to who wants it.

With love,

Yours,

Bapu

Source: My Dear Child, pages 38-39; Collected Works, Volume 16, pages 62-63

[In letters dated September 15 and 21, Miss Faering expressed her longing to go to the Sabarmati Ashram soon. On September 28, she wrote of her impatience and asked Gandhi to allow her to go to Bombay and intercede with the Governor.

On October 4, Gandhi sent a telegram to the Governor of Madras in which he said:

“MR. ANDREWS WROTE SAYING HIS EXCELLENCY WOULD EXPEDITE MISS FAERING'S COMING TO ME. SHE IS NOW WITHOUT OCCUPATION AND MOST ANXIOUS JOIN ME. WILL HIS EXCELLENCY PLEASE PERMIT MISS FAERING TO JOIN ME PENDING ANY INVESTIGATIONS HIS EXCELLENCY MIGHT BE MAKING.” (Source: SN6931; Collected Works, Volume 16, page 208).

The Private Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Droff, replied: “… if Miss Faering will apply in the usual way to Government for permission to travel to Bombay, there will be no difficulty in granting it.” Gandhi acknowledged this letter on October 22 and wrote to Mr. Droff: "Will you please convey to His Excellency my thanks for the consideration shown about Miss Esther Faering who has now arrived at the Satyagraha Ashram." (Collected Works, Volume 16, pages 208 and 251)]

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