Psyche

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
Contributors are requested to let their com¬
munications be brief and well-considered.
Many more contributions received than space
can be found for, we should like to print in
this number. As it is, a portion of the cover
is utilised.
The following letter from Colonel Olcott
makes reference to some former letter which
has never been received by us:—
To the Editor of c‘ The Spiritualist'’
Sir,—About two months ago, I sent you
from Ceylon a letter respecting my personal
knowledge of the so-called “Himalayan
Brothers/’ which has not yet been published
in your columns. It was called forth by your
editorial remark that I had not given public
testimony to the fact of their existence; and
the necessary implication is that my silence
was due to disbelief in the same, or at least to
lack of proof sufficient to make me willing
to so commit myself. Pray allow me to set
the question at rest, once for all:—
I have seen them, not once but numerous
times.
I have talked with them. I was not en¬
tranced, nor mediumistic, nor hallucinated,
but always in my sober senses.
I have corresponded with them: receiving
their letters, sometimes enclosed inside the
letters of ordinary correspondents upon com¬
mon-place subjects, coming to me by post;
sometimes written on blank spaces or margins
of such ordinary letters | sometimes dropped
to me in full light from out the air; some¬
times, in their own covers, through the post,
and from places where I had no other corre¬
spondents, and where they personally did not
reside ; and in other ways. I have seen them,
both in their bodies and their doubles, usually
the latter. ..
Eirst and last, as many as thirty or forty
other witnesses have seen them in my
presence.
I have thus personally known “ Koot
Hoomi ’’ since 1875, making his acquaintance
at New York.
Since November last four different Brothers
have made themselves visible to visitors at
our head-quarters,
I know the Brothers to be living men and
not spirits; and they have told me that there
are schools, under appointed living adepts,
where their occult science is regularly taught.
It is all this actual knowledge of them and
close observation of multifarious phenomena
shown by them, under non-mediumistic con¬
ii
ditions, that has made me take the active part
I have in the theosophical movement of the
day.
And their precept and example b ave made
me try to do some practical good to the Asiatics.
For their lives and their knowledge are de-
voted to the welfare of mankind. Though
unseen by, they yet labour for, humanity.
The first lesson I, as a pupil, was required by
them to learn and, having learnt, to put into
practice, was—Unselfishness. For the sake
of their fellow men some of them have made
sacrifices as great as any that history records
of any philanthropist.*
Your “ S.” (Spiritualist, Jan. 20th)is asibil-
lant cackler, and your man “ Beyond the
Grave ” another. Their talk is that of the
ignorant. If they want to be convinced
(which does not appear certain) of the practi¬
cal benefit our Theosophical Society is doing,
let them come here; visit our branches in
India and Ceylon; talk with our members,
of various races; examine our schools ; see
our vernacular publications; mingle with the
crowds that throng at our lectures; and take
a consensus among the missionaries (whose
diatribes are our best certificates). The
Amritza Bazar PatriJca is, I believe, the most
widely circulated vernacular paper in India.
It says of me (Jan. 12) “ whether there be
* Himalayan Brothers ’ or not, there is at
least one white pian who is acting like a
brother to the Sinhalese, and will as occasion
permits it act similarly to the Hindus. If it
be not asking too much, we would request
the Colonel to come to the City of Palaces
and enlighten the Calcutta public on subjects
with which he is so familiar and which are
calculated to do so much good to the Hindoo
nation. . .
I In conclusion, if you or your correspondents
can show that in a single instance our Society
has done harm to the community or to in¬
dividuals, I ask you to make the fact known.
I believe that we are doing good, practical as
well as spiritual, and that we can prove it by
“ a multitude of witnesses.” H. 8. Olcott.
Theosophical Society, President’s Office.
Bombay, February 7th, 1882.
DR. YAZEILLE ON MR. HUSK’S MEDIUMSHIP.
Dr. Yazeille, of Issy-sur-Seine, has written
to Mons. Leymarie, of 5, Rue Neuve des
Petits Champs, Paris, a report of a seance with
Mr.* Cecil Husk, which report was lent to us
during our recent visit to Paris, by Mons.
Leymarie, for the publication of the particulars
in this journal. / \ ' ' v-;/- / -