The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-05-03

ground of the congress just closed-that
Is, the ladies who assumed the manage
ment, are very much shocked and erieved
in smiling way over the affair of Satur-
day night which came so near terminal
ing their meeting in riot. And
the Brahmacharin, too, is still indignant,
for he is unable TO see yet why he should
have been subjected to discourtesy, par
tlcularly as he Is q stranger in our City
and uDaccustomed to our ways and man
ners. While regretting the incident, he
still adheres to the belief that an apology
may be due him, and the ladies, on the
other hand, say that the name of this
Hindoo priest will be e1punged from
their record and denied the privilege of
going down into history as a participant
in their congress unless he squares him.
self in some emphatic and abject manner.
In searching for an explanation of that
big rumpus one will find two versions,
and as distinct as day from night. When
the Brahm acharin delivered him self of
his roast on the congress Saturday, he
simply vouchsafed that he had been in
suited and wished to resent il. He went
no further. Some people wondered what
had riled him, and others who knew held
their peace.
But yesterday everybody was willing 10
talk, and did so. The Rindoo had COM
pie tely recovered from his fervor, but was
what he did.
'In some respects l am sorry that it
happened" he said last evening, after his
return from Palo Alto, where he had
been lecturing to the Stanford students.
But again l am not. The leaders who
had the congress in charge have only
themselves to blame for the scene. l did
not wish to come here in the first place,
but they coaxed me. l was sojourning in
nd LOFT
telling me- how delighted they would be
to have me come and tell them som ething
about Oriental philosophy.
l permitted myself to believe that they
were serious-that they really wished to
be enlightened and instructed-and l
came. I have found, however, that | was
only called to talk to a lot of society folks
who neither listen nor think, and / am
sorry that | came.
"But | will tell you how it happened. l
was specially invited to be present las
Thursday afternoon because a paper n
'Heredity' was to be read by Mrs. Helen
Gardener, and was supposed to reply to
1t. did reply and that is what caused all
the trouble. Mrs. Gardeners theories
were Numerically opposed to mine on
that subject and l supposed / would be
allowed the right to say SO.
We'll, got up and talked, and what
WAS the result?
why, despite my earnestness-beca use
was saying what l had been taught to
belleye-a lot OF them began to smoker in
my face, and L could hear whispered COM
ments all around me.
II was speaking of our reincarnation
belief and our opposition 10 heredity, when
one OF those women began to deliber-
ately Jerk my gown from behind.
dou btless meaning that l shouid
desist. Such an insult never had thrust
upon me before in my life and l hone I
never shall again. Why if they wanted
me to stop talking, why did they not saw
SO, instead of exhibiting sucn discourtesy?
But at all events l kept MY temper and
had my say. / was resolved, however. to
tell them something before that congress
was over.
My opportunity came Saturday night.
l was down on the programme to read
paper, and when my turn came l simply
arose and said / would read no paper and
explained why | would not. l was per-
fectly cool and calm and had no idea of
raising disturbance. In fact l did not.
1t was they who did it all.
II simply told them that l had been
treated discourteously Il said nothing
about their having stepped upon the head