AN EVENING WITH MRS BESANT.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8541, 22 July 1893, Page 9

AN EVENING WITH MRS BESANT.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, June 10.

Most people in New Zealand have heard of Mrs Annie Besant and her hook the " Fruits of Philosophy," and of her assumption of the mantle dropped by the late Madame Blavatsky. Professor Max Muller's entrance upon the scene has attracted fresh interest in London, and there is much talk now of Mrs Besant and her disciples. I was courteously invited to a conversazione given by the leading lights of the Theosophical Lodge, Mrs Besant and.the Countess Wachmeister. The Theosophical habitat is a very pleasant one in St. John's Wood, that most charming and sylvan of suburbs, close to Regent's Park. Part of a private house has been turned into a lecture hall, and this hall was converted for the evening into a very prettily-decorated drawing-room from which you passed if you chose into a delightful garden full of fine old trees, and softly illuminated with Chinese lanterns. At the entrance I was received by Mrs Besant herself, with whom I bad several conversations during the evening. Very hazy ideas are generally prevalent as to the personality of this lady. Many people fancy her a raging Atheist and social Iconoclast* Others misreading her books regard her as the advocate of immorality. The favourite conception of her is as a domineering pragmatic woman of the most terrible, strong-minded order—a sort of intellectual Mrs Mac Stinger. Yet her portraits represent her as decidedly pretty and very gentle-looking. Except tbe last none of these descriptions apply to the real Mrs Besant, as she appeared to mc last Tuesday evening. Her portraits make her about twenty-nve-r-her real age must be nearly double that figure. She is rather below than aboye middle height. Her face is not strictly pr. handsome, but it is a very sweet and expressive face, full of intellect; Her mouth is singularly mobile and flexible, and her eyes and smile are charming. Her manner is peculiarly gentle and- attractive, and the reverse of dictatorial or dogmatic. Indeed, even in speaking of her " mission," and of the tenets of what I may term her sect, she was curiously moderate and humble in tone. She claimed for them that they were seekers after the truth, npt that they had found the whole and sole truth already, as- do too many religious propagandists. "We quite admit and recognise," she said to mc, " that the truth may present itself in many different lights and aspects to " different people. It may be the same truth seen in different lights. Or there may be various portions of the whole truth seen at the same time by different people. Therefore we welcome at our meeting every utterance of opinion, however widely divergent the opinions may be. The one single principle upon which alone, we absolutely insist is that of universal brotherhood, and this of necessity involves universal toleration."

In reply to my inquiry as to whether, a free, expression of antagonistic opinion was permitted at the meetings and discussions of the Society, Mrs Besant replied—" Most certainly—indeed it is welcomed as a means of arriving at the truth. An opponent may be wrong, yet he may suggest new views or ideas, which may enable us to obtain a clearer light upon what is certainly true. Anybody, be he English Churchman, Roman Catholic, Dissenter, Mahomedan, Hindoo, or Parsee, is welcome to. put forward his views or opinions for discussion, and they will be discussed. For myself, I lecture on the last Thursday in each month, but as President of the Society I alwayß speak for a few minutes at the close of every meeting, as summing up the results of the discussion. "

There was no lecturing or general discussion that evening. We had some really excellent music, both vocal and instrumental, and some that was less meritorious ; capital refreshments, and the utmost friendliness and pleasantness among those present, the habitues all doing their best to make things agreeable for the visitors. There was no attempt at propagandist*] or proselytism. I can state most authoritatively that Theosophists make admirable coffee,-and that Theosophical strawberries and cream are delicious. Among the New Zealand guests present I noticed Sir Walter and Miss Boiler, and Mrs Perceval-John-ston. ■ ->.rr. ■