Correspondence, notes, expense lists, and invoices for objects obtained by Gen. Munthe and shipped to Gertrude Bass Warner in Eugene [040]
Item
Title
Correspondence, notes, expense lists, and invoices for objects obtained by Gen. Munthe and shipped to Gertrude Bass Warner in Eugene [040]
Author
Munthe, Johan Wilhelm Normann
Recipient
Warner, Gertrude Bass, 1863-1951
Date
1933-06-12
Identifier
UA022_b005_f006_153_156
Description
Correspondence between Gertrude Bass Warner and General Normann Munthe
Transcript:
Peking, 12 June, 1933.
My dear Friend,
Thank you for your letter of May 7th, posted May 11th, that came here on the 9th. Of course, all that you say about God being all Goodness and Perfection, hence cannot and does not send his His children any evil in any shape or form, is quite true, and knowing this, we also know that whatever appears to us as evil has no mandate or right of existence and forever, and we therefore know that it must—in God’s own good time—disappear. What love does come to us comes in various forms, for various reasons. In the first place, I think, and our wrong thoughts, words, and deed call down punishment on us, and this, I think does not only apply to our present life, but, as we take our vulnerability with all its shortcomings with us into the next life, so we, when we came into this life brought with us, the faults and failings of our previous existence or existences, and we are paying up—in the shape of sorrow and suffering—not only for this life, but also for the many previous ones. This is the only reasonable explanation that I can find, when I see so many good and worthy people suffer more than their apparently less good and worthy neighbors. That is one reason for suffering, another may also be that suffering hideous tribulations may be a link in and mental, spiritual development forward and upward. This, I also believe is a reason why we have to go through so much.
Now, take the present depression that affects the whole world; what is is the reason? I should say that the so-called “Great War”, and all the hate and wrong thinking in that direction that it created and which has not, as yet, been eradicated from the minds of man-kind. When we all have good-will and only kind, helpful thoughts for our fellow-beings, we shall have no more depression. This depression is the image and likeness of egotism and selfishness—every person, every nation, only thinking of itself, and its own seeming interests. Importantly, it is easier to abort a wrong that than to stop it, regret it, and eradicate it. It takes effort, good-will, and time and these things have first to be provided before one can reasonably look for any improvement.
There was a ray of sunshine in your letter that gave me great pleasure. You say you will pick the thing you want when you come to Peking. Hoorah—hurry up and come, please. You cannot come soon enough, and as I sitting here love writing to you, I am writing to you and telling you that that is the best news I have had for many a day. You have said so, my dear Friend, so that is a promise, and I am surely only too keen to you to your word. There has been no regular service in Peking since I gave it up to the other some 3 years ago. I am looking forward with the greatest pleasure to having services again with you—and you say Mrs. Perkins.
I am grateful and thank you for all your kind thoughts for me, and I thank God for sending you my way, and for our mutual friendship, and so I send you the best of all good wishes; ay God be with you and bless you.
All kind and helpful thoughts and wishes to you, my good Friend,
Your old friend,
Normann Munthe
End of transcript.
Transcribed by Tom Fischer.
Transcript:
Peking, 12 June, 1933.
My dear Friend,
Thank you for your letter of May 7th, posted May 11th, that came here on the 9th. Of course, all that you say about God being all Goodness and Perfection, hence cannot and does not send his His children any evil in any shape or form, is quite true, and knowing this, we also know that whatever appears to us as evil has no mandate or right of existence and forever, and we therefore know that it must—in God’s own good time—disappear. What love does come to us comes in various forms, for various reasons. In the first place, I think, and our wrong thoughts, words, and deed call down punishment on us, and this, I think does not only apply to our present life, but, as we take our vulnerability with all its shortcomings with us into the next life, so we, when we came into this life brought with us, the faults and failings of our previous existence or existences, and we are paying up—in the shape of sorrow and suffering—not only for this life, but also for the many previous ones. This is the only reasonable explanation that I can find, when I see so many good and worthy people suffer more than their apparently less good and worthy neighbors. That is one reason for suffering, another may also be that suffering hideous tribulations may be a link in and mental, spiritual development forward and upward. This, I also believe is a reason why we have to go through so much.
Now, take the present depression that affects the whole world; what is is the reason? I should say that the so-called “Great War”, and all the hate and wrong thinking in that direction that it created and which has not, as yet, been eradicated from the minds of man-kind. When we all have good-will and only kind, helpful thoughts for our fellow-beings, we shall have no more depression. This depression is the image and likeness of egotism and selfishness—every person, every nation, only thinking of itself, and its own seeming interests. Importantly, it is easier to abort a wrong that than to stop it, regret it, and eradicate it. It takes effort, good-will, and time and these things have first to be provided before one can reasonably look for any improvement.
There was a ray of sunshine in your letter that gave me great pleasure. You say you will pick the thing you want when you come to Peking. Hoorah—hurry up and come, please. You cannot come soon enough, and as I sitting here love writing to you, I am writing to you and telling you that that is the best news I have had for many a day. You have said so, my dear Friend, so that is a promise, and I am surely only too keen to you to your word. There has been no regular service in Peking since I gave it up to the other some 3 years ago. I am looking forward with the greatest pleasure to having services again with you—and you say Mrs. Perkins.
I am grateful and thank you for all your kind thoughts for me, and I thank God for sending you my way, and for our mutual friendship, and so I send you the best of all good wishes; ay God be with you and bless you.
All kind and helpful thoughts and wishes to you, my good Friend,
Your old friend,
Normann Munthe
End of transcript.
Transcribed by Tom Fischer.
Source
Gertrude Bass Warner Papers, 1879-1954
Repository
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives
Institution
University of Oregon
Type
Text
Format
application/pdf
Rights
Rights Reserved - Free Access
Rights Holder
University of Oregon Libraries, Special Collections and University Archives