NAWSA GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Breshkovsky - 1922 8 April 1922. Praha-Bubenec, Zahandna 44 Tchekoslovakia My beloved and unchangeable friend Helene Dudley! How long I did not write you, and how sure I am to meet the same loving heart, the same faithful friendship. It is so beautiful, so consolent to be always sure in one's sympathy and sincere interest in our fate, our existence. Dearest girl, you don't know how much morale welfare your presence, for you are invariably present to me as a refuge, where I can find consolation and patronage. My last letter was addressed to Mrs Julia Drury, where I mentioned the splendid comforter I got for the $10 you sent for my own persone. I never heard of you or Julia after this my letter. I was not lazy myself, but had force enough to write only "business" letters. From all parts assailed and bombarded by prayers and demands of which even the half impossible to performe in my precarious position. From day to day, matters are growing worse. People instead to return to Russia come out of it and filled all the cities and countries, being deprived of any resources. One borders a vise to pass from one place to another one, where he hopes to get some work. Another in search of his relations, forlorn God knows where. Some (and most part) ask for money, being at the verge of starvation; some have children that must be placed in Internats, or furnished with clothes to visit school. Not to speak about Russia herself, here in Europe we have to take care of thousands & thousands of our destitute countrymen, and being not able to fulfil their demands, one feels himself in a very gloomy mood. Phylosphy is one thing, our heart's cords quite another. 2. I don't complain, I only constate the state of a Russian mind at the present moment. ... You think, you guess, you try to become wise - and you perceive that your head is empty, your brain a chaos of fragmentary odds and ends, incoherent, leaving you without any outcome. Not a gainful situation. And I strain myself to preserve my my faculties in sight of the time that will be in want of our old forces in Russia. There is not assurance, but a strong hope to see our people delivered from despotism once more. But how many could not resist the barbarous persecution and succumbed. Best men and women in Russia - became invalides; many dead. Some less stable failed. And the young generation corrupted, disgraced, without principles of honesty and self respect. How to blame them - sentenced as they are to the fate of hungry dogs that lost all the traces of their homes. .... What can do any humble efforts to modify that state of things! So instead to dissolve myself into the general distress and wretchedness, I try to concentrate my attention to those young beings that can be readied, that begun already to prove like reasonable, conscious sympathithes with the welfare of their countrymen. It is my Karpotes Internats, which contain already many cents of poor girls and boys. Better something realizable, manifested, distinct, than work and essay to catch the indefinite, uncertain. I am faithful to the idea that humanity is going forward and will create a life digne of God's aims and ends. But I know also how backward we are 3 in our moral qualities, and how negligent to our duties. Therefore, I prefer to construct and organize things which I can control myself. I am old enough to be practical somewhat, I know also that intelligent and devoted people can do some good even few means urging more sensible to take part into the imposed task. What for my health - it would be quite well if not for the weather, which is desolating all around the three seasons: autumn, winter and spring. Perhaps the summer will recompense us. Julia Euphemia, Mr Herreshkraft are my good friends. I send them my best wishes. As to you, dearest girl, I send you best feelings of my heart which became so old that quite unable to change. I kiss your both hands. C. Breshkovsky Postcare: Babuska Breshkovsky becoming old and childish tells her griefs and stories to American friends, who being practical and clever in all their enterprises - does not understand what are those Russian people that never can settle own affairs for themselves. Yet there are American friends that not withstanding our naivete and our being good-for-nothing - are in sympathy with Russian people without explaining the reason of it for themselves. What to our own Russian people then feel strangers in Europe, like artless, untrained children, improvident and naughty for sure. Dear 9, 2921. Tchekoslovakia, Praha Bubenec, Fahradna 44 Dear Miss B---: Your letter took much time before it reached me. Perhaps it is too late to answer your questions, yet I think it will do no harm, and I will try to express my opinion on the subject you are interested in -- willingly, and as well as my english does permit it. What concerns my past you could learn it from the work of Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, which contains a scratch of my biography, and my letters to my american friends, written from the exile in Siberia and prison. As to my present, having no possibility to work for my people in Russia, I try to work at the task that was the aim of the efforts of all my life -- to give a right education to the young generations. Small as it is, my work consist of the branches produced by the same stock; the first is the constitution of a group of a a honest enlightened and devoted to her people intelligenzia-- that will work amidst her people and with people to induce them to a life more conscious, more ethical, more humanitarian. For I observe that till now those who have the chance to obtain a high education does not care to transfere their knowledge to those-deprived of that privilege. Such neglect of the order given by Christ Himself-- who estimed children as the best instrument through which can be promoted the perfection of human soul-- such neglect has for result the complete separation of the population in two different classes that does not understand each other, and finish by become enemies to each other. It is not so much power and capital which are the cause of animosity we see in all countries between the two stratas of mankind, as the more terrible thing--ignorance on one side, and on the other the selfishness, which creates barricades, which hold the masses out of scientific knowledge, out of means to get them. All governments have enough money to spend for a large navy and army, but never enough to construct as much good schools and get good pedagogues to illuminate the dark brains of their subjects. Every teacher, professor, propagator knows how much easier it is to have to do with minds enlightened by the sun of knowledge, and how it is difficult to be understood by those--formed out of prejudices and superstitutions. Now, when political and economical life is so tightly envolved into the mutual interests of countries all over the world--people, if not serfs, have to know about all these questions the very truth, for the sake of their own wealfare. I state also that religious, moral, ethical side of education must be performed carefuly, and as undoubtedly women are much nearer to the psychology of their progeniture, that they love and understand that naive and loving psychology much better than men--it is our, women's duty to take in our hands the education of young generations. And I suggest to settle that urgent demand by transfering the education of girls and boys to the care of intelligent women at once. Our souls are much more distant from the questions of militarism, diplomaty, commerse and all sorts of business, and reserves more space for the development of mental and ethycal development of our minds and hearts. For that purpose I instaled some Internates into the more accessible to me slavonic province, which makes part of the Republic Tchekoslovakia, called Karpato-Russ, and where some hundreds children of poor people are sheltered, fed, and clothed. They visite several schools and have besides a teacher with them to be prepared at home. Many orphans among our pupils, for the war left quantity of widows with a lot of young ones. So the formation of a front of enlightened and conscious of her duty Intelligenzia is my first task. My second task is to save little beings deprived of any patronage and left alone to be degraded by the world's neglect and converted into huligans, mandicants, or even criminals. I feel how much in fault we are against these young beings--very often natures of great merits and capacities--letting them perish for want of chance to become estimable and usefull citizens, good workers and sturdy defenders of the rights of their brother's citizens. No crime is so sinful as our indifference to the corruption of those innocent beings whose only fault is to be destitute. It is a fatal mistake to pressume that nothing valuable can be obtained out of abandoned children, of those outcasts rambling about to get a cold potetoes to stiffle the pains of starvation. I will tell you a case which occured to us a year ago. Our russian teacher in a village school in Karpates could not bare the sight of such young mandicants and took some of them in his appartment and treated them as his own sons. These were boys from 3 to 12 years old, and at that hour they are twenty with him. Some phylantropic organization gave a little support, and this improvised fanily, poor and needful as she is, represents at this moment the most desirable sample of what can do a good hearted and clever man when emphasized with noble feelings towards a noble ideal. The twenty boys with their adoptive father work for themselves without any help from aside, the eldest boys are excellent scholars and 7 of them will enter the next year gimnasium, being also nurses for the babies and menagers of the housekeeping. People wonder to see how nice and tender they are to each other, and how delicate in their connections with strangers. This beautiful sample prooves once more that love, attention to the needs of others and a noble conduct of the preceptor--are the best means to obtain influence and confidence of those whom we patronize and diridge towards the proposed aim. Love, Love, it is that makes us wise, good and happy; that gives us energy and forces to forward the work once begun. And as we know that without a right mental and moral education humanity will never prosper, that also without being ourselves a noble exemple to our pupiles we never will attain a desirous result--we have before all to understand that nothing on earth is so dear and so beautiful as the human soul and that a religious and enlightened education makes that soul more and more perfect. After my work of 78 years among children, young people, grown up people of all ages and classes, and again, and again with children and youth--I say with persuasion that we women have before us a most important and most beautiful task--the regeneration, the perfection of human society by educating children not as dols or inconscient beings, but little beings endowed with reason and conscience, having their little duties to performe . My own ideals was during all my life--the progress of the soul in all her best capacities, and I was never desapointed in my devotion to that work. The nature--God gave us -- is an excellent instrument able to fulfill celestial songs. Good by dear girl and God bless your endeavors to be useful to our brothers and sisters. Catherine Breshkovsky My many faults in this manuscript you have to correct yourself. And if you are willing to aid my work you will collect some money among your friends and send it: Karpato-Russ, Uzgorod, A. A. Beskida, president of School Relief, Republic Tcheskoslavaky. My personal address is above. Czechoslovakia, Sanatoris-Bubenec Prague. April 26, 1923 Excellent Lady Hillard: Never could I forget your beautiful college, "Westover School" after I had the happy chance to visit it, four years ago, and to enjoy your aimable hospitality. Now the letter our inapreciable Miss Alice S. Blackwell recoiled vividly the delightfull hours I spent among the inhabitants of your splendid domaine. Again you evoque my gratitude by the generous collection for the sake of our orphans, whom your noble family aids to grow up honest and civilized citizens. The very interior of your motherly home is a solace to any soul devoted to intellectual labor and promotion of morale progress. How pleased I feel myself at the remembrance of your gay refectory, plenty of young girls full of energy and good humor. The beautiful castle you constructed to elevate in harmony the hearts and minds of those who in their turn will educate and protect young beings will remain for ever a memorial of true wisdom, and true dovotion to the cause of human welfare. If only more children could enjoy such bright, such happy infancy. Even with our small means we attain good results taking care of our peasant's children, so eager to be teached. Thank you dearest Lady - for them and for myself - whose sole consolation is to see people penetrate with Christian love and social righteousness. Accept my sincere gratitude and let me hope your bounty is imperishable. Catherine Breshkovsky Happy pupils of Westover School! Thank you for the generous collection you realized for the sake of Russian orphans in Karpates. They will know where from come the $300.00 you collected in your hospitable church. Miss Alice S. Blackwell wrote me about the days spent with you. It is the same beautiful mansion I had the great pleasure to visit four years ago. I saw there two hundred girls radiant and active, friendly and clever. I admired the presence of so many happy young people and fancied for myself! if all children would grow in such favorable conditions, there would be no place for bad feelings, no envie, no cupidity, no malediction, no tears, no none - Happy girls! never forget the moral lessons your noble President, your excellent teachers preach you. Following them you will be able to work as effectively as they do: guiding young souls on the path Christ Himself showed us addressing children as His best disciples. Thank you one more good girls with love and blessings Old russian woman Catherine Breshkovsky Born January 1844 4 Hepemhuya - 6 - July - 1922 - Dear and lovely grandmother! Дорогая и милая бабушка I wish to write to you you some words from хочу вас написать несколько слова Neresnitza om Нересница. I have been here since Monday. I expect to leave early to-morrow for Uyhorod. There I shall try to see r. Beshida & several other people. I leave for Prague on the evening train. I came up here with Elena Man and they fixed me up so nicely I would be very happy, and want to stay a long time but for one thing. That is the fleas! They eat me all night, so that I cannot sleep. Here is the fifth night I have not slept, and my head turns round, and is heavy as lead. Everything is very clean, but the straw beds are full of fleas, and one can do nothing. The people here are splendid, I mean the Smirconoff family, and Pavel Pekovitch - And the boys are dears, so gentle and well-behaved. This would interest me more than any I have seen. I long to be able to help those. Pavel Pek. has arranged a workshop with the tools the Red Cross sent, and the boys turn out good work. But now he is heart broken because the Czech Red Cross will not pay money to continue the work. I do wish we could get him money for that, and also for winter clothes for the boys. We must see what can be done. I am bringing you some of their little toys that you may see their work. It is a lovely country, and I would enjoy it so much, if I were not so tired. Also it is very hot, one can hardly go out in the middle of the day. I do hope that no[ne] Americans have come to see me during my absence. I long to have some news from you. Perhaps there are letters at Myrhorod for me. Elena [Moran?]. is worried because the School Aid have said they may not need her next year. It would be so good if she could stay here with her husband. Little girl, but she has not the money. The husband is better at present, but one can see that he is a sick man. She is most capable and energetic. It would be a great pity to lose her from the Internat. And the child is a dear, so well-behaved, intelligent, endearing. I have many photos for you to see, but alas, the whole film I took in [Mykatchuro?????o] is spoilt, because the film itself was bad. They would have been such good pictures of the girls at Rozbigo. And they also were disappointed. They are so good to me here, and do all that is possible for me, but about the fleas there is nothing to do. I think I shall try to sleep out-doors to-night on the grass. I hope you are keeping well, and having good news. I want to be back in Prague now. Salutations to all friends, and also to the two poor boys. I embrace you from far. Yours Екатерина Робертаун - it is in Russian and means: Catherine Robertowne. We add the father's name to our first. It is the letter I got from Mrs. Weller. She wrote it from Neresnitzy, the village most remote in Karpatorussia. You may see how identic are our observations, and the impression we get out of the contact with people and country. Now that venerable friend is with me again, busy to find out means to be useful to our orphans. Miss Gladys M. Lambert 226 No. Van Rensselaer Street Indiana U. S.A. Dec. 9, 1922. Tchekoslovakia, Praha Bubenec, Fahradne 44 Catherine Breshkovsky Dear Miss Lambert: Your letter took much time before it reached me. Perhaps it is too late to answer your questions, yet I think it will do no harm, and I will try to express my opinion the subject you are interested in - willingly, and as well as my poor English does permit it. - What concerns my past you could learn it from the work of Miss Alice Stone Blackwell, which contains a sketch of my biography, and my letters to my American friends, written from the exile in Siberia and prison. - As to my present, having no possibility to work for my people in Russia, because of the Bolshevik ignoble regime - a regime of dishonest and barbarous usurpers - I try to work at the task that was the aim of the efforts of all my life - to give a right education to the young generations. Small as it is, my work consists of two branches produced by the same stock; the first is a constitution of a group of a honest enlightened and devoted to her people intelligensia 2. that will work amidst her people and with people to induce them to a life more conscious, more ethical, more humanitarian. For I observe that till now those who have the chance to obtain a high education does not care to transfer their knowledge to those deprived of that privilege. - Such neglect of the orders given by Christ Himself - who estimed children as the best instrument through which can be promoted the perfection of human soul - such neglect has for result the complete separation of the population in two different classes that does not understand each other, and finish by become enemies to each other. It is not so much power and capital which are the cause of animosity we see in all countries between the two strata of mankind, as the as a more terrible thing - ignorance on one side, and on the other the selfishness, which creates barricades, which hold the masses out of scientific knowledge, out of means to get them. All governments have enough money to spend for a large navy and army, but never enough to construct as much good schools and get good 3. pedagogues to illuminate the dark brains of their subjects. Every teacher, professor, propagator, knows how much easier it is to have to do with minds enlightened by the sum of knowledge, and how difficult to be understood by those - formed out of prejudices and superstitions. - Now, when political and economical life is so tightly envolved into the mutual interests of countries all over the world - people, if not [serfs?] - have to know about all these questions the very truth, for the sake of their own welfare. I state also that religious, moral, ethical side of education must be performed carefully, and as undoubtedly women are nearer to the psychology of their progenitor, that they love and understand that naive and loving psychology much better than men it is our, women's duty to take in our hands the education of young generations and I suggest to settle that urgent demand by transferring the education of girls and boys to the care of intelligent women at once. Our souls are much distant from the questions of militarism, diplomacy, commerce and all sorts of business, and reserve more space for the development of mental and ethical development 4. of our minds and hearts. In that purpose I installed some Intimates into the more accessible to me Slovanic province, which makes part of the Republic TchekoSlovakia -called Karpato-Russ, and where some hundreds of children of poor people are sheltered, fed and clothed. They visit several schools and have besides a teacher with them to be prepared at home. Many orphans among our pupils, for the war left quantities of widows with a lot of young ones. so the formations of a front of enlightened and conscious of her duty intelligensia is my first task. My second task is to save little beings deprived of any patronage and left alone to be degraded by the world's neglect and converted into huligans, mendicants, or even criminals. I feel how much in fault we are against these young beings - very often natures of great merits and capacities - letting them perish for want of chance to become estimable and useful citizens, good workers and sturdy defenders of the rights of their brother citizens. No crime is so sinful as our indifference to the corruption of those innocent beings whose only fault is to be destitute. 5. It is a fatal mistake to presume that nothing valuable can be obtained out of abandoned children, of those outcasts rambling about to get a cold potatos to stiffle the pains of starvation. I will tell you a case which occured to us a year ago. Our Russian teacher in a village school in Varpotes could not bear the sight of such mendicants and took some of them in his apartment and treated them as his own sons. There were boys from 3 to 12 years old, and at that hour they are twenty + with him & today (24 April , 1922) they are twenty four with their adopted father. Some phylantropic organizations gave a little support, and this improvised family, poor and needful as she is, represents at this moment the most desirable sample of what can do a good-hearted and clever man when emphasized with noble feelings toward a noble ideal. The twenty boys with their adoptive father work for themselves without any help from aside, the eldest boys are excellent scholars and 7 of them will enter the next year gimnasium, being also nurses for the babies and managers of the housekeeping. People wonder to see how nice and tender they are to each other, and how delicate in their connections 6. with strength. This beautiful sample proves once more that love, attention to the needs of others and a noble conduct conduct of the preceptor - are the best means to attain influence and confidence of those whom we patronize and diridge towards towards the proposed aim. My dear Elsie, it is Love, Love that makes us wise, good and happy, that gives us energy and forces to forward the work once begun. And as we know that without a right mental and moral education humanity will never prosper, that also without being ourselves a noble example to our pupils we never will attain a desirous result. We have before all to understand that nothing on the earth is so dear and so beautiful as the human soul, and that a religious and enlightened education makes that soul more and more perfect. After my work of 78 years among children, young people, grown up people of all ages and classes, and again and again with children and youth - I say with persuasion that we women have before us a most important and most beautiful task - the regeneration, the perfection of human society by educating children not as dolls or inconscient 7. beings, but little beings endowed with reason and conscience, having their little duties to perform. My own ideals was during all my life- the progress of the soul in all her best capacities, and I was never disappointed in my devotion to that work. The nature - God gave us - is an excellent instrument able to fulfil celestial songs. Good by dear girl and God bless your endeavors to be useful to our brothers and sisters. Catherine Breshkovsky. My many faults in this manuscript you have to correct yourself. And if you are willing to aid my work, you will collect some money among your friends and to send it: Karpato-Russ, Uzgorod, A. A. Beskido, President of School Relief. Republic Tchekoslovaky. My personal address is above. Dec. 7, 1922 The Christian Register Gentlemen: I am requested by one of my parishioners to ask the Register for information concerning "the Little Grandmother of Russia." The suggestion has been made that Alice Stone Blackwell might give some information thru the Register. Perhaps your readers in general would like to know. Sincerely, (Rev.) Edwin P. Wood All Souls Church Brattleboro, Vt. Rev. Edwin P. Wood C B Mrs. Katherine Weller to Miss Helena Dudley, from Prague. May 31, 1922 I write for Babushka Breshkovsky, who asks me to send you her loving thanks for your letter, with check enclosed. She say you always come to her help at the moment when she is in need. The money will buy milk all summer. Just now she is not quite well enough to write herself. The lung which was so badly affected in her illness during the winter, has remained very frail, & a few days ago she got into a little draught, and has been a little sick ever since. Yesterday she was a little excited by my coming, and talked a good deal, so today she has a temperature, and must keep still. I am so glad to be here with her, for I see her need of me. I have a big room which opens out of hers, so I am always within call, and I hope by a regular and nourishing diet to bring back a measure of strength to her enfeebled organism. I only long to have access to a good American grocery and drug store; but in a little while I shall find out how to manage in this now strange town. Babushka talks to me so much about her American friends, more especially of you & Miss Blackwell. I see how much your friendship means to her. Mrs. Weller to Miss Blackwell, from Prague. May 31, 1922 Dear Alice Stone Blackwell: You were the first person, a long three years ago, to put me in touch with Babushka, so now that at last we are living together, I want to write and thank you, and tell you how happy I am to be here, & to feel that I am able to be a comfort to dear Babushka in her hours of weakness. I find her very comfortably installed in a big sunny room overlooking a park. The other people in the flat, General and Madame Sokoleff, are very pleasant, and care for her in all essentials, & there is a nice Russian nurse who comes in every day. But she needs someone to be at hand all the time for the little cares and attentions that a daughter would give. I have only been here three days, & of course everything is very new, & the town seems rather difficult on account of the strange language. There are many who do speak Russian, of course, but many more who have nothing but Czech, which is quite new to me. Later, when Babushka is stronger, I hope to go on to see her "Internats", (boarding schools), & afterwards write about them to our friends in America. Just at present their situation is difficult, since they have lost the support of Hoover's organization, gone from Prague, & of the Red Cross, soon to go. One must look to new sources of supply. I asked Babushka if she would wish to send a message to you,& she only says this: That she has waited a whole year to have me with her, & that now I am [J] come she is very happy, & easier in her mind; that she thanks America for so many good friends, & now for a daughter. I wish she would say more about herself, & less about me, but I am obliged to write what she says. She sets such store by your friendship. How glad she would be to see you! Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.