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Mölnlycke (Sweden) Sept. 30 22 My dear Brooks, I am so happy to discover you again! I wrote to you c/o Huebsch last year but that letter evidently did not reach you. I did some work & had some new experiences during the war. It was a great thing to be in Europe at the centre of events & watch the social phenomena month by month. Those four years have taught me more than many books on politics & psychology could have done. Some day I shall incorporate all these lessons in my writings. I shall stay in this country for some time, & then return to U.S. for my propaganda work. So I hope to see you someday. You say you wish to visit Sweden. Come by all means. If you care to lecture here in English, we can arrange for it easily. I have many good friends here. The people are very amiable, & have many fine qualities. The Labour Movement is very highly developed, & the people are better educated than in most other countries. I earn my living here by lecturing in Swedish on India (with lantern slides) all over the country, & I have large audiences everywhere. I am growing all the time, I mean intellectually & morally, & that is the chief thing. I write to my wife & daughter once a month. They are in India. Now I have finished my studies for my final propaganda work. But something more has to be done for health, & I am learning Greek & Latin. I learned only Sanskrit at college, but I find that Greek & Latin are indispensable for my work in future. I often think of California, & all the old friends, & the walks we had together in the country round Palo Alto. Reminiscence is sweet. What is Larkin doing? And where is Margaret? Do Peter & Margaret keep the school at Palo Alto? I have not seen "the Freeman," as I do not live at Stockholm, where the foreign journals can be read. I wish you all success in this work. Your pen can do much for the renovation of American life. I agree with you that the revival of Idealism is the essential thing for Democracy. In theological language, I may repeat Jesus' words: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, & all these things will be added unto you." In this work a popular interpretation of Greek civilzn [sic] in all its aspects may help. You know that an appeal to the past is very effective, as men are imitative creatures. Now many will listen if you say that we shd. rival & outshine Athens, and Athens reminds us at once (not of bread & circus) but of art, the drama, poetry and philosophy, & all these in connection with Democracy. I mean to use Greece as a lever to raise the people to a higher level of life (not merely of comfort). Now you may consider the possibility of utilizing Greek history & philosophy in your work of inspiring literature with a new ideal. In the long run, writings with an historical appeal will survive others. I don't know if I am right, as I am only a layman in literature. But you may follow up the clue & find greater things for yourself. Do you think Ella Wheeler Wilcox is a force for good in American literature? Her verse is very popular in foreign countries. Do you care to study Positivism, if you need an _ism to brace you up? I am fond of _isms, & think they are very necessary. But some people can do without them. Still, it is best for the sake of the children, to cultivate some _ism, which you like best. May I suggest that F.G. Gould's books for children will be very suitable for Charles & Kenyon? They are: "The Children's Plutarch," "Moral Lessons for Children," etc. They contain biography for the most part. I may also recommend Smiles's different works ("Duty", "Character", & "Self-Help"). One big book that a schoolboy should have is "WOnders of the World" (2 vols). It is rather expensive, but its educational value cannot be over-rated. It costs about $25. I shall be glad to have Mrs. Brooks's transln of the Life of Jesus. Who is the author? Does he say anything new? I may try my hand at this subject some day. My method will be different from that of other biographers of Jesus. I shall try to describe (&discover) the secret of his influence over his immediate followers, for it is through that influence that a preacher's work lives & grows. And then, we must add a historical chapter on the "Influence of Jesus in History", as his life is incomplete without it. Suppose that he had not founded a Church that has grown & become great, should we attach the same importance to his words? Do we read the words of Isaiah or Apollonius of Tyana with the same feeling? And yet they were also great men. It is our knowledge of the history of the Church that gives weight to the words & deeds. "The Gospels" + 2000 years, that is the life of Jesus. I shall be glad to learn what Mrs. Brooks thinks of this method. But I find that the study of Greek philosophy is more fruitful. I have devoted much time recently to Plato & Aristotle. If Mrs. Brooks is inclined to the study of idealistic themes, I may recommend Diogenes Laertius's "Lives of Greek Philosophers" (Bohu's Library). Your diagnosis of the situation in U.S.A. reminds me of the necessity of having a philosopher class in society. There must be some organized form of Idealism somewhere in society. THen we can use Greece etc. For men are the first instrument of reform, then books. I sometimes hate the bookishness of the modern world, & long for the spoken word. In olden times, a man wanted to tell others of his message: now we think of writing it down first! But I have found that true teaching is oral (thus agreeing with Socrates). Books prepare the way, & preserve the results, but the living voice is more important than the pen (begging your pardon). I dream of the time when I shall have founded the School of Philosophy at Athens, with the object of reviving philosophy. But life is short, & everything falls short of our dream. I have derived much benefit from the study of Confucius & Mencius. Chin has some good things to offer. Please give my best compliments to Mrs. Brooks. Affectionately Har Dayal