H. P. B. In Memory of HELENA PETROVNA BLAVATSKY BY SOME OF HER PUPILS Theosophy Series www.universaltheosophy.com H. P. B. Elle vécut dans l ang"isse, et m"urut clans le travail ; %ais elle eut de la gl"ire, et elle fut a#%ée. How she left us. It )avin! been %+ ,&ivile!e to be -ith H. P. B. du&in! )e& last #llness$ and at the %"%ent "( )e& death$ I )ave been as.ed to contribute %+ s)a&e to the /Me%"&ies0 -)ich )ave been -&itten ("& the bene(it "( the *&othe& and siste& T)eos",)ists$ -)" bein! (a& a-a+ )ave not )ad the advanta!e "( seein! and bein! with H. P. B. constantl+. It -as on Tuesda+$ the 21st "( A,&il$ that I -ent to sta+ at Head3ua&te&s ("& the (e- da+s$ -)ich$ "-in! to the une4pected events that (oll"-ed$ tu&ned #nto a visit "( s"%e -ee.s. H. P. B. see%ed #n )e& usual state "( )ealth$ and "n T)u&sda+$ the 23rd$ attended the Lod!e and &e%ained chattin! with the f&iends -)" su&&ounded )e& ("& s"%e time a(te& the ,&oceedin!s "( the evenin! -e&e ove& ; s)e then ad6ou&ned to he& r""% w)e&e$ accordin! to the#& habit, me%be&s -)" live at Head3ua&te&s ("ll"-ed to sit -ith )e& -)ile s)e took )e& cof(ee be("&e &etirin! ("& the n#!)t. T)e (oll"-in! da+$ F&ida+$ ,assed 3uietl+ ove&$ !ivin! n" -a&nin! that a ("&tn#!)t (&"% that date "u& beloved H. P. B. -ould leave us. T)e ne4t evenin!$ Satu&da+$ s)e -as ve&+ *&#!)t. 7&. Mennell called and -as pe&(ectl+ satis(ied -ith )e& condition. M+ siste&$ M&s. 8oope&9Oa.le+$ and I$ -ith one "& tw" othe&s$ &e%ained tal.in! -ith )e& until eleven o'clock$ -)en s)e &etired -ith a chee&+ /:ood n#!)t all0, a,,a&entl+ in )e& usual )ealth. T)e ne4t %"&nin!$ )"-eve&$ H. P. B.'s %aid ca%e ea&l+ to %+ &""% to tell %e s)e )ad passed a ve&+ &estless n#!)t and )ad been se#;ed -ith s)ive&in! attacks. I -ent d"-n s)"&tl+ a(te&$ and the (#&st !lance s)e-ed %e that s)e -as evidentl+ #n a )#!) state "( (eve&. T)e doctor -as #%%ediatel+ sent ("&$ and the da+ ,assed -ith H. P. B. alte&natel+ #n a )eav+ slee,$ "& #n a state "( &estlessness. Late in the a(te&noon 7&. Mennell ca%e$ ,&on"unced the illness to be #n(luen;a ; the (eve& -as ve&+ )#!)$ )e& te%pe&atu&e bein! 105. Fea&in! the ,&oba*le complications -)ich %#!)t ensue "-in! to H. P. B.'s ch&onic illness$ 7&. Mennell at once took a se&ious vie- of he& case and said s)e must )ave -ith )e&$ du&in! the n#!)t, a &esponsible me%be& of the house)old in addition to )e& %aid, it bein! of the utmost im,"&tance that both medicine and food s)ould be !iven ,unctuall+. T)e duty (ell "n %e$ ("& the 8ountess >achtmeiste& bein! en!a!ed #n business all da+ could not sit u, du&in! the n#!)t, and %+ siste& -as 2 Theosophy Series www.universaltheosophy.com not pe&%itted *+ 7&. Mennell to d" s"$ "-in! to the (act that in addition to bein! en!a!ed in business s)e had recentl+ been ve&+ ill. F&"% that %e%"&able Sunda+ n#!)t, A,&il 26th$ be!an the succession "( %is("&tunes$ the #llness "( "ne %e%be& "( the )ouse)old a(te& anothe&$ -)ich cul%inated in the passin! a-a+ "( ou& beloved H. P. B. T)e )ou&s sl"-l+ ,assed in alte&nations of &estlessness and slee,$ and -ith the %"&nin! ca%e little "& n" chan!e ("& the bette&. H. P. B. )ad )e& la&!e a&%cha#& *&ou!)t (&"% )e& sittin! &""% and placed *+ )e& bed$ that s)e %#!)t be able to !ain a little ease *+ chan!in! (&"% one position to anothe&. T)ou!) (eelin! ve&+ ill s)e as.ed to be told all that -as !oin! on$ and -as conce&ned "n )ea&in! that anothe& %e%be&$ M&. Stu&d+$ )ad als" been ta.en #ll -ith in(luen;a ; -)en it -as su!!ested that M&. Mead s)ould *&in! )#% to )e nu&sed at Head3ua&te&s$ s)e -as much pleased and insisted on his bein! sent f"& at once. H. P. B. spent a %ost su((e&in! da+, and -)en D&. Mennell ca%e ea&l+ in the evenin! )e -as distressed to (ind the (eve& -as still ve&+ )#!) ; )e chan!ed the %edicine$ !ivin! a ,&epa&ation "( sal+cene$ it bein! abs"lutel+ necessa&+ to &educe the te%pe&atu&e$ and decided to call a!a#n a*"ut %idn#!)t to see the &esult ; )e le(t strict "&de&s that be("&e each dose the te%pe&atu&e s)ould )e ca&e(ull+ ta.en$ ("& in the event "( a sudden (all ta.in! ,lace it -ould )ave been dan!e&ous to continue the %edicine. Be("&e )e ca%e a!a#n that n#!)t a th#&d dose fell due, but owin! to the decrease in H. P. B.'s te%pe&atu&e$ I felt justified #n not !ivin! it, especiall+ as the discom("&ts incidental to the d&u! -e&e be!inn#n! to cause )e& %uch uneasiness. And it -as a &elie($ -)en 7&. Mennell ca%e$ to (#nd the &#!)t cou&se )ad been ta.en$ ("& )e -as satis(ied -ith )e& condition. S)e passed a (a#&l+ 3uiet n#!)t, and "n Tuesda+ %"&nin! the (eve& )ad al%ost !one ; @ that da+ and the (oll"-in! n#!)t all see%ed !oin! on -ell$ ("& thou!) the -ea.ness -as ve&+ distressin!$ n" complications )ad as +et appea&ed$ and s)e -as able to ta.e plenty "( nou&is)%ent. T"-a&ds the end "( T)u&sda+ the 30th$ H. P. B. be!an to su((e& ve&+ %uch (&"% )e& th&oat, and as the )ou&s -ent *+ s)e )ad increasin! d#((iculty in s-all"-in! ; )e& cou!) beca%e ve&+ troubles"%e and )e& *&eathin! ve&+ labou&ed. On F&ida+ %"&n#n! s)e was no bette&$ and w)en D&. Mennell a&&ived he f"und a qu#ns+ had f"&%ed #n the &#!)t side "( the th&oat ; )ot poultices -e&e applied and s"%e &elie( -as !a#ned. 7u&in! the evenin! the 3u#ns+ *&".e$ and -)en 7&. Mennell ca%e a!ain )e -as com,a&ativel+ satis(ied -ith H. P. B.'s condition. T)e #%,&ove%ent, )"-eve&$ -as not "( l"n! du&ation ; a *ad n#!)t (oll"-ed$ and #n the %"&n#n! it beca%e a,,a&ent the&e -as a second ("&%ation #n the th&oat T)is ,&oved to )e an abscess "n the *&onch#al tube. A -&etched da+ and n#!)t succeeded and the m"&nin! of Sunda+$ Ma+ 3rd$ f"und H. P. B. ve&+ ill indeed$ 1 Theosophy Series www.universaltheosophy.com ("& the pa#n "( s-all"-in! %ade it ve&+ d#((icult ("& )e& to ta.e the necessa&+ a%"unt "( n"u&is)%ent, and )e& -ea.ness increased in conse3uence. Monda+ and Tuesda+ passed in %uch the sa%e %anne& ; the abscess disappea&ed$ *ut the *&onchial tubes bein! %uch a((ected$ the d#((iculty in *&eathin! still continued. and al%ost constant (annin! )ad to be .ept u, to &elieve the d&ead(ul ",,&ession (&"% -)ich s)e -as su((e&in!. How *&avel+ s)e stru!!led a!ainst )e& illness onl+ those w)" we&e -ith )e& can &ealise. On Wednesda+$ the 6th Ma+, s)e ,a&tiall+ d&essed and wal.ed into the sittin!9&""%$ re%ained the&e ("& )e& luncheon. &estin! ("& s"%e time "n the s"(a ; #n the evenin! 7&. Mennell ("und )e& !oin! "n (a#&l+ -ell$ all (eve& )ad entirel+ le(t )e&$ *ut the !&eat -ea.ness and the d#((iculty #n *&eathin! caused )#% conside&able an4iety. Seve&al times H. P. B. told 7&. Mennell s)e (elt s)e -as d+in!$ and that s)e could not .ee, u, the stru!!le %uch l"n!e& ; *ut )e$ .n"-in! the #llnesses s)e )ad ,&eviousl+ con3ue&ed$ did not !ive u, )ope ; indeed$ I %a+ sa+ this (eelin! -as s)a&ed th&ou!)out the )ouse$ ("& th"u!) -e &eal#;ed )"- se&iousl+ #ll H. P. B. was$ we could not believe s)e would leave us. One *ad s+%ptom -as that (&"% the (#&st da+s "( )e& illness$ H. P. B. lost all des#&e ("& s%".in! )e& ciga&ettes$ and thou!)$ -)en the (eve& le(t )e&$ s)e tried to be!in a!a#n it !ave )e& n" ,leasu&e and s)e (#nall+ th&e- u, the atte%pt. It )ad al-a+s been )e& custom to &oll a (e- ciga&ettes ("& 7&. Mennell -)en )e called$ and all th&ou!) )e& illness s)e neve& (a#led to )ave s"%e &ead+ ; s"%etimes in the cou&se "( the %"&nin!$ -ith %an+ a pause$ s)e -ould succeed #n &ollin! "ne "& tw"$ and late& -)en s)e beca%e too -ea.