Today's story is very dear to my heart...as i said i am always in a state of awe whenever i read incidences of Swamiji with children. Keep thinking of their good luck and what 'Purva punya sanchit' they must possess?
We can imagine Swamiji now in Chicago...now He is famous and most sought by various sorts of people. But before that let's look at His stay in Chicago. For whatever time Swamiji remained in Chicago after the Parliament of Religions, He must have been a house guest in with many of friends. He Himself writes of this period as - "Many of the handsomest houses in this city are open to me. All the time I am living as a guest of somebody or other."
We have seen, one home that was always open to Him and where He stayed both during and after the Parliament was that of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Lyon. But He wrote a letter to Mrs. Tannat Woods on November 19, 1893. This was written on stationery bearing the letterhead "George W. Hale, 541 Dearborn Avenue, Chicago. This surely indicates that He was staying with the Hale family for at least a short period.
We know that the Hales treated Him as a cherished member of their family and understanding Him, maybe not fully but with the unquestioning love.
The Hale house was on the Dearborn street was a block and a half from a Lincoln Park. Swamiji would sometimes go there and sit in the sun and in the open air. A very very touching incidence took placeduring these outings to the park.
It seems that each day when Swamiji sat in the park, a young woman and a six years old little girl would pass by on their way to the market. One day the woman, who was no doubt convinced that this young man was kind and trustworthy, asked Him if she might leave her child in his charge while she went about her marketing. Swamiji assured her that she might, and thenceforth every morning that they met in the park, Swamiji took the little girl into his care. Just imagine the trust that young woman showed in Him, in those days when the dark people were not too welcome.
But the story does not end here. When the child grew to fifteen or sixteen, her mother came upon a picture of Swamiji, and who by now had learned about His fame. Showing the picture to her daughter she asked, "Do you remember your friend?" Of course she remembered!! For who knowing Swamiji even at the age of six would forget HIM?
Later this girl married and moved to Philadelphia and the image of Swamiji again started getting vivid in her mind drawing her mind to the spiritual life. At this time Swami Akhilananda used to visit this city to meet a group of devotees. She became his student....See, Swamiji's even one touch, one glance changes the Life.
Are we all not touched by His infinite grace. Are we not full of His blessings which brings infinite courage to our lives.
How many small happenings such as that of a mother leaving her child in his charge took place throughout Swamiji's visit to America, how many chance contacts he must have had with people whose lives were translated by his touch or glance, we can only guess....
The Hale family were perhaps the most fortunate of all for, as is known, not only was Swamiji their guest from time to time, but he made their home his headquarters during almost all of 1894, before the pivot of his activities moved eastward to the Atlantic Coast.
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