The Johns Hopkins Hospital 2/27/16
Why don't you write me, Lady dear? I'd like to talk with you this afternoon. I am just recovering from two arguments of today; one with my colleague Augusta, & the other with a group of men at dinner. The theme is à propos of Billy Sunday's campaign which began here today, & brings up anew that ever present question of the psychology of religion. I have never worked it out for myself, because to me it has never been a vital question. To know what I believe has always been sufficient, without knowing why I believe except that it forms the best working hypothesis I have ever tried. This noon the boys said "You psychiatrists take the attitude that it makes no difference what a man does so long as his conscience doesn't trouble him, or in other words, he has no striking mental reaction." That made me pretty hot, & I tried to defend myself. Not long ago the poster of a very large city chuch here preached a sermon on Onesimus, the slave of Philemon, who robbed his master & was discovered by Paul in Asia Minor. The Rev. said "If Onesimus had lived in Balt. today people would have considered him the product of his heredity & environment, & sent him to the Phipps Clinic to be investigated." That made me hot too.
Now Billy Sunday is going to convert many people who have been converted before & will be again, but in spite of this fact he is going to make over permanently individuals who have passed thro' our hands here classified perhaps as too "poor stuff to work with." And this doesn't mean in all cases that these people are psychopathic. Why is it? You can talk about "mob psychology," the sway of suggestibility, gospel of the emotions etc and still you don't explain it, at least to my satisfaction.
It is now the 9th week since I started to work with a girl of 25. Last yr. she was in here for a bromide delirium supposed to have followed "grippe."; this year she came in under the influence of alcohol. It took 4 weeks to get the real story out of her. Two mos. before her first admission here while on a lark to offset a humdrum life in a small country town, she had intercourse with a traveling salesman. Nothing came of it fortunately - not even syphilis. But the memory of it has preyed on her mind till she took to drugs to alleviate the pain. Her family doubled their solicitude which was added torture, and that's the whole story. What's to be done? Obviously employment under supervision away from her home town. But to "pluck from the memory a rooted sorry."! that's the question. After two years of dodging behind drugs it is mighty hard to turn & face the issue squarely.; to look at it without flinching till the sin is robbed of its sting. It is hard to apply the gospel of "He that findeth his life shall lose it," to the humdrum of everyday. Or in other words to say to a man or woman, "You are lazy & selfish; get a job & begin at this late date to realize your obligations to society." Some grasp it, & others do not. It is of the latter that Billy Sunday reaps his lowest. I suspect his great appeal is personal responsibility to God, & hence self-surrender.
But I have wearied you already. Tell me how things go with you. I wish you were nearer that I might see you once in awhile.
Papa has gone to Oklahoma to invest in farming lands. Have not heard from him in 3 weeks,w hich worries me of course. Mother is staying with a cousin in Boston. Mary & Philip are on the farm.
I hope you will tell me of the hard things that come to you, perchance I may be able to help a bit. It was so good to see your dear face again. Yours is a life that I am grateful for; and a love of which I am unworthy.
Remember to your mother; also Ann & Lucy.
[Another fraction of a letter was folded in with this one.]
sanctions, but what satisfaction does his religious believe give him? Can he turn to it in a hard place & find it there? Is it stronger than any human love to take the sting out of disappointment, misrepresentation, failure or even death itself? If so you have a sight to talk about "dwelling in the secret place of the Most High," or of believing in a personal God. I am convinced that there is nothing which satisfies absolutely but this vitalization of belief in a personal God.
Where does the Assoc. of Science meet this December? I wish it were Balt. or Wash. & perhaps I'd see something of you people. Is there no prospect of your comng down here this year? Miss B. K. Young writes that she may visit me this Christmas? Miss Dutcher too perhaps.
Tomorrow night Mischa Elman comes with the N.Y. Symphony.
My eyes are haughty & demanding again. It's been 4 years since I had these glasses. I'm going to an oculist friend of mine tomorrow & see if he can relieve these daily headaches. Give my love to all the friends - Miss Morgan, & Lucy, & your mother.
As ever
Esther