Continent, it would be. But the B.P. would accept the new, I think, only if it was striking, romantic or dramatic. This story is not that; it is too quiet, fine and subtle in its touches. However, let us hope for a miracle and waitons.Sri Aurobindo
Letters of Sri Aurobindo
Volume 3
Letter ID: 695
Sri Aurobindo — Roy, Dilip Kumar
January 31, 1936
It appears the Mother had arranged for the photographs after getting the derelict rupee and thought they must have reached you, so she said no more about it; hence my reiteration. Anyhow I suppose you have the photos now. As for the rupee note, it must have dematerialised and flown away somewhere.
I dare say Thomson may be right about the inability of the great B. P. [British Public] to appreciate a detail picture of Bengali life. It is too unfamiliar – Russia is different, it is at least semi-occidental, but everything here would be strange and new. That ought to be in its favour but possibly on the Continent, it would be. But the B.P. would accept the new, I think, only if it was striking, romantic or dramatic. This story is not that; it is too quiet, fine and subtle in its touches. However, let us hope for a miracle and waitons.
Re. handwriting, in spite of your outraging my pride of first without second in that matter by giving Mahendranath1 a higher place, I admit you have some reason for this verdict. Even in English I am often at sea for long minutes before I arrive at the full and exact text of his letters. But may I mutter that you also are at least in the running. I have racked my head to discover what the human character is full of which even he himself does not know, I am still in dark ignorance on this matter. It is not only that your ra and cha and even ka and dha are often almost as identical as Siamese twins, but when you go out of your way to introduce some Telugu letters into the Bengali language, you drive at least one poor reader to a despair of unsatisfied curiosity. However I deciphered all but that one mysterious thing – at least I believe so.
You seem to be unlucky in your outrage whether musical or monstrous. Better luck next time.
P.S. Not much time today, so keeping K. P. till tomorrow.
1 Dr. Mahendranath Sarcar (1882-6.4.1954), eminent professor of Philosophy, and author of Hindu Mysticism, System of Vedantic Thought and Culture, etc.