a French Real Estate office. We also played at Monte Carlo and were
quite proficient. Nelka used to say that this was the only honest and
"above board" business.
In the summer of 1927 we received the news that Nelka's Uncle Herbert
Wadsworth had died suddenly from a heart attack. Once again Nelka had
a severe blow and sorrow and once more she had lost a close person
without having seen him. That fall we finally sailed for America with
our friends Count and Countess Pushkin. We all settled in Cazenovia
where Count Pushkin and I started a furniture carving business which
we kept up for about three years, until the start of the depression.
While living on the Riviera our animal family had grown to 8 dogs and
5 cats, all picked up or abandoned. The little crippled Djedda was
still with us and the most cherished of our pets. We brought the
whole menagerie with us to America.
In 1930 when the depression was well under way, we once again sailed
back to France and this time were there for three years--part of the
time in the South and part near Paris. My father died at that time
and in 1934 we returned to America.
On arrival, we went directly to Ashantee to visit Nelka's Aunt
Martha, who had been quite ill for sometime after a car accident. We
arrived on a Saturday. The next Tuesday Aunt Martha died. This was
again a terrible shock for Nelka. Once again death had struck
suddenly and this time her last close relative was gone. Both Aunt
Susie and Uncle Herbert had died without Nelka being with them and
now Aunt Martha dies only three days after we had returned.
Aunt Martha left Ashantee to Nelka and her cousin Lutie Van Horn. So
unexpectedly we found ourselves here and remained. At first we
thought that we would sell the property but the depression was on and
it was not possible to do so.
Thus we stayed and stayed. I did some farming and we still had the
remnants of her aunt's horse business, but these were difficult years
for us.
I think that while this prolonged stay might have been difficult and
materially complicated, this time was not wasted, as Nelka pointed
out, from a moral point of view. It was a time of consolidation of
our points of view, of our beliefs and conceptions.
And so we stayed here from 1934 until today, and until Nelka passed
away in December 1963--a long stay of close to thirty years.
Nelka had had a very varied, very diversified and unusual life. A
life which was one of highly emotional feelings. I think
characteristic of Nelka was her highly emotional expression of
loyalty and devotion, an emotion, which dominated most of her life
and all of her actions.
Anything she did or undertook was primarily motivated by emotion
rather than by reason, but once decided upon she carried out her
actions with great determination and great will power.
Her first overwhelming emotional feeling was a patriotic
nationalistic feeling for Russia, and a mystic devotion to the person
of the Emperor and the Russian Orthodox Church.
Then her next emotional feeling was the attachment and deep loyalty
for her family and her kin.
But in Russia she had no relatives and all her family was American.
Because of that there seemed always to be a conflict of feelings,
attachments and loyalties, a conflict which dominated a great part of
her life, at least the first part of it. I think in many respects
this conflict of feelings was upsetting and painful and she suffered
a great deal from the frustrations that these feelings often brought
about.
Because of these conflicting feelings and attachments Nelka was
restless and went back and forth between Europe and America always
seeking a solution and a way of life. I think these conflicting
feelings and the deep attachment to her family were the main reasons
why for so long she had not married. She just was afraid to create or
add a new attachment.
Pretty, with a lovely figure, always very feminine, with a brilliant
mind and a sparkling personality, a great sense of humor, broad and
diversified education, an understanding of art and good taste,
cosmopolitan in her experiences and speaking four languages--Nelka
had tremendous success both with men and with women.
The friends she had were always deeply devoted friends who kept their
friendship through years or through life and were always under the
spell of her personality.
Her overwhelming personality and charm naturally attracted men and
about thirty men of every nationality had at one time or another
asked her in marriage. When she was twenty-two, during her four
months visit in Bulgaria, five men proposed to her.
But she never agreed, first because just marriage for the sake of
marriage had no attraction for her, and because of her emotional
attachments she was afraid to create a new one. She also once told my
mother that she would never marry unless she had a complete and
overwhelming feeling, and that she had not yet found.
Throughout these years and because of these conflicting feelings, I
think she was disturbed and in many ways not happy. There was too
much conflict of feelings. Also her philosophically inclined mind was
always searching and seeking--searching a religious understanding of
life, always questioning the reasons for this or that problem of
life. Her Aunt Susan Blow, who was a great student of philosophy,
contributed much in a way to Nelka's emotional seekings. But how
often in later years Nelka lamented the fact that she had not
utilized fully the wisdom and the knowledge that her aunt could have
given her in her philosophical understandings. Nelka was seeking by
herself, trying to unravel the questions which bothered her through
her own thinking.
But from a rational point of view some of her feelings and emotions
were very devastating for her own existence and her own serenity. And
her deep attachment to the family was also a source of pain and
suffering because of its acuteness. There was not much family left
but for those who remained, Nelka gave a full measure of love and
devotion. The loss of those close to her were blows which did not
heal easily and caused deep pain. The death of her little dog Tibi
likewise gave a nearly exaggerated frustration and grief. Just like
everything else in her life, Nelka's grief was complete. She in
everything understood and accepted only completeness. Nothing in her
life meant anything if it was only partial. She could never settle
for 50%, always seeking totality, only completeness, and this of
course is a tremendous strain on one's person. That strain I think
showed itself in Nelka for many years of her life and only towards
the later part of it she seemed to acquire some stability of feeling
and emotional impulse. There was a reason for that of which I will
speak later.
A friend of hers once said about her, "She was a tremendous
personality and such force."
Like all humans she had her weaknesses, but these weaknesses were in
a way her force, for by sheer will power, by determination or by
uncompromising dedication, she was able to control or overcome her
weaknesses. Not many are able to do that.
She had many friends in all walks of life and in different countries
of many nationalities, but always the reaction was the same--a
complete spell of attraction and fascination and generally a long
lasting friendship--which once established, was never broken. And
that because of that tremendous personality.
Around 1885 lived a young Russian girl, Marie Bashkirtzeff. She wrote
some prose and poetry and did some painting. She lived and died very
young from TB on the French Riviera in Nice. Not particularly pretty,
nor particularly striking, she had nevertheless a tremendous
personality. In fact so striking that the city of Nice after her
death created a Museum Bashkirtzeff where were kept her paintings,
her writings and her personal things. The French author Francois
Coppee said of Marie Bashkirtzeff: "Je l'ai vue une fois, je l'ai vue
une heure, je ne l'oublirais jamais." (I saw her once, I saw her one
hour--I shall forget her never.)
I think as far as personality is concerned, this applied likewise to
Nelka. As I said before, I saw her for the first time when I was but
seven years old. The impression I got then never left me throughout
my life and only grew and developed with time and age.
We were married for 45 years and my love and devotion to her date
back from that encounter at seven. In other words a span of 60
years--a lifetime. A lifetime during which everything was centered
around this one person.
I think one can say that she had been both very happy and very
unhappy in her life, at least this was the balance of her feelings
during the first half of her life. During that period she experienced
great happiness in her relationship with her mother and with other
members of her family, in the devotion and loyalty she had to them.
She also experienced happiness in her endeavors in her school work,
in her interests in life and for life. The happiness she may have
derived from the realization of things well done and accomplished.
But also there was great, overwhelming unhappiness and sorrow,
because of the unusually hard way in which she accepted the loss of
those who were close to her. Few probably felt such losses as acutely
as she did and this caused pain and anguish. Then there also was
unhappiness in the contradiction and the division of feelings,
between two countries, two backgrounds, two ideologies, two
attachments. This constant division brought with it many heartaches,
many disappointments.
And then the second half of her life was the one she passed with
me. I can only hope that I may have given her at least a measure
of the happiness which she so much deserved. Again there were
disappointments, frustrations and heartaches as there are in every
life and existence. But gradually, with age she seemed to acquire a
greater calm in her feelings, she seemed to mellow in her intensity,
she seemed to find greater reconciliation within her own beliefs and
thoughts and find a greater calm of the soul and a greater
satisfaction in her beliefs than she had before that.
She always felt that the turning point in her life, as well as in
mine, started from the time we were in Constantinople and when we saw
a distant aunt of mine, Princess Gorchakoff.
She was a student of Theosophy and also seemed to have the calm and
serenity which comes from the study of that philosophy. Undoubtedly
she had a good deal of influence on Nelka and started us on a new way
of thinking. Out of this encounter developed gradually all the
changes of beliefs and attitudes which brought about such a
fundamental and radical change in all the outlooks which Nelka had
held hitherto and which she was now discarding.
I think I can say that towards the end she had acquired great moral
calm, satisfaction and serenity. She was not perplexed or afraid of
the uncertainties of one's beliefs, of the imminence of death or of
the questions of the hereafter.
Doubt, uncertainty, perplexity and an unresolved search seemed to
have been supplanted by a feeling of calm and confidence. A great
thing for anyone to have and to be able to have the moral fortitude
to face such a change and to accept it graciously.
And the change was radical and complete in every phase of her life:
From a framework of an organized Church, the change to a live
internal belief in the teachings of Christ and an effort to carry
this out in the aspects of everyday living, in reality of application
and not in dogma.
From a conservative, ultra conservative aristocratic, nearly feudal
system of absolute monarchy, an understanding that this had become
obsolete and had no value except perhaps in it purely external
beauty--to a realistic approach of a form of Christian socialism and
the brotherhood not only of man but of all living creatures.
From an accepted habit of meat eating to complete ethical
vegetarianism as a regard to the sanctity of all life. A complete
Reverence of Life.
From an intolerance towards the beliefs of others to a complete
understanding of the others point of view. A tolerance towards
others, accepting from them only as much as the given person can
understand in the given time and his mental and moral development,
and no more. But at the same time expecting to see that person
exercise in practice the full measure of that understanding and
belief.
From a pride and satisfaction at her aristocratic origin, an
admission that this had no value and that the only thing that counted
was the "aristocracy of the spirit."
From a worry of having to put a new fur collar on her winter coat to
a refusal to wear any fur as being the product of animal slaughter or
the product of the trap, producing protracted agony to the animals.
From a lack of understanding, if not indifference, to animals and
dogs in particular, an intense devotion, love and work for all
animals and for dogs in particular.
From an interest and participation in medicine, a complete reversal
in her attitude towards it because of the vivisectional basis of most
of it. As a result, an ardent and militant anti-vivisectionist.
A complete change all along the line.
Despite an often tragic look on life and a serious questioning of its
purposes, despite a great deal of sorrow which she always felt very
deeply, despite an often sad expression on her face in her
photographs, Nelka had a great deal of natural gaiety and a
tremendous sense of humor. She was always ready to see the funny
qualities of people or the funny side of events and could laugh with
a great deal of abandon.
Despite her strong Russian nationalism, Nelka was fundamentally
cosmopolitan. Having had a diversified education in various
countries, speaking four languages and having traveled extensively
through many countries, she had a cosmopolitan mind and outlook and
was perfectly at home in any country and with any nationality, in any
surrounding.
Nelka's mind was always a very philosophical mind and which was never
at rest. I have never known anyone who did so much constant thinking.
She was always thinking, her mind never idle, always trying to "think
things out." Many people are ready or willing to just "accept." Nelka
was never ready to just "accept." She would accept only after she
had thought it out and could accept it as a result of her own
thinking.
Perhaps the most striking change in her outlook and belief was the
question of war. She had been a strong militarist; that is, that she
understood and justified and accepted war. In fact she considered
that this was the only right attitude that one could have and that
the willingness to go to war for an idea or a principle could not be
questioned. Thus, she had participated in three Wars.
But then later, having seen all the horrors of war, its utter
futility, absurdity and uselessness and most of all its immorality
and its contradictions to the principles of the teachings of Christ,
she became an uncompromising and militant pacifist.
Very characteristic of Nelka was her attitude towards all action and
activities motivated for a principle. She was never worried or
seeking results. She always said that one should do the right thing
as one understood it and not worry about the results, those will take
care of themselves. If you did the right thing, the result was bound
to come, but should not be the goal in itself--the goal only being to
try to do the maximum according to one's understanding. A very
admirable conception but one which it is not easy to accept by most
who only seek results and often with means which might not be the
right ones. The concept that the end justifies the means was
certainly the absolute opposite of what she was either seeking or
believing.
It took courage to advocate such beliefs and even perhaps more
courage to be able to turn around and so fundamentally change the
beliefs from the ones held to the ones now accepted. But the concept
of accepting only that which one understands at the given time,
applied just as much to the beliefs first held as to the ones
ultimately accepted.
Nelka was never afraid physically, but she was also never afraid
morally.
I think after our marriage and also the circumstances of the
Revolution Nelka lost some of her restlessness. Marriage for better
or worse was an achievement and carried with it an obligation and a
purpose. She took the acceptance of marriage as a completeness and a
fusion of two persons into one. This in itself was an anchor which
held back the former restlessness.
Also the Russia she loved so was gone as a practical and possible
entity and only a memory of a past devotion remained. Therefore, both
marriage and the Revolution brought about a stabilization of feelings
and a concentration as well. There was less possible diversion and
this brought a mental calm and satisfaction. There was less searching
or even the necessity for it.
Her loyalty to the principles of marriage was complete like
everything else in her life to which she never gave less than
completeness. She always was looking for one hundred percent and
nothing less would do.
In later years of her life and after our marriage, Nelka settled much
more mentally and morally and seemed to find many of the answers she
had so long been seeking. And this, not because of the external
differences of life or the establishment of a marital status, but
rather as the result of certain new currents of thought which came as
a result of the study of Theosophy and the wisdom of the East.
While I cannot claim any personal influence which I may have
contributed, there certainly was no divergence and thus no upsetting
uncertainties. I think we were blessed in that way that we helped
each other and followed largely the same path of mental analysis hand
in hand.
I feel and consider that I was exceptionally privileged in my life to
have had such a mate, such a guide, such a helper, such a companion.
She never married before because she had not found the completeness
of feeling. I am grateful and happy to think that she found that
completeness with me, which I hope I was able to give her at least in
a measure.
She gave me the complete devotion and love which she did for a very
happy existence and complete understanding between us for 45 years.
I, at least, understood what a very extraordinary person she was and
what a blessing had been bestowed on me for having had her for my
own.
Nelka--a unique name for a unique person.