THE ONLY TIME HER FACE LIGHTS UP

 
My letter was just interrupted because a poor young woman came to the gate and I went to see what she wanted. She looked weak and frail enough to be blown down with a breath. I knew she needed medication and soon found she was terribly unhappy too — she has no strength to work in the fields, her husband has left and gone away, and her parents are so poor most of their mud house collapsed in the rains.

She begs for food and hates doing it. She has fearful dreams and hears voices. I asked her to come the next day, saying Goher was out. She said, "I want Baba. Only He can help me." So I let Baba know and He had her escorted to the mandali where Baidul is to find out all about her, see she is cared for, given medication, and her rent paid (Rs. 2 a month) which has been due these past six months. Baba will provide for it all and also a monthly allowance. You should have seen her face when I offered her a glass of milk. I had to quickly turn away. There are so many like that, it does something to one's insides.

We already have three poor ones who are fed daily at Grafton; one is a half-wit with a blind mother (he takes food for both of them) and the other is an odd young woman who looks like Lolobrigida but goes about in rags. She calls Baba "Bhagwan" (God), and the only time her face lights up with an indefinable smile is when she sees Him.