About twenty-five
barefooted SATYAGRAHIS were squatting before brass cups and plates.
A community chorus of prayer; then a meal served from large brass
pots containing CHAPATIS (whole-wheat unleavened bread) sprinkled
with GHEE; TALSARI (boiled and diced vegetables), and a lemon jam.
The Mahatma ate CHAPATIS, boiled beets, some raw vegetables, and
oranges. On the side of his plate was a large lump of very bitter
NEEM leaves, a notable blood cleanser. With his spoon he separated
a portion and placed it on my dish. I bolted it down with water,
remembering childhood days when Mother had forced me to swallow the
disagreeable dose. Gandhi, however, bit by bit was eating the NEEM
paste with as much relish as if it had been a delicious sweetmeat.
In this trifling incident I noted the Mahatma's ability to detach
his mind from the senses at will. I recalled the famous appendectomy
performed on him some years ago. Refusing anesthetics, the saint
had chatted cheerfully with his disciples throughout the operation,
his infectious smile revealing his unawareness of pain.
The afternoon brought an opportunity for a chat with Gandhi's noted
disciple, daughter of an English admiral, Miss Madeleine Slade, now
called Mirabai. {FN44-3} Her strong, calm face lit with enthusiasm
as she told me, in flawless Hindi, of her daily activities.
"Rural reconstruction work is rewarding! A group of us go every
morning at five o'clock to serve the near-by villagers and teach
them simple hygiene.
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