On 15th they left Darmstadt in the morning and reached Hamburg in the evening . Rathinsranath wrote that none was present and they had to put up at Hotl Streits.
The situation was revealed bya a telegram written on 14th by Helene, " expect you Monday in our house everything prepared." This was more clearly explained in the letter dated 16th May;
" ... when last Friday 13th May your telegram announced us your arrival for Whit. Sunday, - after your son's last letters we had not expected you before June - In the midst of our work a second telegram arrived, the contents of which puzzled us for a moment, as you asked us not to order hotel-roomsuntil you telegraphed from Darmstadt ...Then another telegram arrived .." Thanks for invitation, prefer hotel, - don't trouble to meet us at the station - looking forward to see you on Tuesday [17th] morning -" I am still stunned with that blow, but I shall come to your Hotel to-morrow morning."
Anyway, 16th May, Monday, Rabindranath went to the house of Helene. Rathindranath wrote in his diary, " Father goes to stay with Mrs. Meyer Franck. "
Rabindranath wrote to Andrews , " We are hastening to this town, Hamburg and we are going to Mrs. Meyer Franck's house after lunch. She is a sweet woman and her devotion for me is pathetic . I say pathetic, because I feel I am not worthy of it. But love has its creative joy in itself - it makes its playthings out of nothing like God, and like children."
Next day, 17th May, Rathindranath wrote in his diary,
" Returns to Hotel. Drive to prince Bismarck's castle at Friedrichsruhe & take tea with Princess B. Return to Mrs. Meyer's . Readings at hefr house.
On 20th May, at 7.30 pm Rabindranath read the essay " The message of the Forest" in Hamburg University at the initiative of Hamburger Kunstgesellschaft.
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(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ((( 28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German writer, pictorial artist, biologist,theoretical physicist, and polymath. He is considered the supreme genius of modernGerman literature. His works span the fields of poetry, drama, prose, philosophy, andscience. His Faust has been called one of the greatest dramatic works of modern European literature. His other well-known literary works include his numerous poems, the Bildungsroman Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship, and the epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther )
Keyserling requested Rathindranath, "to maintain the time table prepared at Darmstadt and this is necessary to look after his health from the trouble of moving through places. Inspite of this upper-handedness Rabindranath wrote a letter in reply to the letter dated 18th May;
" .. I fully appreciate your kind wish to spare me the trouble of unnecessary travelling & the strain of meeting strangers. But it can not be helped for it is the part of my mission. I should never never forgive me if I tried to economise my effort & restrict my movement within a too limited range.I have already been in some other countries of Europe where I have received generous welcome and freely given myself to them. I am humble in my estimate of my own worth & the only claim I have upon my fellow beings is the claim of love which I feel for them. My whole heart shrinks from the idea of raising a special platform for myself in order to receive homage from the people & to play the part of a teacher to them who have any regard for me & I implore you not to create a situation which will be against my nature. Though a stranger I have a great admiration & sympathy for your people & as I am only to be for a short time in this country, all that I can hope to do is freely to make my general feeling n in every place where I am able to go. It will be wrong for me to be narrowly exclusive in my selection of place , parties, or friends which to be fair, needs experience of long acquaintance. I give you my idea of the press notice which should go to the papers in the following paragraph. It should have nothing in it n its reference to me which would make me blush or make it appear that I identify myself with only one institution in this country thus giving valid reason for annoyance to others. I am sure you will understand my scruples & help me, in this my first visit to Germany , in establishing my relationship with your people in consonance with my nature.
