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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d8e939f --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69173 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69173) diff --git a/old/69173-0.txt b/old/69173-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b9a4f19..0000000 --- a/old/69173-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,7813 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Spoilt Child, by Peary Chand -Mitter - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: The Spoilt Child - A Tale of Hindu Domestic Life - -Author: Peary Chand Mitter - -Translator: G. D. Oswell - -Release Date: October 17, 2022 [eBook #69173] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Anindya Sen (In memory of: Tapan Sen) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPOILT CHILD *** - -The Spoilt Child - -A TALE OF HINDU DOMESTIC LIFE. - -PEARY CHAND MITTER - -TRANSLATED BY -G. D. OSWELL - -THE SPOILT CHILD - -THE SPOILT CHILD: -A TALE OF HINDU DOMESTIC LIFE. - -BY - -PEARY CHAND MITTER -(TEK CHAND THAKUR) - -TRANSLATED BY -G. D. OSWELL, M.A., -Court of Wards, Bengal. - -Calcutta: -THACKER, SPINK AND CO. -1893. -[All rights reserved] - - -PRINTED BY THACKER, SPINK AND CO., CALCUTTA. - - -TO MY FATHER -REV. HENRY LLOYD OSWELL, M.A., -WHO, AFTER 60 YEARS OF ACTIVE WORK -IN THE CHURCH, -HAS SOUGHT A WELL-EARNED RETIREMENT, -THIS VOLUME -IS -AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. - -PREFACE. - -The author of this novel, Babu Peary Chand Mitter, was born in the -year 1814. - -He represented the well-educated, thoroughly earnest, and courteous -Bengali gentleman of the old school. - -His life was devoted to the good of his fellow-countrymen, and -he was especially eager in the cause of female education. In the -preface to one of his works, written with that object in view, -he writes:-- "I was born in the year 1814. While a pupil of the -_Páthshálá_ at home, I found my grandmother, mother, and aunts -reading Bengali books. They could write in Bengali and keep accounts. -There were no female schools then, nor were there suitable books -for the females. My wife was very fond of reading, and I could -scarcely supply her with instructive books. I was thus forced -to think how female education could be promoted in a substantial -way. The conclusion I came to was that, unless womanhood were placed -on a spiritual basis, education would never be productive of real -good. For the furtherance of this end I have been humbly working." - -Amongst the books he published with this end in view are the -"Ramaranjika," the "Abhedi," and the "Adhyátwiká." The -"Ramaranjika" deals with female education under different aspects, -and gives examples drawn from the lives of eminent Englishwomen, -as well as biographical sketches of distinguished Hindu women, -drawn from history and tradition. Of the "Abhedi" the author -says:-- "It is a spiritual novel in Bengali, in which the hero -and heroine have been described as earnest seekers after the -knowledge of the soul, and as obtaining spiritual light by the -education of pain." Of the "Adhyátwiká," the author tells us:-- -"It brings before its readers the conversation and manners of -different classes of people, in different circumstances, which -have been pourtrayed in different styles, and which may perhaps -be useful to foreigners wishing to acquire a colloquial knowledge -of the Bengali language." - -Babu Peary Chand Mitter was a man who keenly felt the evils in -society around him, and he used his pen in the cause of temperance -and the purity of the domestic circle as against drunkenness and -debauchery; amongst his writings having this object in view is the -"Mada Kháoya bara dáya," or "The great evils of dram-drinking." It -is a novel marked by great humour, and shows the author to have -been a satirist of no mean power. - -Besides these novels he wrote "The Life of David Hare" both -in Bengali and in English. He also contributed essays to -_The Calcutta Review_, and an American publication called -_The Banner of Light_, besides writing articles for the -Agri-Horticultural Society of India. - -Babu Peary Chand Mitter died in 1883. - -The novel "Alaler Gharer Dulál," or "The Spoilt Darling of an -Ill-regulated House," was written more than forty years ago, and -was very well received, as the criticisms of the day show. -_The Calcutta Review_ of the day says:-- "We hail this book as the -first novel in the Bengali language. Tek Chand Thakur has written a -tale the like of which is not to be found within the entire range -of Bengali literature. Our author's quiet humour reminds us of -Goldsmith, while his livelier passages bring to our recollection the -treasures of Fielding's wit. He seems to be familiar with Defoe, -Fielding, Scott, Dickens, Bulwer, Thackeray, and other masters -of fiction." - -Other critics of the day compared him to a Moliére or a Dickens. - -Mr. John Beames, in his "Modern Aryan Languages of India," writes:-- -"Babu Peary Chand Mitter, who writes under the _nom de plume_ of -Tek Chand Thakur, has produced the best novel in the language -'Alaler Gharer Dulál.' He has had many imitators, and certainly -stands high as a novelist. His story might fairly claim to be -ranked with some of the best comic novels in our own language for -wit, spirit, and clever touches of nature. He puts into the mouth -of each of his characters the appropriate method of talking, and -thus exhibits to the full the extensive range of vulgar idioms -which his language possesses." - -In an introductory essay on Bengali novels, in his translation -of Babu Bunkim Chandra Chatterjee's novel "Kopal Kundala," Mr. -Phillips writes:-- "The position and character of Bengali -literature is peculiar. A backward people have, so to speak, -rushed into civilization at one bound: old customs and prejudices -have been displaced, _uno ictu_, by a state of enlightenment and -advanced ideas. The educated classes have suddenly found themselves -face to face with the richest gems of Western learning and -literature. The clash of widely divergent stages of civilization, -the juxtaposition of the most advanced thought with comparative -barbarism, has produced results which, though perhaps to be -expected, are somewhat curious. If one tries to close a box with -more than it can hold the lid may be unhinged, -- new wine may -burst old bottles. The colliding forces of divergent stages of -civilization have produced a literature that for want of a better -expression may be called a hybrid compromise between Eastern and -Western ideas. So we find that the Bengali novel is to a great -extent an exotic. It is a hot-house plant which has been brought -from a foreign soil; but even crude imitations are better than -the farragos of original nonsense, lists of which appear from time -to time in the pages of the _Calcutta Gazette_. - -The above remarks are merely general, and there exist of course, -bright and notable exceptions, among whom may be mentioned the -names of Peary Chand Mitter (the father of Bengali novelists), -Bunkim Chandra Chatterjea, Romesh Chandra Dutt, and Tarak Nath -Ganguli. - -The 'Alaler Gharer Dulál' of Peary Chand Mitter may be called -a truly indigenous novel, in which some of the reigning vices -and follies of the time are held up to scorn and derision. A -deep vein of moral earnestness runs through all the writings of -Peary Chand Mitter, and he takes the opportunity to interweave -with the incidents of his story disquisitions on virtue and vice, -truthfulness and deceit, charity and niggardliness, hypocrisy and -straight-forwardness. Not only general vices, such as drinking -and debauchery, but particular customs, such as a Kulin's marrying -a dozen wives, and living at their expense, are condemned in no -measured terms. The book is written in a plain colloquial style, -which, combined with a quiet humour, procured for it a considerable -degree of popularity. - -As further evidence, if such were wanting, of the popularity -of this novel, it may be mentioned that it has been dramatized, -having been published in the form of a _natak_ or play, by Babu -Hira Lall Mitter. - -The leading characteristics of the novel, as they have appeared -to the translator, are the humour, pathos, and satire that pervade -almost every page of it. - -The humour, though it may occasionally be broad, can never be -called coarse, and much of it is the cultured humour that might -be expected from a writer well acquainted with his own ancient -classics. If Thackeray is the type of the cultured humorist of -the West, Peary Chand Mitter is the type of the cultured humorist -of the East. - -The pathos is especially noticeable in some of the scenes which -the author has pourtrayed for us with such vivid reality where -the poor are brought before us. We see the utter dependence of -the poor upon the generosity of the rich, a generosity that is -rarely appealed to in vain: there is pathos too in the scene that -brings before us the ryot and his landlord; and in the scenes in -the zenana and the bathing-_ghât_ where we have an insight into the -lives and the thoughts of both the upper and lower classes of the -women of the country. There is a deep pathos in the scene that -brings before us the old man at Benares, spending the evening of -his days in reading and meditation, in "The Holy City :" it is -a scene that gives us an insight into the deeper religious side -of the Hindu character. - -The satire is only merciless where it is directed against the -vices of drinking and debauchery, or against the custom of the much -marrying of Kulins, or the marrying of old men to young girls, or -solely for money. In other cases it is not unkindly, especially -where it is directed against that not uncommon failing both in -the West and the East, which Shakespeare has immortalized as "too -much respect upon the world," and which is largely exhibited in -the East in the form of lavish expenditure, regardless of debt, -upon social and religious ceremonies. - -Amongst other characteristics of this novel may be noted that deep -vein of moral earnestness, already referred to, which runs through -the whole book, and which is chiefly exhibited in the form of moral -reflections, such as are so common in many of the Sanscrit tales. - -Dramatic vividness is another noticeable feature of the book: -a few strokes of the pen suffice to bring before us, as living -realities, characters that are drawn from every class of life, and -scenes that deal with almost every incident of life in Bengal. In -fact a far more vivid picture of social life in Bengal, both in -its inner and outer aspects, is presented to us in the pages of -this book, than is presented in the pages of many books purporting -to give us an account of that life. - -And, with this dramatic vividness, there is a general faithfulness -to reality that will be appreciated by those who have lived for any -time amidst the scenes described; for, though the book describes -life in Bengal as it appeared to the eyes of an acute observer -writing more than forty years back, the picture, in its general -outlines, is as true of the life of the people now as it was then. - -Another noticeable feature of the book is the rhythmic flow which -marks its language. This is a feature which appears to characterize -all books written for the people in the language best understood -of the people, no matter what that language is. - -As regards the language in which Peary Chand Mitter wrote this -novel, the _Calcutta Review_ of the day writes:-- "Endowed, as he -was, with strong common sense, as well as high culture, he saw no -reason why this idol of unmixed diction should receive worship -at his hands, and he set about writing 'Alaler Gharer Dulál' -in a spirit at which the Sanscritists stood aghast, and shook -their heads. Going to the opposite extreme in point of style, he -vigorously excluded from his works, except on very rare occasions, -every word and phrase that had a learned appearance. His own works -suffered from the exclusion, but the movement was well-timed. He -scattered to the winds the time-honoured commonplaces, and drew -upon nature and life for his materials. His success was eminent -and well-deserved." - -One feature that has especially struck the translator in -transferring this novel from its original Bengali into English, -is that he has found it necessary to omit nothing, on the score -of indelicacy, or bad taste, -- a remark which could not be made -of every Bengali novel. The author has written with the maxim of -the old Roman satirist ever before his eyes, -- _maxima debetur -puero reverentia_. - -The translator has had three classes of readers before his eyes, -in making this translation. - -It seemed to him that so excellent a picture of social life in -Bengal could not but be interesting to those Englishmen and -Englishwomen who are interested in the lives of their fellow-subjects -in India. - -It also occurred to him that as the rising generation of Bengalis -no longer read Bengali literature as of old, it might interest -them to see, in an English dress, a novel that has been so popular -amongst their older compatriots. - -English students of the Bengali language and its literature may -also find the translation of use, as it has been made literal as -far as was possible. - -The task of translation, though it has been a pleasant one, -has not been easy; owing to the many difficulties in the way -of adequately rendering into English, without the qualities of -the original suffering in the transfer, a book so essentially -colloquial and idiomatic in style and character. The fact that -Professor Cowell at one time contemplated a translation of this -novel, but abandoned the idea owing to this very difficulty, has -made the translator still more diffident of success, and he can -only leave it to the indulgence of his Bengali readers to decide -how far he has succeeded in his translation, in doing justice to -the spirit of the original. - -The translator's thanks are due to Babu Mohiny Mohun Chatterjea, -Solicitor, Calcutta, for his kindness in revising the translation -for him, and to Babu Amrita Lall Mitter, the Honorary Secretary to -the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Calcutta, -and son of the author, for allowing him to publish it. - - -CONTENTS - -Chapter I Matilall at Home -" II Matilall's English Education -" III Matilall at School -" IV Matilall in the Police Court -" V Baburam in Calcutta -" VI Matilall's Mother and Sisters -" VII Trial of Matilall -" VIII Baburam Returns Home -" IX Matilall and his Friends -" X The Marriage Contract -" XI The Poetaster -" XII Barada Babu -" XIII Barada Babu's Pupil -" XIV The False Charge -" XV Trial of Barada Babu -" XVI Thakchacha at Home -" XVII Baburam's Second Marriage -" XVIII Mozoomdar on the Marriage -" XIX Death of Baburam Babu -" XX The Shraddha Ceremony -" XXI Matilall on the Guddee -" XXII Matilall in Business -" XXIII Matilall at Sonagaji -" XXIV Thakchacha Apprehended -" XXV Matilall in Jessore -" XXVI Thakchacha in Jail -" XXVII Trial at the High Court -" XXVIII A Philanthropist -" XXIX Bancharam in Possession -" XXX Matilall at Benares: Home Again -Notes - - -THE PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS - -BABURAM BABU - A Zemindar -Matilall - His Eldest Son -Ramlall - His Youngest Son -Baburam's First Wife - Mother of his Children -His Second Wife - A Young Girl -Pramada - His Married Daughter -Mokshada - His Widowed Daughter -Beni Babu - A Friend -Becharam - A Friend -Barada Babu - The Kayasth Reformer -Bancharam - A Lawyer's Clerk -Thakchacha - A Mahomedan Friend -Bahulya - A Mahomedan -Haladhar, Gadadhar, Dolgovinda, Mangovinda - Friends of Matilall -Matilall's Wife -Mr. John - A Calcutta Merchant -Mr. Butler - A Solicitor -Mr. Sherborn - A school-master -Premnarayan Mozoomdar - A House Clerk - - -THE SPOILT CHILD. - -CHAPTER I. MATILALL AT HOME. - -BABURAM BABU, a resident of Vaidyabati, was a man of large -experience in business affairs: he was famous for his long -service in the Revenue and Criminal Courts. Now to walk uprightly -without taking bribes when engaged in the public service, is not -a very long-established custom. Baburam Babu's procedure was in -accordance with the old style, and being skilful at his work, -he had succeeded, by servility and cringing, in imposing on his -superior officers; as a consequence of which he had acquired -considerable wealth within a very short time. In this country a -man's reputation keeps pace with the increase of his riches or -with his advancement: learning and character have not anything -like the same respect paid to them. There had been a time when -Baburam Babu's position had been a very inferior one, and when -only a few individuals in his village had paid him any attention; -but later, as he came into the possession of fine buildings, -gardens, estates, and a good deal of influence in many ways, -he found himself with a host of friends as his followers and -advisers. Whenever during his intervals of leisure he went to -his house, his reception-room would be crowded with people. It is -always the case that when a man has a sudden accession of wealth -there is a rush of people to him, just as the shop of a sweetmeat -seller will become full of flies as long as there are sweetmeats -to be had. At whatever time you might visit Baburam Babu's house -you would always find people with him: rich and poor, they would -all sit round and flatter him, the more intelligent among them in -indirect fashion only, the lesser folk outright and unblushingly, -agreeing with everything he said. After some time spent in the -way we have described, Baburam Babu took his pension, and remained -at home occupied in the management of his estates and in trade. - -Now in this world, entire happiness is the lot of hardly any one, -and it is rare to find intelligence displayed in all the concerns -of life. Baburam Babu had turned his attention solely to amassing -wealth: the questions which had alone exercised his mind had -been how to increase his resources, how to make the whole village -aware of his importance, so that all might salute him properly, -and how to celebrate his religious festivals on a larger scale -than those of his neighbours. He had a son and two daughters: -being himself a descendant of the great Kulin[1], Balaram Thakur, -he had, with a view to the preservation of his caste, married the -two girls at great expense almost immediately after their birth; -but their husbands, being Kulins, had taken to themselves wives -in a number of places, and would not so much as peep into the -house of their father-in-law of Vaidyabati, except on condition -of receiving a handsome remuneration for their trouble. - -His son, Matilall, having been indulged in every possible way from -his boyhood, was exceedingly self-willed; at times, he would say to -his father: "Father, I want to catch hold of the moon!" "Father, -I want to eat a cannon-ball!" Now and then he would roar and cry, -so that all the neighbours would say: "We cannot get any sleep -owing to that dreadful boy." Having been so spoilt by his parents, -the boy would not tolerate the bare idea of going to school, and -thus it was that the duty of teaching him devolved upon the house -clerk. On his very first visit to his teacher, Matilall howled -aloud, and scratched and bit him. His tutor therefore went to -the master of the house and said to him: "Sir, it is quite beyond -my power to instruct your son[2]." The master of the house replied: -"Ah, he is my only darling, my Krishna! use flattery and caresses -if you will, only do teach him." - -Matilall was afterwards induced by means of many stratagems to -attend school; and when his teacher was leaning up against the -wall, nodding drowsily, with his legs crossed and a cane in his -hand, reiterating -- "Write boys, write," Matilall would rise -from his seat, make contemptuous gestures, and dance about the -room. The teacher would go on snoring away, ignorant of what his -pupil was doing, and when he opened his eyes again, Matilall would -be seated near his writing materials of dry palm-leaves, drawing -figures of crows and cranes. When later in the afternoon he had -commenced the repetition lesson, Matilall, amid the confused babel -of tongues, would utter cries of _Hori Bol_, and cleverly outwit -his teacher by uttering the last letters only of the words that -were being recited. Occasionally when his teacher was napping, -he would tickle his nose or throw a live piece of charcoal into -his lap, and then dart away like an arrow. When the hour for -refreshment came, he would occasionally get some boy to give the -master lime and water to drink, pretending that it was buttermilk. -The teacher saw that the boy was a thorough good-for-nothing, who -had made up his mind to have nothing more to do with education; -so he concluded that as the boy had profited naught from all the -canings he had had, but only learnt the art of playing tricks -upon his teacher, it was high time to be released from the hands -of such a pupil. The master of the house however would not hear -of it, so he had to have recourse to stratagem. The occupation -of clerk seemed to him to be better than that of teacher: in the -latter occupation his wages were two rupees a month besides food -and clothing, while his gains over and above that would be merely -a present of rice and a pair of cloths or so at the time of the -boy's being first initiated into school-life[3]: on the other hand, -in the occupation of a clerk who superintended all purchases in -the market, there were constant pickings. Revolving such thoughts -in his mind, he went to the master of the house and told him -that Matilall's education was complete so far as his writing was -concerned, and that he had also been thoroughly taught to keep -accounts, so far as estate-management was concerned. Baburam -Babu was overwhelmed with joy on receiving this intelligence, -and all his neighbours in conclave with him said: "Why should it -not be so? Can a lion's whelp ever become a jackal?" - -Baburam Babu now thought that he ought to have his son taught the -rudiments of Sanskrit grammar and a smattering of Persian. Having -come to this determination, he called the priest who was in charge -of the family worship, and said: "You sir! have you any knowledge -of grammar?" This Brahman was the densest of blockheads, but he -thought to himself: "I am now getting only rice and plantains, -quite insufficient for me: here I see at length a means of -making a living." So he replied: "Yes, sir, I studied grammar for -five years continuously in the Sanskrit _Tol_ of Ishvar Chandra -Vedanta Vagishwar of Kunnimora. But I have been very unlucky: -I have gained nothing from all my learning: I am no more than your -humble servant in spite of it all, and my food is but coarse grain -and water." Baburam Babu thereupon appointed him to teach his son -the rudiments of Sanskrit grammar from that day. The Brahman, -inebriated with hope, speedily got by heart a page or two of the -_Mugdha Bodh_ Grammar, and set about teaching the boy. - -Thought Matilall to himself:-- "I have escaped from -the hands of my old teacher; how am I to get rid of this -rice-and-plantain-eating old Brahman? I am my father and mother's -darling, and whether I can write or not, they will say nothing -to me. The only object of learning after all is to gain money, -and my father has boundless wealth: what then is the good of my -learning? It is quite enough for me to be able to sign my name; -besides what will my intimate friends have left to do if I take -to learning? their occupation in ministering to my pleasures will -be gone! The present is the time for enjoyment: has the pain of -learning any attractions for me just now? surely none!" Having come -to this determination, Matilall thus addressed his preceptor:-- -"Old Brahman, if you come here any more to plague me with this -grammatical rubbish, I will throw away the family idol, and with -it your last hope of a livelihood; and if you go to my father -and tell him what I have said to you, I will just drop a brick -onto you from the roof: then your wife will soon become a widow, -and have to remove her bracelet from her wrist[4]." The Brahman, -distressed by such remarks about his teaching, thought to himself: -"For six months past I have been labouring at the peril of my life, -and I have not yet been paid anything: the whole occupation is -one that is most repugnant to my feelings, and I am in constant -danger of my life. Let me now only get clear of him and I care not -what happens to me afterwards." As the Brahman was revolving all -this in his mind, Matilall looked in his face and said: "Well, -what are you in such a brown study about? Are you in want of -money? Here, take this! But you must go to my father, and tell -him that I have learned every thing." The Brahman accordingly -went to the boy's father and said to him: "Sir, your Matilall -is no common boy! he has a most extraordinary memory; he will -remember for ever what he may have heard only once." There was an -astrologer at the time with Baburam, who observed to the Babu: -"There is no necessity for you to give me an introduction to -Matilall: he is a boy whose birth was at an auspicious moment; -if only he lives he is bound to become a very great man." - -Baburam Babu next set about searching for a Munshi to teach his son -Persian. After a long search, the grandfather of Aladi the tailor, -Habibala Hoshan by name, was appointed to the post on a salary of -one rupee eight annas a month, together with oil and firewood. The -Munshi Saheb was a man with toothless gums, a grey beard, and a -moustache like tow: his eyes would get inflamed whenever he was -teaching, and when he bade his pupils repeat the letters after him, -his face became hideously distorted in pronouncing the guttural -Persian letters _kaph, gaph, ain, ghain._ The benefit that Matilall -derived from learning Persian was pretty much what might have been -expected from his possessing no taste whatever for the pursuit of -knowledge, and having such a preceptor. As the Munshi Saheb was -one day stooping over his book, repeating the maxims of Masnavi -in a sing-song manner and keeping time with his hand, Matilall -seized the opportunity to drop a lighted match from behind onto -his beard. The poor Munshi's beard at once flared up, crackling as -it blazed, upon which Matilall remarked: "How now, Mussulman? you -will not teach me any more after this, I expect." The Munshi Saheb -left speedily, shaking his head and exclaiming "_Tauba! Tauba!_" -Then as the pain of the burn intensified, he shrieked: "Never, -never have I seen so mad and wicked a boy as this: of a surety -field labour in my own country were better than such slavery: -it is cruel work coming to a place like this! _Tauba! Tauba!_" - - -CHAPTER II. MATILALL'S ENGLISH EDUCATION. - -WHEN Baburam heard of the evil plight of the Munshi Saheb, -the only remark he made was: "My boy, Matilall, is not a boy -like that. What can you expect from such a low fellow as that -Mussulman?" He then considered that as Persian was going out of -fashion, it might be a good thing for the boy to learn English. -Just as a madman has occasional glimmerings of sense, so even a -man lacking in intelligence has occasional happy inspirations. When -he had come to this decision, it occurred to Baburam Babu that he -was a very indifferent English scholar himself: he only knew one -or two English words: his neighbours too, he reflected, knew about -as much of it as he himself did: he must consult with some man of -learning and experience. As he went over in his mind the list of -his kinsmen and relatives, it struck him that Beni Babu, of Bally, -was a very competent person. Business habits generate promptness -of action, and he proceeded without delay to the Vaidyabati Ghât, -taking with him a servant and a messenger. - -In the first two months of the rainy season, the months _Ashar_ -and _Shravan_, most of the boatmen occupy themselves in catching -_hilsa_ fish with circular nets, and at midday, are generally -busy taking their meals. Thus it came about that there was not -a boat of any description at the Vaidyabati Ghât. Baburam Babu, -full-whiskered, the sacred mark on his nose, dressed in fine -lawn with coloured borders, with smart shoes from Phulapukur, -a front like the front of Ganesh, a delicate muslin shawl neatly -folded over his shoulders, and his cheeks swollen with _pán_, -was walking impatiently up and down, calling out to his servant: -"Ho, there, Hari! I must get to Bally quick; you must hire a -passing boat for me for four pice." Rich men's servants are often -very disrespectful, and Hari made answer: "Sir, that is just like -you! I had only just sat down to take my food and I have now had -to throw it away and leave it in order to attend to your repeated -calls. If there had been any boat going down-stream, it might -have been hired for a small sum, but it is flood-tide just now, -and the boatmen will have to work hard rowing and steering. You -might get across for three or four pice if you would arrange to -go with others. I cannot possibly hire a passing boat for you -for four pice; you might as well ask me to make barley-meal cakes -without water." Baburam Babu scowled and said: "You are a very -insolent fellow; if you speak like that to me again, you get a -sound smacking." Now the lower orders of Bengalees tremble even -if they make a slip, so Hari endured the rebuke, and quaking all -over said to his master: "Sir, how can I possibly find a boat? I -had no intention of being insolent to you." - -While he was still speaking, a green boat that was being towed -up the river on its return journey, approached the _ghât_ where -they were. After a long argument with the steersman of the boat a -bargain was struck, and he agreed to take them across for eight -annas. Baburam then got into the boat with his servant and his -messenger. When they had got some way on their journey, he began -looking about him in every direction, and said to his servant: -"Hari, this is a fine boat we have got! Hi, steersman! whose house -is that over there? Ho! surely that is a sugar factory. Ha! Now -prepare me a pipe of tobacco, and strike me a light." Then he -pulled away at the gurgling _hooka_, now and again raising himself -to look at the porpoises tumbling in the water, and hummed a song -of the loves of Krishna[5]:-- - -"When late to Brindabun, O Krishna! I came, -"Your home there, alas! I found only a name." - -As it was the ebb, the boat dropped quickly down-stream and the -boatmen had no occasion to exert themselves: one sat on the edge -of the boat; another, bearded like an old billy-goat, keeping his -look-out on the top of the cabin, sang in the Chittagong dialect -the popular song which goes:-- - -"E'en the earring of gold shall loosen its hold, -"By the lute-string's languishing strain cajoled." - -The sun had not yet set when the boat reached its moorings at -the Deonagaji Ghât. Four boatmen, panting and puffing with their -efforts, lifted Baburam Babu, a mass of solid flesh, out of the -boat, and set him safe on land. - -Beni Babu received his relative very courteously and begged him -to be seated, while his house servant, Ram, at once brought some -tobacco he had prepared for him. Baburam Babu was very fond of his -pipe: after a few pulls he remarked: "How is it that this _hooka_ -is hissing?" A servant who is in constant attendance upon a man -of intelligence soon becomes intelligent himself: Ram, divining -what was wrong, put a clearing-rod in the _hooka_, changed the -water, supplied it with some fresh tobacco, sweet and compact, -and brought it back with a larger mouthpiece. Finding the _hooka_ -placed by him, Baburam Babu took entire possession, as though -he had taken a permanent lease of it, and as he puffed away, -emitting clouds of smoke, chattered with Beni Babu. - -_Beni_.-- Would you not like to get up now, sir, and take some -light refreshment? - -_Baburam_.-- It is already rather late: I don't think I will -just now. I am quite at home, thank you; I would have called -for it if I had wanted it. But please just listen to what I have -to say. My son Matilall has shown that he possesses remarkable -genius! You would be quite delighted to see the boy. I am anxious -to have him taught English; do you think you can get me a master -to teach him for some mere trifle? - -_Beni_.-- There are plenty of masters to be had, and a man of -moderate ability might be got for from twenty to twenty-five -rupees a month. - -_Baburam_.-- What, so much as that? Twenty-five rupees! Oh my -dear friend, these religious ceremonies you know are a constant -source of expense in my establishment: I have about a hundred -people to feed every day; and besides all this, I shall very soon -have my son's marriage to arrange for. Why did I go to the expense -of hiring a boat to come here and see you, only to be asked for -as much as that after all? - -With this, he put his hands on Beni Babu's shoulders, and laughed -immoderately. - -_Beni_.-- Then put him at some school in Calcutta: the boy might -live with some relative, and his education need not in that case -cost more than three or four rupees a month. - -_Baburam_.-- What, as much as that? Couldn't one manage to get -the prices down with a little haggling? And is a school education -any better than a home one? - -_Beni_.-- Home education is a very excellent thing if you -can secure a really first-rate teacher, but such a teacher is -not to be had on a small salary. School education has its good -points and also its bad points. A healthy spirit of emulation of -course springs up amongst a number of boys who are being educated -together; but at the same time some of the boys will always be in -danger of being corrupted by bad company. Besides when twenty-five -or thirty boys are reading in one class, there is a good deal of -confusion, and equal attention cannot be paid every day to all -the boys alike: consequently all do not make similar progress. - -_Baburam_.-- Anyhow I will send Matilall to you; and when you -have looked about you, do try and make some cheap arrangement for -me. None of the English gentlemen for whom I once did business -are here now: if they had been, I might have got some of them -to secure him schooling which would have cost me nothing: it -would only have needed a little importunity. However it will be -quite enough if my son obtains just a smattering of learning: -if he becomes a scholar, he may not remain in the religion of his -fathers. So kindly make it your business to see that he becomes -a man: I lay the whole responsibility upon you, my friend. - -_Beni_.-- If a boy is to grow into a man, every attention -is necessary both when he is at home and when he is away from -home: the father must see everything with his own eyes and enter -thoroughly into all the boy's occupations. There is a good deal -of business that may be done through commission agencies, but -the education of a boy is not one of them. - -_Baburam_.-- That is all very true: regard Matilall then as your -son. I shall now get some leisure for my ablutions in the Ganges, -for reading the Puranas, and for looking after my concerns; for at -present I have no time even for these: besides, all the English -training that I possess is training of the old school. Matilall -is yours, my dear friend, he is yours! I will rid myself of all -anxiety by sending him to you. Adopt any course you think fit, -but my dear friend, do take care that the expense is not heavy: -you know my position as a man with a number of young children to -look after: you can understand that thoroughly, can you not? - -After this conversation with Beni Babu, Baburam Babu returned to -his home at Vaidyabati. - - -CHAPTER III. MATILALL AT SCHOOL. - -MEN engaged in business all the week spend very lazy Sundays. They -avail themselves of any excuse to postpone their bath and their -meals: after they have bathed and eaten, some of them play chess -and some cards: some occupy themselves in fishing, some play on -the _tomtom_ and some on the _sitar_: some lie down and sleep, -some go for a walk, and others read; but very little attention -is paid to the improvement of the mind by study or conversation -of an improving character. A good deal of idle talk is indulged -in: perhaps somebody's real or fancied disregard of caste-rules -may be discussed, and how Shambhu ate three jack-fruit at a -sitting. Such is the style of conversation with which the time -will be wiled away. Beni Babu's intelligence was of a different -order. Most people in this country have a general notion that -when school-days are over, education itself is complete; but -this is a great error. However much may be the attention paid -to the acquisition of knowledge from birth to death, the further -shore of learning is never reached. Knowledge can only increase -in proportion to the attention that is paid to learning: Beni -Babu understood this well and acted accordingly. - -He had risen as usual one morning, and having first looked into -his household affairs, had taken up a book in order to prosecute -his studies, when suddenly a boy of fourteen, with a charm round -his neck, a ring in his ear, a bracelet on his wrist and an armlet -on his arm, appeared before him and saluted him. Beni Baba was -engrossed in his book, but was roused by the sound of approaching -footsteps, and guessing who the boy was, said to him: "Come here, -Matilall, come here! is all well at home?" "All is well," replied -the boy. Beni Babu bade Matilall stay with him for the night, and -promised the next morning to take him to Calcutta and put him to -school. Some little time after this, Matilall, having finished his -meal, perceived that time was likely to hang heavy on his hands, -as it would not be dark for a long time yet. Being naturally of -a very restless disposition, it was always a hard thing for him to -sit long in one place; so he rose very quietly from his seat, and -proceeded to explore the house. First he tried to work the mill for -husking rice with his feet; then he tramped about on the terraced -roof of the house; then commenced throwing bricks and tiles at -the passers by, running away when he had done so as hard as he -could. Thus he made the circuit of Bally, tramping noisily about, -stealing fruit out of people's gardens and plucking the flowers, -or else jumping about on the top of the village huts and breaking -the water-jars. The people, annoyed by such conduct as this, asked -each other: "Who is this boy? Surely our village will be ruined -as Lanka was by Hanuman the house-burner." Some of them, when -they heard the name of the boy's father, remarked: "Ah, he is the -son of Baburam Babu! what then can you expect? Is it not written: -'Men's virtues are reflected in a son, in renown, and in water?'" - -As the evening drew on the village resounded with the cries of -jackals and the humming of innumerable insects. As many men of -position reside in Bally, and the _shalgram_[6] is to be found in -the houses of most of them, there was no lack of the sound of -handbells and conch shells. Beni Babu had just risen from his -reading and was stretching his limbs preparatory to a smoke, when -a great commotion suddenly arose. "Sir, the son of the zemindar of -Vaidyabati has been throwing bricks at us!" "Sir, he has thrown -away my basket!" "He has been pushing me about!" "He has grossly -insulted me!" "He has broken my pot of _ghee_!" Beni Babu, being -very tender-hearted, gave each of the men a present, and dismissed -them; then he fell to musing on the kind of training this boy must -have been given to behave in such a fashion. "A fine bringing up -the lad must have had," he said to himself, "in the short space of -three hours he has thrown the whole village into a state of panic: -it will be a great relief when he goes." Presently some of the -oldest and most respected of the inhabitants of the place came to -him and said: "Beni Babu, who is this boy? We were taking our usual -nap after our midday meal, when we were aroused by this clamour: -it is most unpleasant to have our rest broken in upon in this -way." Beni Babu replied: "Please say no more; I have had a very -heavy burden imposed upon me: one of my relatives, a zemindar, a -man rather lacking in common sense if possessed of great wealth, -has sent his son to me to put to school for him; and meanwhile -I am being worn to a mere shadow with the annoyance. If I had -to keep a boy like this with me for three days, my house would -become a ruin for doves to come and roost in." - -As this conversation was proceeding, several boys approached, -Matilall in their rear, all singing at the top of their voices -the refrain -- - -"To Shambhu's son all honour pay, -"Shambhu, the lord of night and day." - -"Ah!" said Beni Babu, "here he comes: keep quiet, perhaps -he may take it into his head to beat us: I shall not breathe -freely till I have got rid of the monkey." Seeing Beni Babu, -Matilall seemed somewhat ashamed of himself, and looked a little -disconcerted: to his question however as to where he had been, -he replied that he had merely been trying to form some idea of -the size of the place. When they had entered the house, Matilall -ordered Ram the servant to bring him some tobacco, but it was no -good giving him the ordinary make; he smoked pipe after pipe of -the very strongest, and Ram could not supply him fast enough. It -was "Ram bring this!" "Ram, I do not want that!" in fact, Ram -could not attend to any other work, but had to be constantly in -attendance upon Matilall, keeping him supplied with tobacco. Beni -Babu was astounded at such behaviour, and kept turning his head -and glancing curiously in his direction. When the time for the -evening meal came, Beni Babu took Matilall with him into the zenana -side of the house and regaled him with all sorts of luxuries; -then having taken the usual betel by way of a digestive, retired -to rest. Matilall also retired to his sleeping chamber and got -into bed, when he had chewed _pán_ and smoked enough. For some -time he tossed restlessly about, now on this side, now on that; -and every now and then he would get up and walk about, singing -snatches of the love songs of Nil Thakur, or the old story of -the separation of Radha and Krishna as told by Ram Basu. At the -noise he made, sleep fled from all in the house. - -Ram and Pelaram, the gardener, an inhabitant of Kashijora, had -been asleep in the common thatched hall used for the family -worship. After the work of the day, sleep is a great relief, -and to have it rudely disturbed is naturally a source of much -irritation. Both Ram and Pelaram were roused from their rest by the -noise of the singing. Pelaram exclaimed: "Ah, Ram, my father! I -can get no sleep while this bull is bellowing in this way: I -might just as well get up and sow some seeds in the garden." Ram, -turning himself round, replied: "Ah, it is midnight! why get up -now? The master has done a fine thing in bringing this brat here[7]: -it means ruin to us all. The boy is a terrible nuisance: we shall -not breathe again till he goes." - -Early next morning, Beni Babu took Matilall away with him to the -house of Becharam Banerjea of Bow Bazar. This gentleman was the son -of Kenaram Babu, and a man of very old family: he was a childlike, -simple-minded man, hair-lipped from his birth, and highly excitable -on the smallest provocation. Seeing Beni Babu, he called to him in -his peculiar nasal tone: "Come, tell me what is in your mind now?" - -_Beni_.-- Well, seeing that Baburam Babu has no relative like -yourself in Calcutta, I have come to request of you that his boy -Matilall may live in your house while he is attending school, -going to Vaidyabati for his Saturday holiday. - -_Becharam_.-- Well, there can be no possible objection to that. He -is perfectly welcome to come and stay in my house: this is as much -his home as his father's house is. I have no children of my own, -and only two nephews; let Matilall then stay with me as long as -he pleases. - -On hearing Becharam Babu's nasal twang, Matilall burst out -laughing. Beni Babu gave a sigh of disgust, thinking to himself -that there would be little peace here so long as such a boy as -this was about. Becharam noted the jeering laugh, and observed -to Beni Babu, "Ah! friend Beni, the youngster appears somewhat -ill-mannered and boorish. I imagine that he must have been -constantly indulged from infancy." - -Beni Babu was a very shrewd man. His former history was known to -all. He too had led a wild life, but had remedied everything by -his own good qualities. He now told himself that if he were to -express his real opinion of Matilall, the boy might be ruined: -there would be an end to his remaining in Calcutta and to his -school education, and it was his own earnest wish that the boy -should grow to man's estate with some sort of training at least. So -after exchanging ideas on many other topics, he took his leave -of Becharam Babu and went with Matilall to the school of one -Mr. Sherborn. Owing to the establishment of the Hindu College, -this gentleman's school had somewhat diminished in numbers: it -required all his attention, and constant toil day and night, -to keep it going. He himself was a stout man with heavy and -bushy eyebrows; was never seen without _pán_ in his mouth and -a cane in his hand; and would vary his walks up and down his -classes by occasionally sitting down and pulling at a _hooka_. -Beni Babu having placed Matilall at his school, returned to Bally. - - -CHAPTER IV. MATILALL IN THE POLICE COURT. - -WHEN the British merchants first came to Calcutta, the Setts and -Baisakhs were the great traders, but none of the people of the -city knew English: all business communications with the foreigners -had to be carried on by means of signs. Man will always find a -way out of a difficulty if need be, and by means of these signs -a few English words get to be known. After the establishment of -the Supreme Court, increased attention was paid to English: this -was chiefly due to the influence of the law courts. By that time -Ram Ram Mistori and Ananda Ram Dass, who were representative men -in Calcutta, had learned many English expressions: Ram Narayan -Mistori, a pupil of Ram Ram Mistori, was engaged as clerk to -an attorney and used to write out petitions for a great many -people; he also kept a school, his pupils paying from fourteen -to sixteen rupees a month. Following his example, others, as -for instance Ram Lochan Napit and Krisha Mohun Basu, adopted -the profession of schoolmaster: their pupils used to read some -English book and learn the meaning of words by heart. At marriage -ceremonies and festivals, everybody would contemplate with awe -and astonishment, and loudly applaud, any boy who could utter a -few English expressions. Following the example set by others, -Mr. Sherborn had opened his school at a somewhat late period, -and the children of people belonging to the upper grades of -society were being educated at his establishment. - -Now boys with a real desire to learn may pick up something or -other, by dint of their own exertions, at any school they may -be attending. All schools have their good and bad points, and -there are a large number of lads so peculiarly constituted that -they keep wandering about from school to school, under pretence -of being dissatisfied with each one they go to, and think, -by passing their time in this unsettled way, to deceive their -parents into the belief that they are learning something. So -Matilall, after attending Mr. Sherborn's school for a few days, -had himself entered anew at the school of a Mr. Charles. - -The chief end in view in all education is the development of -a good disposition and a high character, the growth of a right -understanding, and the attainment of a thorough mastery of any -work that may have to be attended to in the practical business of -life. If the education of children is conducted on these lines, -they may become in every way respectable members of society, -competent to understand and duly execute all their business both at -home and abroad. But to ensure that such a training shall be given, -both parents and teachers have need to exert themselves. The young -will naturally follow in the footsteps of their elders. Goodness -in the parents is a necessary condition of the growth of goodness -in the children. If a drunken father forbids his child liquor, -why should the child listen to him? If a father, himself addicted -to immorality, attempts to instruct a son in morals, he will at -once recall the mousing cat that professed asceticism[8], and will -only mock at his hypocrisy. The son whose father lives a virtuous -life has no great need of advice and counsel: mere observation -of his father will generate a good disposition. The mother too -must keep her attention constantly fixed on her child: there is -nothing so potent in its humanising effect on a child's mind as -a mother's sweet conversation, kindness and caresses. A child's -good behaviour is assured when he distinctly realises that if he -does certain things, his mother will not take him into her lap and -caress him. Again, it is the teacher's duty to guard against making -a mere parrot of his pupil, when he is teaching him by book. If a -boy has to get all he reads by heart, his faculty of memory may be -strengthened, it is true; but if his intelligence is not promoted, -and he gets no practical knowledge, then his education is all -a sham. Whether the pupil be old or young, the matter should be -explained to him in such a way that his mind may grasp what he -is learning. By a good system of education, and judicious tact -in teaching, an intelligent comprehension of a subject may be -effected such as no amount of mere chiding will bring about. - -Matilall had learned nothing of morality or good conduct in -his Vaidyabati home, and now his residence in Bow Bazar proved -a curse rather than a blessing. Becharam Babu had two nephews, -whose names were Haladhar and Gadadhar. These boys had never known -what it was to have a father; and though they occasionally went -to school out of fear of their mother and uncle, it was more of a -sham than anything else. They mostly wandered at their pleasure, -unchecked, about the streets, the river _ghâts_, the terraced -roofs of houses and the open common; and they utterly refused to -listen to anybody who tried to restrain them. When their mother -remonstrated, they would just retort: "If you do this we will -both of us run away;" so they were left to do pretty much as they -pleased. They found Matilall one of their own sort, and within -a very short time a close intimacy sprang up between them; they -became quite inseparable; would sit together, eat together, and -sleep together; would put their hands on each other's shoulders -and go about both in doors and out of doors hand in hand, or with -their arms round each other's necks. Whenever Becharam's wife saw -them, she would say: "They are three brothers, sons of one mother." - -Neither children nor youths nor old men can remain for any length -of time passive or engaged in one kind of occupation: they must -have some way of dividing the twenty-four hours of the day and -night between a variety of occupations. In the case of children, -special arrangements will have to be made to ensure their having -a combination of amusement with instruction. Neither continuous -play nor continuous work is a good thing. The chief object of -all recreation is to enable a man to pay greater attention to his -labour afterwards, his body refreshed by relaxation. The mind only -becomes enfeebled by unbroken exertion, and anything learnt in that -condition simply floats about on the surface without sinking into -it. But in all games there is this to be considered, that those -only are beneficial in which there is a certain amount of bodily -exertion; no benefit is to be derived from cards or dice or any -pastimes of that kind: the only effect of such amusements is to -increase the natural tendency to idleness, which is the source of -such a variety of evils. Just as there is no good to be derived -from unceasing work, so by continuous play the intelligence is -apt to get blunted, for thereby the body only is strengthened, -the mind is not disciplined at all; and as the latter must be -engaged in something or other, is it to be wondered at that -in such a condition it should adopt an evil rather than a good -course? It is thus that many boys come to grief. - -Matilall and his companions Haladhar and Gadadhar roamed about -everywhere like so many Brahmini bulls, doing just as they pleased -and paying no attention to any one. They were constantly amusing -themselves either with cards and dice or else with kites and -pigeon-flying. They could find no time either for regular meals -or for sleep. If a servant came to call them into the house, they -would only abuse him, and refuse to go in. If ever the maid came to -tell them that her mistress could not retire to rest until they had -had their supper, they would abuse her in a disgraceful manner. The -maid-servant would sometimes retort: "What courteous language you -have learned!" All the most worthless boys of the neighbourhood -gradually collected together and formed a band. Noise and confusion -reigned supreme in the house all day and night, and people in the -reception-room could not hear each other's voices: the only sounds -were those of uproarious merriment. So much tobacco and _ganja_ -was consumed that the whole place was darkened with smoke: no one -dared pass by that way when this company was assembled, and there -was not a man who would venture to forbid such conduct. Becharam -Babu indeed was disgusted when the smell of the tobacco reached -him, as it occasionally did; but he would only give vent to his -favourite exclamation of disgust and impatience. - -Most terrible of all evils are the evils that spring from -association with others. Even where there is unremitting attention -on the part of parents and teachers, evil company may bring -ruin; but where no such effort is made, the extent of corruption -that association with others brings about cannot be estimated -in language. Matilall's character, far from improving, was, by -the aid of his present associates, deteriorating day by day. He -might attend school for one or two days in the week, but would -merely remain seated there like a. dummy, treating the whole -thing as a supreme bore. He was continually joking with the other -boys or drawing on his slate; would scarce attend for five minutes -together to his lessons; and could think of nothing but the fine -time he would have with his companions out of school. There are -teachers possessed of sufficient skill and tact to draw to the -acquisition of knowledge the mind of even such a boy as Matilall: -being acquainted with various methods of imparting instruction, -they adopt that which is likely to prove most efficacious in each -particular case. Now the teaching in Mr. Charles school was as -indifferent as the teaching in Government schools often is at the -present day. Equal attention was not paid to all the classes and -all the boys, and no pains were taken to ascertain whether they -thoroughly understood the easy books they had to read before they -proceeded to more difficult ones. A good many people are firmly -convinced that a school derives its importance from the number -of books prescribed, and the amount read. It was considered quite -sufficient for the boys to repeat their lessons by heart: it was -not supposed to be necessary to know whether they understood or -not; and it was never taken into consideration at all whether -the education they were receiving was one that would fit them -for the practical business of afterlife. Unless influences are -very strong in their favour, boys attending such schools have not -much chance of receiving any education at all. Take into account -Matilall's father, the companions he had collected about him, -the place he was living in, the school he was attending, and some -idea may be formed of the extent of his intellectual training. - -Teachers vary as much as schools do. One man will take immense -pains, while another will simply trifle away his times, fidgetting -about and pulling his moustache. Mr. Charles' factotum was -Bakreswar Babu, of Batalata; and he could do nothing without -him. This man made it his practice to visit his pupils' rich -parents, and say to them all alike: "Ah sir, I always pay special -attention to your boy! he is the true son of his father: he is no -ordinary boy, that: he is a perfect model of a boy." Bakreswar Babu -had charge of the education of the higher classes in the school, -but it was exceedingly doubtful whether he himself understood -what he taught. If this had got generally known he would have been -disgraced for life, so he kept very quiet on the subject. His sole -work was to make the boys read; and if any boy asked him for the -meaning of a word, he would bid him look in the dictionary. He -was bound of course to make a few corrections here and there in -the translation exercises the boys did for him; for if he were -to pass them all as correct, where would be his occupation as a -school-master? So he would make corrections, even when there was -no necessity for doing so, and when by doing so he actually made -mistakes which did not exist before: then if the boys asked him -what he was about, he would tell them they were very insolent -and had no business to contradict him. He generally paid most -attention to rich men's sons, and would question them at length -about the rents and value of their property. In a very short -time, Matilall became a great favourite with Bakreswar Babu: -the boy would bring him presents of flowers or fruit or books, -or handkerchiefs. Bakreswar Babu's idea was that he ought not -to let boys like Matilall slip out of his hands, for when they -reached man's estate, they might become as a "field of _beguns_"[9] -to him, -- a perpetual source of profit. What benefit too, he -thought, would he derive in the next world from looking after -the affairs of this school! - -The time of the great autumn festival, the Durga Pujah, had now -arrived. In the bazaars and everywhere there was a great stir, -and the general bustle and confusion gave additional zest to -Matilall's passion for amusement. He suffered agonies so long -as he had to remain in school: his attention was perpetually -distracted; at one moment sitting at his desk, at the next playing -on it; never still for a single moment. One Saturday he had been -attending school as usual, and having got a half-holiday out -of Bakreswar Babu, had left for home. On his way he purchased -some betel and _pán_, and was proceeding merrily along, his whole -attention fixed on the pigeon and kite shops that lined the road, -and taking no note of the passers-by, when suddenly a sergeant -of police and some constables came up and caught him by the arm, -the sergeant telling him that he held a warrant for his arrest, -and that he must go quietly along with him. Matilall did his best -to get his arm free, but the sergeant was a powerful man and kept -a firm grasp as he dragged him along. Matilall next threw himself -on the ground and, bruised all over and covered with dust as he -was, made repeated efforts to escape: the sergeant thereupon hit -him with his fist several times. At last, as he lay overpowered -on the ground, the thought of his father caused the boy to burst -into tears, and there rose forcibly in his mind the question: -"Why have I acted as I have done? Association with others has been -my ruin." A crowd now began to collect in the road, and people -asked each other what was the matter. Some old women discussing -the affair inquired: "Whose child is this that they are beating -so? -- the child with the moon-face? ah, it makes one's heart -bleed to hear him cry!" The sun had not set when Matilall was -brought to the police-station: there he found Haladhar, Gadadhar, -Ramgovinda and Dolgovinda, with other boys from his neighbourhood, -all standing aside, looking extremely woe-begone. Mr. Blaquiere -was police magistrate at that time, and it would have been his -business to examine the prisoners; but he had gone home, so they -had to remain for the night in the lock-up. - - -CHAPTER V. BABURAM IN CALCUTTA. - -SINGING snatches of a popular love-song:-- - -"For my lost love's sake I am dying: -"And my heart is faint with sighing." - -and varying his song with whistling, Meeah Jan, a cartman, -was urging his bullocks along the road, abusing them roundly -for their slowness, twisting their tails, and whacking them -with his whip. A few clouds were overhead, and a little rain was -falling. The bullocks as they went lumbering along, succeeded in -overtaking the hired gharry in which Premnarayan Mozoomdar was -travelling. It was swaying from side to side in the wind: the -two horses were wretched specimens of their kind, and must surely -have belonged to the far-famed race of the _Pakshiraj_, king of -birds. They were doing their best to get along, poor beasts, but -notwithstanding the blows that rained down on their backs from the -driver's whip, their pace did not mend very considerably. Before -starting on his journey, Premnarayan had eaten a very hearty meal, -and at each jolt of the gharry his heart was in his mouth. His -disgust however increased as the bullock cart drew ahead of his -vehicle. Premnarayan need not be blamed for this. Every man has -some self-respect which he does not care to lose. The majority -have a high opinion of themselves, and while some lose their -tempers if there is the slightest failing in the respect they -think due to them, others feel humiliated and depressed. - -Premnarayan, in his passion, expressed his thoughts thus to -himself:-- "Ah! what a hateful thing is service. The servant -is regarded as no better than a dog! he must run to execute any -order that is given. How long has my soul been vexed by the rude -behaviour of Haladhar, Gadadhar, and the other boys! They would -never let me eat or sleep in peace: they have even composed songs -in derision of me: their jests have been as irritating to me as -ant-bites; they have signalled to other boys in the street to annoy -me: they have gone so far as to clap their hands at me behind my -back. Can any one submit tamely to such treatment as this? It is -enough to drive a sane man out of his senses. I must have a good -stock of courage not to have run away from Calcutta long ago: -it is due to my good genius only that so far I have not lost my -employment. At last the scoundrels have met with their desserts: -may they now rot in jail, never to get out again! Yet after all -these are idle words; is not my journey being made with the express -object of effecting their release? has not this duty been imposed -upon me by my employer? Alas, I have no voice in the matter! -if men are not to starve, they must do and bear all this." - -Baburam Babu of Vaidyabati was seated in all a Babu's state; his -servant, Hari, was rubbing his master's feet. Seated on one side -of him the pandits were discussing some trivial points relating -to certain observances enjoined by the _Shástras_, such as:-- -"Pumpkins may be eaten to-day, _beguns_ should not be eaten -to-morrow; to take milk with salt is quite as bad as eating the -flesh of cows." On the other side of him, some friends were -engaged in a game of chess: one of them was in deep thought, -his head supported on his hand: evidently his game was up, he -was checkmated. Some musicians in the room were mingling their -harmonies, their instruments twanging noisily. Near him were his -_mohurrirs_ writing up their ledgers, and before him stood sundry -creditors, tenants of his, and tradesmen from the bazaar, some -of whose accounts were passed, and others refused. People kept -thronging into the reception-room. Certain of his tradespeople -were explaining how they had been supplying him for years with -one-thing and another, and now were in great distress, having -hitherto received nothing by way of payment; how, moreover, from -their constant journeyings to and fro, their business was being -utterly neglected and ruined. Retail shopkeepers too, such as -oilmen, timber-merchants and sweetmeat-sellers, were complaining -bitterly that they were ruined, and that their lives were not worth -a pin's head: if he continued to treat them as he was doing, they -could not possibly live: they had worn out the muscles of their -legs in their constant journeyings to and fro to get payment: -their shops were all shut, their wives and children starving. The -whole time of the Babu's _dewan_ was taken up in answering these -people. "Go away for the present," he was saying, "you will -receive payment all right; why do you jabber so much?" Did any -of them venture to remonstrate, Baburam Babu would scowl, abuse -him roundly, and have him forcibly ejected from the room. - -A great many of the wealthy Babus of Bengal take the goods of -the simple country-folk on credit: it would give them an attack -of fever to have to pay ready-money for anything. They have -the cash in their chests, but if they were not to keep putting -their creditors off, how could they keep their reception-rooms -crowded? Whether a poor tradesman lives or dies is no concern -of theirs; only let them play the magnifico, and their fathers' -and grandfathers' names be kept before the public! Many there -are who thus make a false show of being rich; they present a -splendid figure before the outside world, while within they are -but men of straw after all. - -"Out of doors you flaunt it bravely, wealth is in your very air: -"In the house the rats are squealing, and the cupboard's mostly bare." - -It would be death to them to be obliged to regulate their -expenditure by their income, for then they could not be the -owners of gardens or live the luxurious life of the rich Babu. By -keeping up a fine exterior they hope to throw dust in the eyes of -their tradesmen. When they take money or goods from others, they -practically borrow twice over; for when pressure is brought to bear -upon them to make them pay, they borrow from one man only to pay -what they owe someone else; and when at last a summons is issued -against them, they register their property under another person's -name, and are off somewhere out of the way for the time being. - -Baburam Babu was devoted to his money and very close-fisted[10]: it -was always a great grief to him to be obliged to take cash out -of his chest. He was engaged in wrangling with his tradespeople -when Premnarayan arrived, and whispered in his ear the news from -Calcutta. Baburam was thunderstruck for a time. When shortly -after he recovered himself, he had Mokajan Meeah summoned to his -presence. Now Mokajan was skilled in all matters of law. Zemindars, -indigo planters, and others were continually going to him for -advice; for a man like this, gifted with such ability for making -up cases, for suborning witnesses, for getting police and other -officers of the court under his thumb, for disposing secretly of -stolen property, for collecting witnesses in cases of disputes, -and generally for making right appear wrong and wrong right, was -not to be found every day. Out of compliment to him, people all -called him _Thakchacha_: this was a great gratification to him, -and his thoughts often shaped themselves thus: "Ah, my birth -must have taken place at an auspicious moment! my observances -of the seasons of _Ramjan_ and _Eed_ have answered well; and -if I am only properly attentive to my patron saint, I fancy my -importance will increase still further." Though engaged in his -ablutions at the time that Baburam Babu's peremptory summons -reached him, he came away at one and listened, in private, to -all Baburam had to say. After a few minutes' reflection, he said: -"Why be alarmed, Babu? How many hundred cases of a similar kind -have I disposed of! Is there any great difficulty in the way this -time? I have some very clever fellows in my employ; I have only -to take them with me, and will win the case on their testimony: -you need be under no apprehension. I am going away just now, -but I will return the first thing in the morning." - -Baburam, though somewhat encouraged by these words, was still not -at all comfortable in his mind. He was much attached to his wife, -and everything she said was always, in his view, shrewdly to the -point: were she to say to him. "This is not water, it is milk," -with the evidence of his own eyes against him, he would reply: -"Ah, you are quite right! this is not water, it is milk. If -the mistress of the house says so, it must be so." Most men, -whatever the affection they have for their wives are at least -able to exercise some discretion as to the matters in which those -ladies are to be consulted and to what extent they should be -listened to. Good men love their wives with heartfelt affection; -but if they are to accept everything their wives say they may -just as well dress in _saris_, and sit at home. Now Baburam Babu -was entirely under his wife's thumb: if she bade him get up, -he would get up; if she bade him sit down, he would sit down. - -Some months before this, she had presented her husband with a son, -and she was busy nursing the infant on her lap, her two daughters -seated by her. Their conversation was running on household affairs -and other matters, when suddenly the master of the house came -into the room and sitting down with a very sad countenance, said: -"My dear wife, I am most unlucky! The one idea of my life has -been to hand over the charge of all my property to Matilall on -his reaching man's estate, and to go and live with you at -Benares[11]; but all my hopes have, I fear, been dashed to the -ground." - -_The Mistress of the House_. -- my dear husband, what is the -matter? Quick, tell me! my breast is heaving with emotion. Is -all well with my darling Matilall? - -_The Master_. -- yes, so far as his health goes he is well enough, -but I have just received news that the police have apprehended -him and put him in jail. - -_The Mistress_. -- What was that you said? They have dragged away -Matilall to prison? And why, O why, my husband, have they -imprisoned him? Alas, alas! The poor boy must be a mass of bruises! -I expect, too, he has had nothing to eat and not been able to get -any sleep. O my husband, what is to be done? Do bring my darling -Matilall back to me again! - -With this, the mistress of the house began to weep: her two -daughters wiped away the tears from her eyes, and tried their best -to console their mother. The infant too seeing its mother crying, -began to howl lustily. - -In the course of his enquiries, made under pretence of conversation, -her husband got to know that Matilall had been in the habit, under -one pretext or another, of getting money out of her. She had not -mentioned the matter to her husband for fear of his displeasure: the -boy had been unfortunate, and she could not tell what might have -happened if he had got angry. Wives ought to tell all that concerns -their children to their husbands, for a disease that is concealed -from the surgeon can never be cured. After a long consultation with -his wife, the master sent off a letter by night, to arrange for some -of his relatives to meet him in Calcutta at his lodgings. - -A night of happiness passes away in the twinkling of an eye, -but how slowly drag the hours when the mind is sunk in an abyss -of painful thought! It may be close to dawn, and the day may be -every moment drawing nearer, but yet it seems to tarry. Ways and -means occupied the whole of Baburam Babu's thoughts throughout -the night: he could no longer remain quietly in the house, and -long before the morning came was in a boat with Thakchacha and -his companions. As the tide was running strong, the boat soon -reached the Bagbazaar Ghât. - -Night had nearly come to an end: oil-dealers were busy putting -their mills in order, ready to work: cartmen were leading their -bullocks off to their day's toil: the washermen's donkeys were -labouring with their loads upon the road: men were hurrying -along at a swing-trot with loads of fish and vegetables. -The pandits of the place were all off with their sacred vessels -to the river for their morning bathe; the women were collecting -at the different _ghâts_ and exchanging confidences with each -other. "I am suffering agonies from my sister-in-law's cruelty," -said one. "Ah, my spiteful mother-in-law!" exclaimed another. "Oh, -my friends!" cried another, "I have no wish to live any longer, -my daughter-in-law tyrannises over me so, and my son says -nothing to her; in fact, she has made my son like a sheep with -her charms." "Alas!" said another, "I have such a wretch of a -sister-in-law! she tyrannises over me day and night." Another -lamented, "My darling child is now ten years old; my life is so -uncertain, it is high time for me to think of getting him married." - -There had been rain in the night, and patches of cloud were still -to be seen in the sky; the roads and the steps of the _ghâts_ -were all slippery in consequence. Baburam Babu puffed away at -his _hooka_ and looked out for a hired gharry or a _palki_, but -he would not agree to the fare demanded: it was a great deal too -much to his mind. When the boys who had collected in the road -saw how Baburam Babu was chaffering, some of them said to him: -"Had you not better, sir, be carried in a coolie's basket? The -charge for that will be only two pice." As Baburam Babu ran after -them and tried to hit them, roundly abusing them the while, he -fell heavily to the ground. The boys only laughed at this and -clapped their hands at him from a safe distance. Baburam with a -woe-begone countenance then got into a gharry with Thakchacha and -his companions. The gharry went creaking along, and eventually -pulled up at the house of Bancharam Babu, of Outer Simla. - -Bancharam Babu was the principal agent of a Mr. Butler, an attorney -living in Boitakhana; he had had a good deal of experience in the -law-courts and in cases-at-law: though his pay was only fifty -rupees a month, there was no limit to his gains, and festivals -were always in full swing in his house. - -Beni Babu of Bally, Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar, and Bakreswar -Babu of Batalata, were all seated in his sitting-room, waiting -for Baburam Babu. With the arrival of that worthy the business -of the day commenced. - -_Becharam_.-- Oh Baburam, what a venomous reptile have you been -nourishing all this time! You would never listen to me, though time -after time I sent word to you. Your boy Matilall has pretty well -done for his chances in this world and in the next: he drinks his -fill, he gambles[12], he eats things forbidden: caught in the very -act of gambling, he struck a policeman: Haladhar, Gadadhar, and -other boys were with him at the time. Having no children of my own, -I had fondly thought that Haladhar and Gadadhar would be as sons -to me, to offer the customary libation to my spirit when I was no -more, but my hopes are as _goor_ into which sand has fallen. I -really have no words to express my disgust at the boy's behaviour. - -_Baburam_.-- Which of them has corrupted the other it may be -very difficult to say with any certainty; but just now please -tell me how I am to proceed with reference to the investigation. - -_Becharam_.-- So far as I am concerned, you may do exactly as you -think fit. I have been put to very great annoyance. The boys have -been going into the temple at night and drinking heavily there: -they have made the beams black with the smoke from tobacco and -_ganja_: they have stolen my gold and silver ornaments and sold -them; and one day they even went so far as to threaten to grind -the holy _shalgram_ to powder and eat it with their betel in -lieu of lime. Can you expect me then to subscribe towards their -release? Ugh! certainly not. - -_Bakreswar_.-- Matilall is not so bad as all that: I have seen a -good deal of him at school: he has naturally a good disposition. He -was no ordinary boy; he was a perfect model of behaviour: how -then he can have become what you describe is beyond me. - -_Thakchacha_.-- May I ask what need there is of all this -irrelevant talk? We are not likely to get our stomachs filled by -simply chatting of oil and straw: let a case be thoroughly well -got up for the trial. - -_Bancharam [highly delighted at the prospect of making a good -thing out of the case_.] -- Matters of business require a man -of business. Thakchacha's words are shrewdly to the point: we -must get a few good witnesses together and have them thoroughly -instructed in their role betimes; we must also engage our -friend Mr. Butler the attorney. If after all that we do not win -our case, I will take it up to the High Court. Then if the High -Court can do nothing, I will go up to the Council with the case; -and if the Council can do nothing, we must carry it to England -for appeal. You may put implicit confidence in me: I am not a -man to be trifled with[13]. But nothing can be done unless we -secure the services of Mr. Butler. He is a thoroughly practical -man: knows all manner of contrivances for upsetting cases, and -trains his witnesses as carefully as a man trains birds. - -_Bakreswar_.-- A keen intelligence is needed in time of -misfortune. A very careful preparation for the trial is required: -why be jeered at for want of it? - -_Bancharam_.-- So clever an attorney as Mr. Butler it has never -fallen to my lot to see. I have no language capable of expressing -his astuteness: three words will suffice for him to have all -these cases dismissed. Come, gentlemen, rise and let us go to him. - -_Beni_.-- Pardon me, sir, I could not do what I know to be wrong, -even were my life at stake! I am prepared to follow your advice -in most matters, but I cannot risk my chances of happiness in -the next world. It is best to acknowledge a fault if one has -really been committed: there is no danger in truth, whereas to -take refuge in a lie only intensifies an evil. - -_Thakchacha_.-- Ha! ha! what business have bookworms with law? The -very mention of the word sets them all atremble! If we take the -course this gentleman advises, we may as well at once prepare -our graves! Sage counsels indeed to listen to! - -_Bancharam_.-- At this rate, gentlemen, it will be the case of -the old proverb over again, -- "The festival is over, and your -preparations still progressing." I have no doubt that Beni Babu -is a man of very solid parts; why, in the _Niti Shástras_, he is -a second Jagannath Tarkapanchanan! I shall have to go some day -to Bally to hold an argument with him, but we have no time for -that just now; we must be up and doing. - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, Beni my friend, I am quite of your mind! I -am getting an old man now: already three periods of my life have -passed away and one only is left to me. I too will do no wrong, -even if my life be at stake. Who are these boys that I should do -what is wrong for them? They have made my life a perfect burden to -me. Shall I be put to any expense for them? Certainly not: they -may go to jail for all I care, and then perhaps I may contrive -to live in peace. Why should I trouble myself any more about -them? The very sight of their faces makes my blood boil. Ugh! the -young wretches! - - -CHAPTER VI. MATILALL'S MOTHER AND SISTERS. - -THE Vaidyabati house was all astir with preparations for -a religious ceremonial. The sun had not risen when Shridhar -Bhattacharjea, Ram Gopal Charamani and other Brahman priests, set -to work repeating _mantras_. All were employed upon something: -one was offering the sacred basil to the deity: some were busy -picking the leaves of the jessamine: others humming and beating -time on their cheeks. One was remarking: "I am no Brahman if good -fortune does not attend the sacrifices;" and another, "If things -turn out inauspiciously, I will abandon my sacred thread." The -whole household was busily engaged, but not a member of it was -happy in mind. The mistress of the house was sitting at an open -window and calling in her distress upon her guardian deity: -her infant boy lay near her, playing with a toy and tossing his -little limbs in the air. Every now and again she glanced in the -direction of the child, and said to herself: "Ah my darling, -I cannot say what kind of destiny awaits you! To be childless -is a single sorrow and anxiety: multiplied a hundred-fold is the -misery that comes with children. How is a mother's mind distracted -if her child has the slightest complaint! she will cheerfully -sacrifice her life in order to get him well again: so long as -her babe is ill, all capacity for food and sleep deserts her: -day and night to her are alike. If a child who has caused her so -much sorrow grows up good, she feels her work accomplished; but -if the contrary be the case, a living death is hers: she takes no -interest in anything in the world and cares not to show herself -in the neighbourhood. The haughty face grows wan and pinched: -in her inmost heart, like Sita, she gives expression to this -wish: 'Oh, Earth, Earth, open, and let me hide myself within -thy bosom!' The good God knows what trouble I have taken to make -Matilall a man: my young one has now learned to fly, and heavy is -my chastisement. How it grieves me to hear of such evil conduct: -I am almost heartbroken with sorrow and chagrin. I have not told -my husband all: he might have gone mad had he heard all. Away -with these thoughts! I can endure them no longer: I am but a weak -woman. What will such laments avail me now? what must be, must be." - -A maid-servant came in at that moment and took the child away, and -the mistress of the house engaged in her daily religious duties. - -Man's mind is so constituted that it cannot readily forget any -particular matter it may be absorbed in, to attend to other affairs -in hand. When therefore she tried to perform her usual devotions, -she found herself unable to do so. Again and again she set herself -to fix her attention on the _mantras_ she had to repeat, but her -mind kept wandering: the thought of Matilall surged up like a -strong and irresistible flood. At one time she fancied that the -orders for his imprisonment had been passed, and her imagination -depicted him as already in fetters, and being led off to jail: -she even thought she saw his father standing near him, his head -bowed down in woe, weeping bitterly; and again she almost fancied -that her son was come to see her, and was saying to her: "Mother, -forgive me: what is past cannot now be mended, but I will never -again cause you such trouble and sorrow." She then began to dream -of some great calamity as about to befall Matilall, -- that -he would be transported perhaps for life. When these phantoms -of her imagination had left her, she began to say to herself: -"Why, it is now high noon! can I have been dreaming? No, surely -this is no dream! I must have seen a vision. I wish I could tell -why my mind is so distracted to-day!" With these words she laid -herself silently down on the ground, and wept bitterly. - -Her two daughters, Mokshada and Pramada, were busy drying their -hair on the roof, and Mokshada was saying to her sister: "Why -sister Pramada, you have not half combed your hair, and how dry -it is too! But it must be so, for it is ages since a drop of oil -fell upon it. It is just the use of oil and water that keeps -people in good health: to bathe once a month, and without using -oil, would be bad for any one. But why are you so wrapped in -thought? anxiety and trouble are making you as thin as a string." - -_Pramada_.-- Ah, my sister, how can I help thinking? Cannot you -understand it all? Our father brought the son of a Kulin Brahmin -here when I was a mere child and married me to him. I only heard -about this when I was grown up. Considering the number of the -different places where he has contracted marriage, and considering -his personal character too, I have no wish to see his face: I would -rather not have a husband at all than such a one. - -_Mokshada_.-- Hush, my dear! you must not say that. It is an -advantage to a woman to have a husband alive, whether his character -be bad or good. - -_Pramada_.-- Listen then to what I have to tell you. Last year, -when I was suffering from intermittent fever and had been lying -long days and nights on my bed, too weak to rise, my husband came -one day to the house. From the time of my earliest impressions, -I had never seen what a husband was like: my idea was that there -was no treasure a woman could possess like a husband, and I -thought that if he only came and sat with me for a few moments -and spoke to me, my pain would be alleviated. But, my sister you -will not believe me when I say it! he came to my bedside, and -said: "You are my lawful wife, I married you sixteen years ago: -I have come to see you now because I am in need of money, and -will go away again directly: I have told your father that he has -cheated me: come, give me that bracelet off your wrist!" I told -him that I would first ask my mother, and would do what she bade -me. Thereupon he pulled the bracelet off my wrist by brute force; -and when I struggled to prevent his doing so, he gave me a kick -and left me. I fainted away, and did not recover till mother came -and fanned me. - -_Mokshada_.-- Oh my dear sister Pramada, your story brings tears -into my eyes. But consider, you still have a husband living: -I have not even that. - -_Pramada_.-- A fine husband indeed, my sister! Happily for me, -I once spent some time with my uncle, and learned to read and -write and to do a little fancy work with my needle; so by constant -work during the day and by a little occasional reading, writing -or sewing, I keep my trouble hidden. If I sit idle for any time, -and begin to think, my heart burns with indignation. - -_Mokshada_.-- What else can it do? Ah, it is because of the many -sins committed by us in previous births that we are suffering as -we are! It is by plenty of hard work that our bodies and minds -retain their vigour: idleness only causes evil thoughts and evil -imaginations and even disease to get a stronger hold upon us: -it was uncle that told me that. I have done all I can to soften -the pains of widowhood. I always reflect that everything is in -God's hands: reliance upon Him is the real secret of life. My dear -sister, if you so constantly ponder on your grief, you will be -overwhelmed in the ocean of anxiety: it is an ocean that has no -shore. What good can possibly result from so much brooding? Just -do all your religious and secular duties as well as you can: -honour our father and mother in everything: attend to the welfare -of our two brothers: nourish and cherish any children they may -have, and they will be as your own. - -_Pramada_.-- Ah my sister, what you say is indeed true, but then -our elder brother has gone altogether astray. He is given over to -vicious ways and vicious companions; and as his disposition has -changed for the worse, so his affection for his parents and for -us has lessened. Ah, the affection that brothers have for their -sisters is not one-hundredth part of the affection that sisters -have for their brothers! In their devotion to their brothers, -sisters will even risk their lives; but brothers always think that -they will get on much better if they can only be rid of their -sisters! We are Matilall's elder sisters: if he comes near us -at all, he may perhaps make himself agreeable for a short time, -and we may congratulate ourselves upon it; but then have no any -influence whatever upon his conduct? - -_Mokshada_.-- All brothers are not like that. There are brothers -who regard their elder sisters as they would their mother, and -their younger sisters as they would a daughter. I am speaking -the truth: there are brothers who look upon their sisters in the -same light as they do their brothers: they are unhappy unless they -are free to converse with them; and if they fall into any danger, -they risk their lives to save them. - -_Pramada_.-- That is very true, but it is our lot to have a brother -just in keeping with our unhappy destiny. Alas, there is no such -thing as happiness in this world! - -At this moment, a maid-servant came to tell them her mistress was -crying: the two sisters rushed downstairs as soon as they heard it. - -It was a fine moonlight evening, the moon shedding her radiance -over the breadth of the Ganges. A gentle breeze was diffusing -the sweet fragrance of the wild jungle flowers; the waves danced -merrily in the moonlight: the birds in a neighbouring grove were -calling to each other in their varied notes. Beni Babu was seated -at the Deonagaji Ghât, looking about him and singing snatches -of some up-country song on the loves of Krishna and Radha. He -was completely absorbed in his music and was beating time to it, -when suddenly he heard somebody behind him calling his name and -echoing his song. Turning round, he saw Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar: -he at once rose, and invited his guest to take a seat. - -Becharam opened the conversation. "Ah! Beni, my friend! those were -home truths you told Baburam Babu to-day. I have been invited -to your village: and as I was so pleased with what I saw of you -the other day, I wanted to come and call on you just once before -leaving." - -_Beni_.-- Ah, my friend Becharam, we are poor sort of folk here! -We have to work for our living: we prefer to visit places where -the secrets of knowledge or virtue are investigated. We have a -good many rich relatives and acquaintances, but we feel embarrassed -in their presence; we visit them very occasionally, when we have -fallen into any trouble, or have any very particular business on -hand. It is never a pleasure to call on upon them, and when we do -go we derive no intellectual benefit from the visit; for whatever -respect rich men may show to other rich men, they have not much to -say to us; they just remark "It is very hot to-day. How is your -business getting on? Is it flourishing? Have a smoke?" If only they -speak cheerfully and pleasantly to us, we are fully satisfied. Ah, -learning and worth have nothing like the respect shown to them that -is shown to wealth! Paying court to rich men is a very dangerous -thing: there is a popular saying:-- "The friendship of the rich is -an embankment made of sand." Their moods are capricious: a trifle -will offend them just as a trifle will please them. People do not -consider this: wealth has such magic in it that they will put up -with any humiliation, any indignity from a rich man; they will even -submit to a thrashing, and say to the rich man after it:-- "It is -your honour's good pleasure." However this be, it is a hard thing -to live with the rich and not forfeit one's chances of happiness in -the next world. In that affair of to-day, for instance, we had a -hard struggle for the right. - -_Becharam_.-- From observation of Baburam Babu's general behaviour, -I am inclined to think that his affairs are not prospering. Alas, -alas, what counsellors he has got! That wretched Mahomedan, -Thakchacha, a prince of rogues! there is an evil magic in him. -Then Bancharam, the attorney's clerk! he is like a fine mango, fair -outside but rotten at the core. Well-practised in all the arts of -chicanery, like a cat treading stealthily along in the wet, he -simulates innocence while all the while exercising his wiles to -entrap his prey. Anybody falling under the influence of that -sorcery would be utterly, and for ever, ruined. Then there is -Bakreswar the schoolmaster, a teacher of ethics forsooth! A passed -master indeed in the art of cajolery, a very prince of flatterers! -Ugh! But tell me, is it your English education that has given you -this high moral standard? - -_Beni_.-- Have I this high moral standard you attribute to me? It -is only your kindness to say so. The slight acquaintance I have -with morality is entirely due to the kind favour of Barada Babu, -of Badaragan: I lived with him for some time, and he very kindly -gave me some excellent advice. - -_Becharam_.-- Who is this Barada Babu? Please tell me some -particulars about him. It is always a pleasure to me to hear -anything of this kind. - -_Beni_.-- Barada Babu's home is in Eastern Bengal, in Pergunnah -Etai Kagamari. On the death of his father he moved to Calcutta, -and found great difficulty at first in providing himself with food -and clothing: he had not even the wherewithal to buy his daily -meal. But from his boyhood he had always engaged in meditation -upon divine things, and so it was that when trouble befell him -it did not affect him so much. At this time he used to live in -a common tiled hut, his only means of subsistence being the two -rupees a month which he received from a younger brother of his -father's. He was on terms of intimacy with a few good men and -would associate with none but these: he was very independent, and -refused to be under obligations to anybody. Not having the means -to keep either a man-servant or a maid-servant, he did all his -own marketing, cooking for himself as well; and he did not neglect -his studies even when he was cooking. Morning noon and night, he -calmly and peacefully meditated on God. The clothes in which he -attended school were torn and dirty, and excited the derision of -rich men's sons: he pretended not to hear them when they laughed -and jeered at him, and eventually succeeded by his pleasant and -courteous address in winning them completely over. With very many, -pride is the only result of English learning: they scorn the -very earth they live on. This however found no place in the mind -of Barada Babu: his disposition was too calm and mild. When he -had completed his education he left school, and at once obtained -employment as a teacher, on thirty rupees a month. He then took -his mother, his wife and his two nephews to live with him, and -did his very utmost to make them comfortable. He would also look -after the wants of the many poor people living in his immediate -neighbourhood, helping them, as far as his means allowed, with -money, visiting them when they were sick, and supplying them -with medicine. As none of these poor people could afford to send -their children to school, he held a class for them himself every -morning. One of his cousins who had fallen dangerously ill after -his father's death, recovered entirely, thanks to the unremitting -attention of Barada Babu, who sat by his bedside for days and -nights together. He was deeply devoted to his aunt, and regarded -her quite as a mother. Some men appear to have a contempt for the -things of this world in comparison with things of eternity, like -the contempt for death that is characteristic of those who are in -constant attendance at burning-_ghâts_. Does death or calamity -befall any of their friends or kinsfolk, the world, they feel, -is nothing, and God all. This idea is constantly present to the -mind of Barada Babu: conversation with him and observation of his -conduct soon make it apparent; but he never parades his opinions -before the world. He is in no sense ostentatious: he never does -anything for mere appearance sake. All his good deeds are done in -secret: numbers of people meet with kindness from him, but only the -person actually benefited by him is aware of it; and he is much -annoyed if others get any inkling of it. Though a man of varied -accomplishments, he is without a particle of vanity. It is the -man who has only a smattering of learning who is puffed up with -pride and self-importance. "Aha!" says such a one to himself, -"what a very learned man I am! Who can write as I do? Who is so -erudite as I? How I always do speak to the point!" Barada Babu -is a different sort of man altogether: though his learning is so -profound, he never treats the thoughts of others as beneath his -attention. It does not annoy him to hear an opinion expressed -opposite to his own: on the contrary, he listens with pleasure, -and reviews his own beliefs. To describe in detail all his good -qualities would be a long affair, but they may be summed up in -the remark that so gentle and god-fearing a man has rarely been -seen: he could not do wrong even if his life were at stake. Yes, -the amount of instruction to be had from personal intercourse -with Barada Babu far exceeds any to be got from books! - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, how it charms one to hear of a man like -that! But now, as it is getting very late, and I have to cross -the river, I will, with your permission, return home. Let me -see you for a moment at the police court to-morrow. - - -CHAPTER VII. THE TRIAL OF MATILALL. - -VERY strange is this world's course, and past man's -comprehension. How hard it is to determine the causes of -things! When we remember for instance the account of the origin -of Calcutta, it will appear almost miraculous; for even in a -dream none could have imagined that Calcutta as it was could ever -have become Calcutta as it is. The East India Company first had -a factory at Hooghly, their factor being Mr. Job Charnock. On -one occasion he quarrelled with the leading police official of -the place; and as the East India Company did not in those days -possess the power and dignity which they afterwards acquired, their -agent was maltreated and forced to have recourse to flight. Job -Charnock had a house and a bazaar of his own at Barrackpur, which -in consequence has been known as Chanak, even down to the present -time. He had married a woman whom he had rescued from the funeral -pile just as she was about to become a _suttee_; but whether the -marriage contributed to the mutual happiness of each, there is no -evidence to show. Job Charnock was constantly journeying to and -fro between Barrackpur and Uluberia, where he was building a new -factory: it was the wish of his heart to have a factory there, -but how many undertakings fall just short of completion[14]! As he -journeyed to and fro, he used often to pass by Boitakhana, and -would halt for a rest and a smoke under a large tree there. This -tree was the favourite resort of many men of business, and Job -Charnock was so enamoured of the shade of it that he decided -upon building his factory there. The three villages of Sutanati, -Govindpur and Calcutta, which he had purchased, soon filled up, -and it was not long before people of all classes took up their -abode there for trade, and so Calcutta soon became a city, and -populous. The first beginnings of Calcutta as a city date from -the year 1689 of the Christian era. Job Charnock died some three -years after that. In those days the great plain where the Fort -and Chowringhee now are was all jungle. The Fort itself formerly -stood where the Custom House now stands, and Clive Street was -the chief business quarter of the city. So fatal to health was -Calcutta at one time considered, that the English gentlemen who -had escaped with their lives during the year, would annually meet -together on the 15th of November and offer their congratulations -to each other. One prominent characteristic of Englishmen is -to have everything about them scrupulously clean, and disease -gradually diminished as sanitary precautions came more and more -into vogue. But the people of Bengal do not take this lesson -to heart: to the present day there are tanks near the houses of -our wealthiest citizens, which smell so bad that one can hardly -approach them. - -In former days the duties connected with the Revenue and Criminal -Courts and the Police Administration of Calcutta devolved upon a -single Englishman: he had a Bengali official as his subordinate, -and he himself was called the _Jemadar_. Later on, there came to be -other Courts; and with the view of checking the high-handedness of -the English in the country, the Supreme Court was established. The -administration of the Police was made an independent charge, and -was very ably conducted. In the year 1798 of the Christian era, Sir -John Richardson and others were employed as Justices of the Peace; -and afterwards, in the year 1800, Mr. Blaquiere and others were -appointed to hold this office. The jurisdiction of the Justices -extended to every part of the country. When it became necessary for -the jurisdiction of those who were simply Magistrates to extend -beyond their head districts, the assistance of the Judge's Court -of the particular district had to be sought, and consequently -many Magistrates in the Mofussil have now been made Justices -of the Peace. Mr. Blaquiere has been dead some four years; -it was currently reported that his father was an Englishman and -his mother a Brahman woman, and that he had received his earliest -education in India, but had afterwards gone to England and been -well educated there. During his tenure of office as head of the -Police Department, Calcutta trembled at his stern severity, and -all were afraid of him. After some time he gave up the detective -part of his work and the apprehension of criminals, to confine -his attention to the trial of prisoners brought before him. He -made an excellent judge, being well versed in the language of the -country, its customs, manners, and all the inner details of the -life of the people. He had the Criminal Law too at his fingers' -ends; and having for some time acted as interpreter to the Supreme -Court, was thoroughly well acquainted with the proper method of -conducting trials. - -Time and water run apace. Monday came. Ten o'clock had just -struck by the church clock: the police court was crowded with -police officers, sergeants, constables, _darogahs_, _naibs_, -sub-inspectors, _chowkidars_, and with all sorts and conditions -of people. Some of these were keepers of low lodging-houses -and women of loose character, who sat about the Court chewing -betel and _pán_: some, as their bloodstained clothes sufficiently -showed were victims of assaults: some were thieves, who sat apart -dejected and sad: some, conspicuous by their turbans, were engaged -in writing out petitions in English. Some were complainants in -the different cases, who tramped noisily about the court; others, -who were to be witnesses, were busily whispering to each other: -the men who make it their business to provide bail were sitting -about as thick as crows at a _ghât_. Here were pleaders' touts, -using all their arts to get clients for their masters: there were -pleaders engaged in coaching their witnesses: and here the _amlahs_ -were writing out cases that had been sent up by the Police. The -sergeants of police looked very important as they marched up and -down with proud and pompous port. The chief clerks were discussing -different English magistrates: this one was declared to be a great -fool, that one a very cunning man, a third too mild and easily -imposed upon, a fourth too harsh and rough; they pronounced also -an unfavourable criticism on the orders passed the previous day -in a particular case. The police court was so crowded, indeed, -that it seemed the very Hall of Yama, and all looked forward with -fear and trembling to their fate. - -Baburam Babu came bustling up to the court, accompanied by his -pleader, his counsellor Thakchacha, and some of his relatives. -Thakchacha was wearing a conical cap, fine muslin clothes, and -the peculiar turned-up shoes of his class. His crystal beads in -hand, he was invoking the names of his special guardian genius -and his Prophet, and muttering his prayers with repeated shakings -of the head; but this was all mere ostentation. A man so full of -tricks as Thakchacha is not met with every day. At the police -court he spun about hither and thither, for all the world like a -peg-top. At one moment he was coaching his witnesses in a whisper; -the next, walking about hand in hand with Baburam Babu; the next, -consulting with Mr. Butler: in this way he attracted everybody's -attention. Now it is a failing with many people to imagine their -fathers and grandfathers (who may have been great rogues in -reality) to have been celebrated people, well known to all; and -the consequence is that when they have to introduce themselves to -others they will do so, saying: "I am the son of so-and-so, and -the grandson of so-and-so." To anybody who came up to converse -with Thakchacha, he would introduce himself as the son of Abdul -Rahman Gul, and the grandson of Ampak Ghulam Hosain. A _sircar_ -in the court, who was fond of his joke, remarked to him: "Come, -tell me what is your special business? A few low-class Mahomedans -in your own neighbourhood may perhaps know the names of your -father and grandfather, but who is likely to know them in this -city of Calcutta? perhaps however they carried on the profession -of _syces_." Thakchacha, his eyes inflamed with passion, replied: -"I can say nothing here, as this is the police court: in any other -place, I would fall upon you and tear you to pieces." As he said -this, he grasped Baburam Babu's hand in his, to make the _sircar_ -imagine him a man of much importance, held in high honour. - -Meanwhile there was a stir near the steps of the police court: -a carriage had just driven up: the door was opened, and a -withered old gentleman alighted from it. The sergeants of police -raised their hats in salute, and called out, "Mr. Blaquiere has -arrived." The magistrate, having taken his seat on the bench, -disposed first of some cases of assault. Matilall's case was then -called: The complainants, Kale Khan and Phate Khan, took up their -position on one side, while on the other side stood Baburam Babu -of Vaidyabati, Beni Babu of Bally, Bakreswar Babu of Batalata, -Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar, and Mr. Butler of Boitakhana. Baburam -Babu was wearing a fine shawl, and had a gorgeous turban on his -head: his sacred caste mark, with the sign of the _Hom_ offering -over it, was conspicuous on his forehead. With tears in his eyes, -and his hands folded humbly in supplication, he gazed at the -magistrate, who, he fondly imagined, would be sure to commiserate -him if he saw his tears. Matilall, Haladhar, Gadadhar, and the -other accused, were brought before the magistrate: Matilall stood -there, with his head bowed low in shame. When Baburam Babu saw the -boy's face pinched from want of food, his heart was pierced. The -complainants charged the accused with gambling in a place of -ill-fame, and with having effected their escape when arrested by -grievously assaulting them; and they stripped and showed the marks -of the assault upon their persons. Mr. Butler cross-examined the -complainants and their witness at some length, and conclusively -showed that there was no case made out against Matilall. This -was not at all surprising, considering that for one thing he had -all a pleader's art exercised in his favour, and for another that -there was collusion between the complainants and the counsel of -the accused. What will not money do? An old proverb[15] runs:-- - -"Gold for the dotard a fair bride will win." - -Mr. Butler afterwards produced his witnesses, who all declared -that on the day the assault was said to have been committed, -Matilall was at home at Vaidyabati; but on cross-examination by -Mr. Blaquiere, they were not so clear. Thakchacha saw that things -were not going well: a slight slip might ruin everything. Most -people, reduced to the necessity of having recourse to law, -give up all ideas of right and wrong: they sever themselves -from all connection with truth, once they have to enter the Law -Courts: their sole idea must be to win their case somehow or -other. Thakchacha then went forward himself, and gave evidence -that on the day and at the time mentioned by the prosecution he -was engaged teaching Matilall Persian at his home in Vaidyabati. -Though the magistrate subjected him to severe cross-examination, -Thakchacha was not a man to be easily confused: he was well -up in law-suits, and his original evidence was not shaken in -any way. Then Mr. Butler addressed the Court, and after some -deliberation the magistrate passed orders that Matilall should -be released, but that the other accused should be imprisoned for -one calendar month, and pay a fine of thirty rupees each. - -Loud were the cries of _Hori Bol_ on the passing of this order, -and Baburam Babu shouted: "Oh Incarnation of Justice, most acute -is your judgment! soon may you be made Governor of the land!" - -When they were all in the courtyard of the police court, Haladhar -and Gadadhar caught sight of Premnaryan Mozoomdar, and at once -commenced singing in his ear with the intention of annoying him;-- - -"Hasten homeward, hasten homeward, Premnarayan Mozoomdar, -"Hop into your native jungle, black-faced monkey that you are!" - -Premnarayan only replied: "What wicked boys you are! Here you -are going to jail, but you cannot cease your tricks." While he -was still speaking, they were led away to jail. When Beni Babu, -who was a very worthy god-fearing man, saw virtue thus defeated -and vice triumphant, he was perfectly astounded. Thakchacha, -shaking his head and smiling sardonically, said to him: "How now, -sir, what does the man of books say now? Why, if we had acted in -accordance with you suggestions, it would have been all up with -us." At this moment Bancharam Babu came running up in haste, -gesticulating and saying: "Ha! ha! see what comes of trusting -me! I told you I was no fool." Bakreswar too had his say. "Ah, -he is no ordinary boy is Matilall! he is a very model of what -a boy should be." "Ugh!" exclaimed Becharam Babu: "It was not I -that wished this wrong done: I didn't want to see this case won, -far from it." Saying this, he took Beni Babu's hand and went off -with him. Baburam Babu having made his offerings at Kali's shrine -at Kalighat, embarked on a boat to return home. - -Though the Bengalees have always great pride of caste, it may -sometimes fall out that even a Mahomedan may be regarded as -worthy of equal honour with the ancestral deity, and Baburam -Babu began now to regard Thakchacha as a veritable Bhishma Deva: -he put his arms round his neck and forgot everything else in the -joy of victory: food and devotions were alike neglected. Again -and again they repeated that Mr. Butler had no equal, that there -was no one like Bancharam Babu that Becharam Babu and Beni Babu -were utter idiots. Matilall gazed all about him, at one moment -standing on the edge of the boat, at another pulling an oar, at -another sitting on the roof of the cabin or hard at work with the -rudder. "What are you doing, boy?" said Baburam to him, "Do sit -quiet for a moment, if you can." One of Baburam Babu's gardeners, -Shankur Mali, of Kashijora, prepared the Babu's tobacco for him: -his heart expanded with joy, when he saw his master looking so -happy, and he asked him: "Will you have many nautches at the Durga -Pujah this year, sir? Isn't that a cotton factory over there? How -many cotton factories have these unbelievers set up?" - -Change is the order of things in this world. Anger cannot long -remain latent in the mind, but must reveal itself sooner or later; -and so with a storm in nature, when there is great heat, and a -calm atmosphere, a squall[16] may suddenly rise. The sun was just -setting, the evening coming on, when suddenly, in the twinkling -of an eye, a small black cloud rose in the west: in a few minutes -deep darkness had overspread the sky, and then with a rushing roar -of wind the storm was on them. No one could see his neighbour: the -boatmen shouted to each other to look out: the lightning flashed, -and all were terrified at the loud and repeated thunder claps: -down came the rain like a waterspout, and they were driven to -take shelter in the cabin. The waters rose and dashed against the -boats, several of which were swamped. Seeing this, the men in the -remaining boats struggled hard to get to shore, but the violence -of the wind drove them in the opposite direction. Thakchacha's -chattering ceased: frightened out of his senses, and clasping his -bead chaplet in his hands, he gabbled aloud his prayers, calling -on his Prophet and Patron, -- Saint Mahomed Ali, and Satya Pir. - -Baburam Babu too was in great anxiety. It seemed to be the -beginning of the punishment of his misdeeds: who can remain calm -in mind when he is conscious of wrong? Cunning and craft may -suffice to conceal a crime from the eye of the world, but nothing -can escape the conscience. The sinner is ever at the mercy of its -sting: he is always in a state of alarm and dread, never at ease: -he may occasionally indulge in laughter, but it is unnatural -and forced. Baburam Babu wept from sheer fright, and said to -Thakchacha: "Oh, Thakchacha, what is going to happen? I seem to -see an untimely death before me! surely this is Nemesis. Alas, -alas! to have just effected the release of my son, and yet to -be unable to get him safe home and deliver him to his mother: -my wife will die of grief if I perish. Ah, now I call to mind -the words of my friend Beni Babu: all would have been well had I -not turned aside out of the path of rectitude." Thakchacha too -was in a high state of alarm, but the old sinner was a great -boaster, and so he answered: "Why be so alarmed, Babu? Even if -the boat is swamped, I will take you to shore on my shoulders: -it is misfortune that shows what a brave man really is." The -storm increased in violence, and the boat was soon in a sinking -condition: all were in an extremity of terror, shouting for help, -and Thakchacha's only thought was his own safety. - - -CHAPTER VIII. BABURAM AND MATILALL RETURN HOME. - -MR. Butler had just arrived at his office and was overhauling his -books to see what business was doing during the current month: -his dog was asleep near him. Every now and again the Saheb -would whistle, and take a pinch of snuff; then he would examine -his account hook or stand up and stretch his legs. He thought -anxiously of the large sums he would have to pay as fees in the -different offices of the Court[17]: though by no means possessed -of large resources, he knew very well that business would be -at a standstill if he did not pay his money down before Term -opened. He was thus engaged when the _sircar_ of Mr. Howard, -another attorney, entered his office, and put two papers into -his hand. The Saheb's face beamed with delight, and he called out -to Bancharam to come to him at once. Bancharam, throwing his shawl -over a chair and sticking his pen behind his ear, attended at once -to the summons. "Ha, Bancharam!" said Mr. Butler, "I am in luck -indeed: there are two cases against Baburam Babu -- an action in -ejectment for non-payment of revenue, and a suit in equity. Mr. -Howard has served me with a notice, and a _subpoena_ to attend." -On hearing this news Bancharam clapped his elbows against his -sides with delight and said: "Aha, Saheb, see what a fine headman -I am! all sorts of good things will come to us by my introduction -of Baburam. Give me the two papers quick and let me go in person -to Vaidyabati. These are not matters to be entrusted to another: I -shall have to employ a good deal of coaxing and wheedling, and all -my arts of persuasion will have to be called into requisition. If -I can only once climb to the top of the Tree of Fortune, I will -simply shower rupees down: just now we are very short of cash, -and we cannot afford that in a business like ours; by a sudden -dash like this we may safely reckon on getting something." - -Meanwhile in the Vaidyabati house, propitiatory sacrifices were -being offered: musical instruments of all kinds were braying -and jangling. The crash of drums, the blare of brass trumpets, -the clashing of cymbals, astonished the dawn. In the great hall -of worship offerings for Matilall's welfare were in progress. -The Brahmans were variously occupied in reciting the hymn to -Durga, working up Ganges clay into representations of Siva, -or offering leaves of the sacred basil to the holy _shalgram_ -in the centre of the hall. Others, deep in thought, their heads -resting on their hands, were saying to each other: "How about -our divine Brahmanhood now? so far from having saved Matilall, -our master too must now have perished with him. If he was aboard -yesterday, the boat must have been lost in the storm last night: -there can be no doubt about that. Anyhow the family are ruined: -the young Babu will now be proclaimed master, and what kind of man -he is likely to turn out no one can say: our prospects of gain -appear now to be very remote." One of the Brahmans present said -very quietly: "Why are you so anxious? nobody is depriving us of -our gains. Apply to our own case the simile of the saw cutting -the shell. The saw will cut chips off the shell whether it moves -forward or whether it moves backwards: even if the master be no -more, there will have to be a gorgeous _shraddha_. The master is -not a young man, and if the old lady objects to spending much on -his _shraddha_, everybody will abuse her." Another remarked: "Ah, -my friend, that may be all very true, but in case of his death our -gains will become very precarious: I prefer the supply to be as -constant as the Vasudhara[18]: let us be ever getting, ever eating, -say I: one shower will not suffice a long-continued thirst." - -Baburam Babu's wife was a most devoted partner: ever since her -lord's departure she had been very restless and had neglected her -daily food. She had been sitting all night at one of the windows -of the house from which the Ganges was visible. As the wind blew -in strong gusts every now and again, she shuddered with fright: -she kept gazing out into the storm, but her heart trembled as she -looked: the continual rumbling of the thunder made her anxious, -and she called upon the Almighty in her distress. Time went by: -hardly a boat passed up or down the Ganges: whenever she heard -a sound she would get up and look: occasionally she saw a light -glimmering faintly in the distance and at once concluded it came -from some vessel. At last a boat did come in sight, and she waited -for it to come and tie up at the _ghât_; but when it passed on, -only skirting the shore without coming to land, the agony of -despair pierced her heart like a dart. - -The night had almost come to an end and the storm had gradually -lulled. How beautiful is the calm of creation that succeeds tumult -and confusion! The stars again shone in the sky: the moon's light -seemed to dance sportively on the waters of the river: so still had -the earth become that even the rustle of the leaves could be heard. - -Baburam Babu's wife, as she anxiously gazed about her, exclaimed -in her impatience: "Oh Lord of Creation! to my knowledge I have -done no wrong to any one: I have committed no sin that I am aware -of. Must I now after so long a time endure all the pangs of -widowhood? Wealth I care nothing for: ornaments I have no use for: -to be poor would be no hardship to me, I should not grieve: but -this one boon I pray for, that I may be able to look upon the faces -of my husband and my son when I die." Indeed her mental anguish -was extreme, but being a cautious woman, as well as naturally -reserved, she restrained herself lest her tears should distress -her daughters. So the night passed away, and music in the house -ushered in the dawn. The sound of melody, ordinarily so attractive, -in the case of one afflicted in mind only serves to open the -floodgates of grief; and the sorrow of the mistress of the house -was but intensified by the sweet sounds. - -Just then a fisherman came to the Vaidyabati house to sell fish: -in answer to their enquiries, he said: "During the storm there -was a boat in a more or less sinking condition on the sandbank -known as the Bansberia Chur: I rather think it must have been -swamped: there was a stout gentleman in it, a Mahomedan, a young -gentleman, and others." This news was as if a thunderbolt had -fallen amongst them: the music at once ceased, and all the members -of the household lifted up their voices and wept. - -Later in the day, towards evening, Bancharam Babu arrived with -his usual bustle at the reception-room of the Vaidyabati house, -and enquired for the master: on hearing the news from one of the -servants, he fell into deep thought, resting his head on his hand, -and then exclaimed: "Alas, alas, a great man has departed!" Having -given way for some time to loud lamentation, he finally called -for a pipe of tobacco, and thus reflected, as he puffed away:-- -"Ah! Baburam Babu is now dead, would that I also were so! Where -now are all those hopes with which I came? They have vanished, -and here am I with the great Durga Festival coming off at home, -the image not yet decorated, or even coloured, and without the -wherewithal to pay for it: I am quite at a loss to know what to -do. A few rupees just now would have been exceedingly serviceable, -no matter how they might have been got. I could have given some -to my master, some I would have kept for myself: it would have -been a very simple thing to cook the accounts by making a false -entry or two. Who could have anticipated that the heavens would -have burst asunder and fallen upon my head like this?" Then, -just for the look of the thing, he shed a few tears before the -servants, weeping really for the loss of his dear rupees. The -officiating Brahmans, seeing him there, came and sat down by -him. The wearers of the sacred thread are, as a rule, a very -astute sort of people: it is hard to get at their thoughts. Some -began to recount the good qualities of Baburam Babu: others -complained that they were now orphans, bereft of their father: -others, unable to restrain their greed of gain, remarked: "There -is no time now for mourning: we must bestir ourselves to ensure -Baburam Babu's happiness in the next world: he was a man of no -ordinary importance." Without paying much attention to what they -were saying, Bancharam Babu smoked away, and nodded his head: he -knew the old proverb: "What advantage does the crow get, even if -the _bael_ is ripe?" It seemed as if he had got to the end of all -things, so thoroughly broken-hearted was he: he could only sigh as -he listened to what was being said: he had no plans, nor, alas, -could he think of anybody to fleece! The idea once occurred to -him that he might make something by informing the family that some -fine portions of their property might be lost to them unless they -held a very careful enquiry, but then he considered that his words -would be only wasted if he spoke when their grief was so fresh. -While he was thus musing, a sudden stir arose at the door, where -a messenger had just arrived with a letter: the address was in -the handwriting of Baburam Babu, but the messenger could give no -particulars. The mistress of the house snatched at the letter, -carried it into the house, opened it hurriedly, and devoured its -contents. The letter was as follows:-- - -"Last night I was in terrible danger: the boat I was in was -carried away in the darkness, at the mercy of the storm, and the -boatmen lost all control over it: finally, it capsized with the -violence of the waves. I was in extreme terror as it was sinking, -but at the next moment I remembered you: I imagined you standing -near me and saying: 'Be not afraid in the time of adversity: -call on the Almighty with body, mind, and soul: He is merciful, -and will rescue you out of your danger.' I acted accordingly, -and when I fell into the water I found myself upon a sandbank, -where the water was only knee deep. The boat was soon dashed to -pieces by the violence of the storm. I remained on the sandbank -the entire night and reached Bansberia next morning. Matilall fell -ill from exposure, but he has been under medical treatment and -is now again convalescent. I expect to reach home by nightfall." - -The moment that she had read the letter, the heat of her grief -was extinguished: she pondered long, and then exclaimed: "Can -such a joyful destiny indeed befall so sorrowful a wretch as -myself?" Even while she spoke, Baburam Babu arrived with his son -and Thakchacha. Everywhere there was a great stir. The minds of all -the members of the household had been shrouded in a mist of grief, -and now the sun of joy had risen. As she gazed upon her husband -and her son, holding her two daughters by the hand, the mistress -of the house wept tears of joy. She had been intending to upbraid -Matilall for his conduct, but now all was forgotten: the two girls, -holding their brother's hands, fell at their father's feet and -wept. Then the infant boy saw his father, it was as though he had -found a treasure: he kept his arms tight round his neck, and for -long refused to slacken his embrace: the women of the household too -offered loud prayers for the welfare of their master, as though -with _pán_ and betel in hand, they were praying for the welfare -of a bridegroom. Baburam Babu was for some time like a man in a -trance, unable to utter a word. Matilall reflected to himself: -"The sinking of the boat has been a piece of good luck for me: -it has saved me from a good scolding from my mother." As soon -as the Brahmans in the outer apartments of the house saw Baburam -Babu, they greeted him with vociferous blessings, saying in the -Sanskrit tongue:-- "Supreme over all is the might of the gods," -and adding: "How could any calamity befall you, sir, with your -own merits on the one hand, and on the other the divine rites -that have been performed on your behalf? If such can befall, -then are we no Brahmans." - -Thakchacha rose up in great wrath when he heard this language, -and said: "Sir, if it is by the influence of these men that -calamity has been averted from you, is all my trouble on your -behalf to go for nothing? do my prayers count for nothing?" The -Brahmans at once humbly acquiesced saying: "Ah sir, just as the -divine Krishna was once Arjuna's charioteer, so you have been the -master's! all has happened by the might of your intelligence: -you are a special incarnation: calamity flies far away from -anyplace where you are, as from any place where we are." - -Bancharam Babu had been all this time like a serpent with its -crest-jewel lost, depressed and sad. He shed a few sham tears, -to show off before Baburam Baba (his eyes were always rather -watery), and his breast heaved with emotion. Fish would fall -to his bait, he was firmly persuaded, if now he only threw in -sufficient. When he heard the Brahmans' talk, he came up to them -and with his favourite gesture, said: "I am no fool I can tell -you: calamity could not possibly befall the master with me. Am I -merely a Calcutta grasscutter that I could not have helped him?" - - -CHAPTER IX. MATILALL AND HIS FRIENDS. - -WHEN a child is once corrupted, it is hard to effect any -improvement. Every means should be tried to instil good principles -into the mind from childhood: the character may then ripen for -good and the mind become more strongly bent towards the right -than towards evil; but if a boy gets hold of bad companions -or receives ill advice in his early boyhood, then, such is the -unsteadiness natural to his age, all will probably go wrong with -him thereafter. So long then as he remains still a boy, with the -mind of a boy, he must be assiduously employed in a variety of -good pursuits. If boys were to receive an education like this -up to the age of twenty-five, there would be no probability of -their following evil courses: their minds would by that time have -become so elevated that the mere mention of evil would excite -anger and loathing. But it is very difficult for children in this -country to receive such a training, owing, in the first place, -to the lack of good teachers, and in the second to the lack of -good books. There is urgent need of works that will promote the -growth of high principles and of sound judgment, but ordinary -people are persuaded that a solid education consists in teaching -the meaning of a number of sounds: then again, very few people -seem to have any idea of the methods whereby good principles -are implanted in the mind; and finally the nature of the home -surroundings of children in this country is strongly against -the implanting of such principles. One boy may have a drunkard -or a gambler as his father, another may have as his uncles men -of immoral life; the mother herself too, being unable to read -or write, may not exert herself for her children's education. A -great deal of evil moreover is learnt from association with the -different members of the household, the men and women servants; -it may be also that from consorting with all kinds of boys in the -village or at the village-school, children get to learn their evil -ways and vicious habits, and so are ruined for life. Even where -but one of the causes mentioned exists, the obstacle in the way -of good education is grievous enough, but where they all exist in -combination, there the drawbacks are simply terrible. It is like -setting fire to straw: let a man only pour _ghee_ where the fire -is beginning to blaze, and within a very short space the flame -is everywhere, and reduces to ashes whatever it finds in its way. - -Many people thought that Matilall would have reformed after -the affair of the police court; but the boy who is devoid of -good qualities and high principles, and without any regard for -honour or dishonour, has no particular feeling of abhorrence for -punishments. Evil thoughts and good thoughts alike have their -origin in the mind, and are therefore intimately bound up with -the character: a mere physical affliction or trouble then cannot -be expected to change the wind's direction. Doubtless, when the -sergeant of police was dragging Matilall along through the streets, -he may have thought it at the actual time a trouble and a disgrace, -but the feeling was only momentary: once in the guard-room, he -seemed to have lost ail anxiety or fear or sense of dishonour and -he was such a nuisance all that night and the whole of the next day -to his neighbours, as he sang and imitated the cries of dogs and -jackals, that they put their hands to their ears, and exclaiming -"Ram, Ram!" said to each other: "Why, we are far worse off with -this boy in our neighbourhood than if he were in prison." When -he stood before the magistrate next day, he kept his head bent -down like Shishu Pal, of _Mahabharata_ renown, but it was done -to deceive his father. In reality he recked little whether he -went to jail and was put in fetters, or what happened to him. - -Boys absolutely devoid of respect, of fear, and of shame, and -addicted to purely evil courses, are afflicted with no ordinary -disease: their complaint is really mental, and if only the -proper remedies are applied, a cure may in process of time be -effected. But Baburam Babu had no ideas on the subject at all: -he was firmly convinced that Matilall was a very good boy, and -used at first to wax very wrath if he heard him abused. Though all -sorts of people were continually telling him about his son, he was -as one who heard not; and if afterwards from his own observations -a doubt did arise in his mind, he kept his misgivings to himself, -and for fear of being mortified before others, refrained from -expressing them, but simply gave secret orders to the door-keeper -not to let Matilall leave the house. This was no remedy: the -disease had obtained too strong a hold upon the boy, and no -possible good could result from simply keeping him a prisoner -and constantly in his sight. You may put a bar of iron on a mind -once corrupted, without making any impression: on the contrary, -mere repression may only have the effect of intensifying the evil -in the mind. At first Matilall used to get out of the house by -jumping over the walk. On the release of his old companions of Bow -Bazar from jail, they came to live at Vaidyabati, and some of the -boys of the place having joined them, they formed themselves into -a band. Matilall's sense of respect and fear was soon destroyed -altogether by his association with these young scamps, and he -ended by paying no attention at all to his father. - -Boys who have not been accustomed from their childhood to innocent -and harmless amusements, are apt to take to diversions of a low -kind. The children of Englishmen are instructed by their parents -in a variety of innocent pastimes, in order that they may have -sound minds and sound bodies: some draw and paint: some cultivate -a taste for botany: some learn music: some devote themselves -to sport and gymnastics: each takes up the form of harmless -enjoyment most congenial to him. Boys in this country follow -the example that is set them: their one wish is to be dressed in -gorgeous attire, with a profusion of gold embroidery and jewels: -to make up picnic parties of their chums and gay companions, and -to live luxuriously in all a Babu's style. Fondness for display -and extravagance naturally characterizes the season of youth: if -care is not very early exercised in this matter, the desire grows -in intensity, and a variety of evils result, by which eventually -body and mind alike may be irretrievably ruined. - -Matilall gradually threw off all restraint: he became so depraved -that continuing to throw dust in his father's eyes, he now openly -spoke of him in the most unfilial and atrocious manner. The -constant burden of his talks with his companions was: "Ah, if my -old father would but die, I could then enjoy myself to my heart's -content!" Any money he demanded from his parents they gave him: -if there was any hesitation on their part, he would at once say: -"Very well, then, I will go hang myself, or else take poison." His -parents in their alarm thought: "Ah, what must be, must! Our -life is bound up with the boy's life, he is our _Shivratri_[19] -lamp: let him live and we shall have our libations when we are -gone[20]." - -Matilall spent his whole time in riotous living: he hardly spent -a minute of his day at home: at one time he would be engaged at a -picnic, taking part in a theatrical entertainment, or making one -of a party of amateur musicians: at another, he would be running -about getting up a procession in honour of some local deity, or -else absorbed in contemplating a nautch: or again, he would be -creating a disturbance, and making unprovoked assaults upon other -people. His appetite for stimulants, whether it were _ganja_, -opium or even wine, never failed him, and tobacco of course was -in constant demand. - -They carried foppery to an extreme, these young Babus, wearing -their hair in curls and using powder for their teeth. Their dress -was of fine Dacca muslin embroidered with gold lace: on their -heads they wore embroidered caps; carried in their hands silk -handkerchiefs perfumed with attar of roses, and light canes; and -smart English dress shoes with silver buckles adorned their feet. -As, moreover, they had no spare time for their regular meals, -they carried about with them all sorts of dainty sweetmeats. - -Unless an evil disposition is checked at the very outset, it -grows worse every day, and in time becomes quite brute-like -in its nature: just as when a man has once become enslaved to -opium, the quantity he takes tends constantly to increase, so -when a man has become addicted to evil habits, the craving for -still more grievous courses comes naturally of itself. Matilall -and his companions soon began to think the amusements they had -hitherto been indulging in too tame: they no longer gave them any -special pleasure; so they set to work to devise means for more -solid pleasures. They now started sallying forth in a band late -in the evenings, setting fire to and plundering houses, setting -the thatch of poor people's huts alight, visiting the houses of -loose women and creating a disturbance, pulling their hair about, -burning their mosquito curtains, and plundering their dresses -and ornaments. Sometimes, they would even insult a respectable -girl. The people of the place were terribly annoyed at all this, -but the young men only snapped their fingers at them in derision, -and consigned them all to perdition. - -Baburam Babu had been for some time in Calcutta on business. One -day towards evening, a zenana _palki_ was passing the Vaidyabati -house. As soon as the young scoundrels saw it, they at once ran -out, surrounded it, and commenced beating the _palki_-bearers, -who thereupon set the _palki_ down and ran for their lives. -Opening the _palki_, they saw a beautiful young girl inside. -Matilall ran forward, seized the girl's hand, and dragged her out -of the _palki_ trembling all over with confusion and fear. In -vain she looked around her for help: she saw only pitiless -dark space. Then weeping bitterly she called on the Almighty: -"Oh Lord, protect the helpless young orphan! I am content to die, -only grant that I may not lose my honour." As the young Babus were -all struggling together to get possession of her, she fell to the -ground; they then tried to drag her by main force into the house. -Matilall's mother hastened outside in some trepidation when she -heard the sound of the girl's weeping, and the miscreants thereupon -took to their heels. Seeing the mistress of the house, the young -girl fell at her feet and said in her distress: "Oh dear lady, -protect my honour! You must be a devoted wife yourself." None -but a faithful and virtuous wife can understand the danger of a -virtuous woman. Baburam Babu's wife at once lifted the girl off -the ground and wiped away her tears with the border of her _sari_, -saying as she did so: "My dear child, do not weep, you have no -further cause for fear; I will cherish you as my own dear child: -the Lord Almighty always protects the honour of the woman who is -faithful to her vows." With these words she dispelled the girl's -fears, and when she had soothed and consoled her, accompanied -her to her home, and left her there. - - - -CHAPTER X. THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT. - -THE waving of lamps and the loud clanging of bells showed -the worship of the goddess Nistarini[21] to be in full swing in -Sheoraphuli. Becharam Babu looked into the shrine of the goddess as -he went by on foot: lining both sides of the road were shops: in -some of them heaps of potatoes, grown at Bandipore and Gopalpore, -were exposed for sale: in others, the shopkeepers were hard at -work selling parched rice and sweetmeats, grain and _dal_. Here -in one part were oil-merchants sitting near their mills, (which -were simply the hollowed out trunks of trees,) and reading the -_Ramayan_ in the vulgar tongue: now and then they would urge on -their cattle, as they went circling round, with a click of the -tongue, and when the circle was completed, would shriek out the -passage: "Oh Ram! we are monkeys, Ram, we are monkeys!" Women -were busily engaged in cutting up fish for sale by the light of -their lamps, and calling out: "Buy our fish, buy our fish!" while -cloth merchants, reciting some passage from the _Mahabharata_ -were murdering its unhappy author[22]. All this, as he passed -through the Bazaar, Becharam Babu was closely observing. When a -man is taking a solitary walk, anything that has recently occupied -his attention keeps recurring to his mind. Now, Becharam Babu was -very fond in those days of processional singing; and as he went -along an unfrequented path, after leaving his dwelling, one of his -favourite songs came into his mind. The night was dark and there -was hardly a soul about: only a few bullock-carts, their wheels -creaking as they lumbered along, were on their way home: dogs -were barking here and there. So Becharam Babu began to put all his -lung-power into the song he was chanting in the monotone peculiar -to processional music. The village women hearing his nasal twang, -screamed aloud in their terror, for it is the rooted conviction -of the country folk that only ghosts adopt this peculiar vocal -style. Hearing the commotion Becharam was somewhat disconcerted, -so he took to his heels and soon reached the Vaidyabati house. - -Baburam Babu had a big gathering. Beni Babu of Bally, Bakreswar -Babu of Batalata, Bancharam Babu of Outer Simla and many others -were present. Thakchacha sat on a chair near the master. Several -pandits were there discussing the _Shástras_; some had taken up -passages of the treatises concerning logic and metaphysics for -discussion: others were hotly discussing the dates that would -be auspicious or otherwise for the annual festivals: others were -giving their interpretation of the _slokas_ out of a particular -portion of the _Bhagavad Gita_: others were holding a great -argument on grammatical niceties. One of the pandits, a man -with an Assamese designation and a resident of Kamikhya, who was -sitting near the master, said to him as he pulled away at his pipe: -"You are a very fortunate man, sir, to possess two sons and two -daughters. This year is a somewhat unpropitious one, but if you -offer up a sacrifice, the stars may all be favourable again, and -you can use their influence on your behalf." In the midst of the -discussion Becharam Babu arrived, and the whole company rose to -their feet as he entered, and welcomed him most cordially. The -visitor had been more or less in a bad temper since the affair -of the police court, but a courteous and kind address has a great -effect in turning a man's wrath away; and Becharam Babu, mollified -by the courteous welcome so unanimously accorded him, sat down with -a smile close to Beni Babu. Baburam Babu thereupon said to him: -"Sir, the seat you have taken is not a good one: come and sit with -me on my couch." Men after each other's hearts are as inseparable -as cranes, and notwithstanding the pressing invitation of Baburam -Babu, Becharam Babu would not give up his seat near Beni Babu. - -After some time spent in conversation on different topics, Becharam -Babu asked: "What about Matilall's marriage contract? Where has -it been arranged?" - -_Baburam_.-- A good many proposals for a contract of marriage -have come in: Haridas Babu of Guptipara, Shyma Charan Babu -of Nakashipur, Ram Hari Babu of Kanchrapara, and many others -belonging to different districts have sent in proposals. These -have all been passed over, and a marriage has been arranged with -the daughter of Madhav Babu of Manirampur. He is a man possessed -of considerable property; we shall, moreover, make a good deal -out of the connection. - -_Becharam_.-- Beni, my friend, what do you think about this? Come, -tell me plainly and openly your opinion. - -_Beni_. -- Becharam, my dear friend, it is no easy matter to -tell you plainly: you know the proverb: "A dumb man makes no -enemies." Besides what is the use of discussing, a thing that -has been settled? - -_Becharam_.-- Oh, but you must tell me: I like to know the ins -and outs of every marriage. - -_Beni_.-- Listen then: Madhav Babu of Manirampur is a very -quarrelsome sort of person, -- has not even the manners of a -gentleman. He has a reputation amongst Brahmans for orthodoxy, -only gained by making presents to them, but he is an utterly -unscrupulous man. True, he may be able to make handsome presents of -money and other things on the occasion of his daughter's marriage; -but is money the only thing worth taking into consideration -when a marriage is in question? Surely the first requisite is a -respectable family, and the next a good girl; and then if there -is wealth as well, so much the better, but it does not very much -matter. Now Ram Hari Babu of Kanchrapara is a very excellent -person: he lives cheerfully and contentedly on the income he -derives from his own exertions, and never casts a longing eye on -another man's wealth. He may not be in very good circumstances, -I allow, but he has always been very careful to have his children -well educated, and the one object of his thoughts has been the -happiness and moral well-being of his family. To be connected -with such a man as this would be a source of entire happiness. - -_Becharam_.-- Baburam Babu, who is the intelligent person who -has recommended this match to you? Avarice will be your ruin -yet. But what right have I to speak? It is after all our social -system that is at fault: whenever the topic of marriage comes to -the front, people always say: "How sir! will you give me a pot -of silver? will you give me a necklace of pearls?" It is only -an idiot who would think of saying; "Look first to see whether -your proposed relation be respectable or not: enquire whether -the girl be a good girl or otherwise." This is a mere trifle: -if only wealth is to be got, that is everything. - -_Bancharam_.-- We want family, we want beauty, and we want -wealth as well: how can a family possibly get on if it professes -to despise wealth? - -_Bakreswar_.-- True enough: we must keep up a proper respect -for wealth. What do we get by intercourse with a poor man? Are -our stomachs filled by it? - -_Thakchacha [bending down from his chair]_.-- All this talk is -a reflection upon me: it was I that counselled this match. I -would have been ashamed to show my face in the world if I had -not succeeded in getting a girl of noble parentage. I took -immense pains to ascertain that Madhav Babu of Manirampur was a -good man. Why, he is a man at whose name the tiger and cow might -drink at the same pool together! besides, look at the advantage of -being able to get his _lathials_ whenever we need them in cases -of dispute. Then too everybody connected with the Law-Courts is -under his thumb: there are a thousand ways in which he can be of -assistance to us in any strait. Ram Hari Babu of Kanchrapara on the -other hand, is a feeble sort of person: he makes a very precarious -living: what would have been the good of an arrangement with him? - -_Becharam_.-- A fine counsellor you have got Baburam! If you -listen to all such a counsellor has to advise, you are bound to -get to heaven, body and all. And what a son, too, you have! And -so he is actually about to be married? What do you think about -it all, Beni Babu! - -_Beni_.-- I think that the man who will first thoroughly educate -his son, and who will take special pains that he shall grow up -thoroughly moral, will be best able to be of assistance to his -son when the time comes that he should marry. Many evils are -likely to arise if a boy is married at an unreasonable age. - -On hearing all this, Baburam Babu rose in much irritation and -hurriedly retreated into the inner apartments of the house, -where his wife was engaged in discussing the match with some of -the women of the village. Going up to her, he informed her of -all that had been said outside, and as he stood there in some -perplexity, inquired: "Cannot we put off Matilall's marriage -for a few days?" His wife replied: "What is this that you are -saying? Plague take our enemies! By divine favour Matilall is now -sixteen: would it look well not to marry him now? If you upset -the arrangements now, the proper season for marriage will slip -away. You surely do not know what you are doing: is the caste of -a good man to be destroyed in this way? Go at once, and take the -bridegroom off with you." - -At this advice from his wife, all the master's indecision -disappeared. He at once went outside and gave the order for the -lamps to be lit: the musical instruments all struck up at the -same time, and the English bands began to play. Baburam lifted the -bridegroom into his palanquin, and taking Thakchacha by the hand, -walked by the side, with heavy gait, accompanied by his kinsmen -and near friends. From the roof of the house the boy's mother -gazed down upon her son's face, and the women of the household -called out, "Ah, mother of Mati! Ah, how beautiful is your -child!" The friends of the bridegroom were all with him: they -amused themselves by taking torches to the rear of the crowd and -setting people alight, and by letting off squibs and fireworks -near the houses and in the thick of the crowd. None of the poor -people ventured to remonstrate, though they were sadly annoyed. - -The bridegroom soon reached Manirampur, and got down from the -palanquin. Both sides of the road were crowded with people gazing -at the bridegroom. The women chattered away to each other about -him. "The boy has a certain amount of beauty," said one, "but if -his nose were a bit straighter, he would look better." Another -remarked, "His complexion, fair as it is, would look better -even fairer." - -The marriage was to take place at a late hour, but it had not -struck ten when Madhav Babu, taking a _durwan_ with a lantern, came -out to meet the bridegroom and his guests. After he had joined the -marriage procession in the street, nearly half an hour was wasted -in the exchange of compliments, each man wishing to give precedence -to the other. While one said: "Pray sir! precede me!" the other -politely declined: "Nay sir! do you please go first." At last, -Beni Babu of Bally went forward and said: "Please one of you -gentlemen go on ahead. I cannot stand here in the street and catch -cold." An amicable arrangement being at last come to, the whole -company arrived at the house of the bride's father and entered. - -The bridegroom took his seat in the assembly. Numbers of roughs -were standing about, ripe for mischief. The distribution of -money to the village, and other subjects, then came up for -discussion. Thakchacha was doing his best, but apparently without -avail, to effect some arrangement for his own profit. A rough -blustering sort of fellow came up to him and said: "Who is this -low Mahomedan? Get out of this! what has a Mahomedan to do with -Hindu concerns?" Thakchacha was furious, and shaking his head -fiercely, his eyes inflamed with passion, abused the man roundly. - -This was the very opportunity Matilall's young friends, Haladhar, -Gadadhar, and the other young Babus, had been longing for. They saw -from the clouds that were gathering that a storm was imminent. One -set to work to tear the carpet into pieces, another to extinguish -the lamps: some set the chandeliers clashing and jingling, while -others threw missiles among the assembled company[23]. Some of the -people of the bride's father, seeing the confusion they were -creating, began to abuse them and strike them with their fists, -and Matilall seeing the quarrel in progress; thought to himself: -"I fancy I am not destined to get married. I may have to return -home after all, with the thread only on my wrist[24]." - - -CHAPTER XI. THE POETASTER. - -THE pandits of Agarpara were enjoying their usual evening lounge -beneath their favourite tree: they were all either taking snuff -or smoking, coughing and sneezing, chaffing each other and -joking. One of them asked: "How is Vidyaratna? The good Brahman, -in his zeal for gain, has lamed himself going to Manirampur in -response to an invitation. I was concerned to see him leaping on -a stick yesterday as he went to bathe." Vidyabhushan replied: -"Oh! Vidyaratna is all right again: the pain in his foot has -been considerably alleviated, what with warm lime and turmeric, -and dry fomentations. Come, gentlemen, listen to the poetry -which our friend the great poet Kankan[25] has composed with -special reference to the Manirampur entertainment." - -Let the drum beat in triumph, uplift the glad song, -For the guests are assembled, a glittering throng; -In the gay halls of Madhub, as radiantly bright, -As the heaven of Indra, entrancing the sight. -How dazzling the glow that illuminates all, -How brilliant the flowers that engarland the wall! -See, apart sit the friends of the bridegroom and bride, -Retainers in scarlet on every side. -What ravishing melody floats on the air -With perfume of blossoms surpassingly rare! -Be sure, so celestial a scene to array -In Hymen's sweet honour, took many a day. -But the ground is just soaking here under the tent -Where the rain is descending through many a rent. -And these up-country _durwan_, offensively loud, -What business have they to be hustling the crowd? -Discordant the noises that deafen the ear, -And the shouts and the hubbub are awful to hear. -Yet in view of the sweets and the dainties in store, -You'd put up with annoyances double or more. -See those figures in paste on the walls stuck about! -How the pedigree-poets their rhapsodies shout! -Now list to these verses, and publish the fame -Of Konkan, -- the paragon verse-maker's name! -The bridegroom is coming! A silence profound -Is felt for a moment, and plaudits resound. -But the juvenile Babus are eager for fun, -And lo! in a minute the row has begun. -His schemes are miscarrying, Thakchacha fears, -As he listens aghast to the shouts and the jeers. -We too are astounded;-- this banging and crashing! -This rending of carpets and clanging and clashing! -Why, the glass chandeliers they are wantonly smashing! -We'd better be off, we are in for a thrashing! -In wonder sits Mati, revolving the thought, -"It seems my investiture's profiting nought!" -"The scoundrel Bakreshwar!" uprises a shout, -"Give him a caning and hustle him out!" -And Bancharam also, the schemer profound, -Is wriggling in torture and howls on the ground. -Says Becharam hastily, "Here, come aside; -Things do not look promising: where shall we hide?" -And carries off Beni, bereft of resource. -While ever the tumult increases in force. -"Help, help!" holloas Baburam, much in alarm, -For support round a pillar entwining his arm. -Ho, speed to the rescue Thakchacha the brave! -But to keep a whole skin's the one thought of the knave! -Whom, with head muffled up as he gingerly goes, -They arrest as chief culprit, and hurl on his nose, -And roll in the dust till his eyes are of sand full, -And tear out the hair of his head by the handful. -Hear "_Tauba_!" and "_Tauba_!" the Mussulman yell! -"Of my sins I repent, on the border of hell! -"But I'd nothing whatever to do with it, no! -"An innocent Moslem, -- why badger him so? -"Bismillah! alack! To appear on the scene -"Such an outrage to suffer, was folly I ween! -"Among the mild Hindus I guilelessly came -"From the parent of motives; and this is their game! -"Ah fool! the advice of thy friends to despise, -"At the cost of thy beauty, thy beard, and thine eyes!" -Now enter the _durwans_ athirst for the fray, -And round them their _lathis_ impartially lay; -Then howls of excitement and terror and pain, -The crack of the truncheon and swish of the cane! -The friends of the bridegroom and those of the bride -Are scuttling in terror on every side: -Within flies the bridegroom, the company's scattered, -And all the gay trappings of Hymen are shattered. -"Thakchacha still here!" some enthusiast shouts, -"Pour mud on his turban and tear off his clouts!" -In dishonour poor Baburam slinks from the hall -And all his brave show goes for nothing at all. -His costume's in tatters within and without, -And shawlless and shoeless he stumbles about, -Distractedly moaning:-- "How hard is my case -"Whom death from exposure now stares in the face! -"The oncoming tempest I hear from afar: -"'Tis the progress triumphal of Death on his car! -"Thus helpless and sole, not a creature to aid, -"Can his dire visitation be longer delayed? -"I am bruised and exhausted, and breath I have none: -"The Fates are against me! O what have I done? -"And my pitiful lot, if it reaches the ear -"Of the wife of my bosom, will kill her, I fear. -"Did the marriage come off I'm unable to tell! -"From a blow on the cranium unconscious I fell. -"These schemes matrimonial dictated by vanity -"Have landed me here on the verge of insanity! -Thus loudly bewailing, a cottage he spies. -Where no cruel warder an access denies. -And there in a corner, alone, on a mat, -Monumental in misery, -- Thakchacha sat! -"Ah traitor and craven, 'twas cruelly done, -"Thy comrade deserting, thou treacherous one! -"O frailty of mortals! how falleth the best, -"When the touchstone of peril puts love to the test!" -"Hush, check your emotion!" his champion replies, -"For where are we safe from our enemies spies? -"You'll own, when you've heard me,-- my confident trust is -- -"You've done your protector a grievous injustice! -'Tis daybreak, as homeward they ruefully wend, -And Konkan his epic thus brings to an end. - -On hearing this lampoon upon Baburam Babu, Tarkavagish was furious, -and exclaimed: "Ha, ha! this is poetry indeed! Sarasvati in the -flesh! Kalidas come to life again! What profound learning too -has the great poet Konkan displayed! So precocious a boy cannot -possibly live long. The metre too, -- astounding, -- never -heard anything like it, -- it runs like a nursery rhyme! Now a -man who is a Brahman and a pandit to boot will always speak good -of a rich man: there is nothing gentlemanly in mere abuse." With -these words, he got up in a rage, and would have left the place, -but the assembled pandits expressed their full approval of his -words, and urging him to stop and be calm, got him at last by -sheer force to sit down again. Another pandit then skilfully -introduced other topics, and ignoring what had passed began to -sing the praises of Baburam Babu and Madhab Babu. A Brahman, -being generally rather dense, cannot easily see when a joke is -intended: through constant study of the _Shástras_, his mind -moves solely in the region of the _Shástras_ and has no practice -in worldly matters. Tarkavagish however was soon mollified and -amused himself with the subject in hand. - - -CHAPTER XII. BARADA BABU. - -BECHARAM BABU of Bow Bazar was sitting in his reception-hall, and -with him were a few persons singing snatches of songs. The Babu -was himself selecting the different subjects, and his selection was -a sufficiently varied one: the verses were being sung to the most -popular tunes. Many people in the exuberance of their enthusiasm -would have rolled about on the floor on hearing such ravishing -strains, but Becharam Babu sat there as stolid as a painted -marionette. Beni Babu of Bally arrived while the music was still -in progress, and Becharam Babu at once stopped it, and said to his -guest: "Ah! Beni, my friend! what, are you still alive? Baburam -is still nursing his wrath; it is like fire smouldering amid burnt -rags. He absolutely refuses to bid pacified. Some unpleasantness -was bound to arise out of the affair of Manirampur: it has been -an experience for us. It is commonly reported that the family has -a bitter enemy, and that he went as one of the bridegroom's party." - -_Beni_.-- Speak to me no more on the subject of Baburam Babu: the -whole affair has annoyed me extremely. I should like to get away -altogether and give up my house at Bally: the old Sanscrit saying -occurs to me, "What else may not destiny have in store for me?" - -_Becharam_.-- Well, such is the way things are going with Baburam: -what else can you expect from such a man, with such a counsellor, -such companions, and such a son? Yet his younger son is a good boy: -how is that? He is the lotus flower on the dung-heap. - -_Beni_.-- You may well ask that: it is indeed extraordinary, -but there is a reason for it. You may perhaps remember my having -told you some time back about Babu Barada Prosad Biswas. Well, -for some time past that gentleman has been living at Vaidyabati. I -had been thinking a good deal on the subject, and I saw that if -Baburam Babu's youngest son, Ramlall, grew up like Matilall, -the family would very soon become extinct, but that here was -an excellent opportunity for the boy to learn to grow up a good -man. I considered the matter well, and went to the gentleman I -have mentioned, taking Ramlall with me. The boy has ever since -then exhibited such an extraordinary affection for Biswas Babu -that he is constantly at his side: he is very rarely at home, -for he regards Biswas Babu as a father. - -_Becharam_.-- You did, it is true, once relate to me all the -virtues of this Biswas Babu, but, to tell you the truth, I have -never heard of a single individual possessed of so many virtues -before: how is it, that now he has attained to so good a position, -he is so modest, and unpretending? - -_Beni_.-- It is generally very difficult for a man to be -humble and unassuming who has been accustomed to wealth from -his boyhood, and who has never encountered adversity, but gone -on steadily piling up riches. A man like this has, as a rule, -no perception of the feelings of others: I mean by that, he has -no idea what is pleasing or what is distasteful to others, for -his thoughts are centred in himself: he considers himself a great -man, and his people all encourage him in the idea by extolling -his magnificence. Under these conditions pride reaches a fearful -height: modesty and kindliness can never take firm root in such -soil. It is on this account that in Calcutta the sons of rich men -so rarely turn out well. Puffed up by their father's wealth on the -one hand or their own position on the other, they swagger through -life, treating all men with contempt and derision. It is calamity -and misfortune that alone avail to strengthen man's mind. The -first requisite of man is humility: that quality absent, a man has -no chance of either discerning aright or correcting his faults, -and without humility he cannot advance in virtue and in worth. - -_Becharam_.-- How was it that Barada Babu became so good? - -_Beni_.-- Barada Babu fell into trouble in his earliest boyhood, -and from that time he used to meditate unceasingly on the Almighty: -the result of this constant meditation was that he became firmly -convinced that it was his bounden duty to do everything that was -pleasing to God, and to avoid what was displeasing to Him even -though life were at stake: this conviction he proceeded to carry -into practice. - -_Becharam_.-- How did he settle with himself what was pleasing -and what displeasing to the Almighty? - -_Beni_.-- There are two ways of attaining to knowledge, on -this subject. First, the mind must be brought under control: -to effect this, constant meditation and the steady growth of -good principles are necessary. A searching self-examination, a -course of severe and steady meditation, may develop the faculty -of discrimination between right tad wrong; and in proportion as -that faculty is developed, a man will become averse to conduct -that is displeasing to the Almighty, and attached to a course -that is pleasing to Him. In the second place that faculty may -be steadily exercised by reading and reflecting on what good -men have written. Barada Babu has left nothing undone that can -help to make him good. He has never wandered aimlessly about like -ordinary people. When he rises in the morning, he always offers -up his prayers to God, and the tears in his eyes show the feelings -that rise up in his mind at the time. He then calmly examines his -conduct most searchingly, to see whether it has been good or bad. -He never prides himself upon his good qualities, but is exceedingly -distressed if he detects the very slightest fault in himself. He -takes great delight in hearing of the good qualities of others, but -he only expresses his sorrow after brotherly manner when he hears -of their faults. By such assiduous practice it is that his mind -has become pure and serene. Is there anything astonishing in the -fact that a man should thus grow in virtue who so subdues his mind? - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, Beni my friend, it is most refreshing to hear -of such people as Barada Babu! I must have an interview with a -man like this, if only for once. How does he spend his days? - -_Beni_.-- He is engaged in business most of the day, but he is -not like other people. Most men who are engaged in business think -solely of position or wealth: he does not think so much of these -things: he knows well that wealth and position are but as a drop -of water: they may be pleasant to see, pleasant to hear of, but -they do not accompany a man beyond the grave: nay, unless a man -walks with great circumspection, they may both generate in him -an evil disposition. His chief object in engaging in business is -to get the means of exercising and putting to the test his own -virtues. In a business career, bad qualities such as avarice, -ill-will, and want of principle, are brought into prominence, and -it is by the onslaught of such enemies that men are ruined. On -the other hand, the truly virtuous man is the man who proceeds -with circumspection. To talk of virtue in the abstract is an easy -thing enough, but unless a man gives an illustration of it in, his -own conduct, his words are a sham. Barada Babu is always saying -that the world resembles a school. Genuine virtue is the outcome -of a thorough discipline of the mind in the business of life. - -_Becharam_.-- Surely Barada Babu does not regard wealth as a -thing of no account? - -_Beni_.-- No, not at all; he by no means considers wealth -despicable, but virtue comes first in his estimation. Wealth is -only of secondary importance; that is to say, in the acquisition -of wealth, due regard must be paid to the maintenance of virtue. - -_Becharam_.-- What does Barada Babu do with himself in the -evenings? - -_Beni_.-- When once the evening has set in, he spends his time -in profitable conversation with his family, and in reading or -listening to their talk. The members of his family all try to -follow his example, observing the excellence of his character. He -is so attached to his family that the heartfelt prayer of his wife -is that she may have such another husband in all her births: if -they lose sight of him even for a moment, his children fret with -impatience. Barada Babu's daughters are as good as his sons. While -in many homes brothers and sisters are continually grumbling and -quarrelling with each other, Barada Babu's children never exchange -high words: always, whether at their lessons, or at their meals, -they converse affectionately together; and they are very unhappy -if their parents are at all ailing. - -_Becharam_.-- I have heard that Barada Babu is always about in -the village. - -_Beni_.-- That is quite true. Whenever he hears of any one being -in trouble, or in misfortune, or sick, he cannot remain quiet at -home. He assists many of his neighbours in manifold ways, but he -never even hints it to any one: when lie has done a kindness to -another, he considers himself the person benefited. - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, friend Beni, my eyes have never looked on -such a man, much less have I ever heard him with my ears! Why, -association with such a character would make even an old man good, -much more help a young boy to grow up virtuous. Ah, my friend! it -will indeed be a gratifying thing if the younger son of Baburam -manages to grow up a good man. - - -CHAPTER XIII. BARADA BABU'S PUPIL. - -BARADA Babu had an extraordinary and unusual knowledge of -educational methods. He had special acquaintance with all -the different faculties and emotions of the mind, and with the -methods whereby men may become intelligent and virtuous by the -proper exercise of them. A teacher's work is no light one: -there are many who have but a mere smattering of knowledge, -and take up teaching just from want of other occupation; good -instruction cannot be expected from men of this type. To be a -genuine teacher, a man must be thoroughly acquainted with the -whole tendency of the mind and all its energies; and he must by -calm and patient observation discover and learn the best way to -become a really practical guide of youth. To teach in a haphazard -fashion, without doing something of this kind, is like striking a -stone with a _kodáli_; it may fall on the stone a hundred times, -but not a handful of soil will it cut. Now Barada Babu was a man -of great acuteness and shrewd observation: he had so long paid -special attention to the subject of education that he was well -versed in the best methods of instruction: and the learning that -was imparted according his system was really solid. As education -is now in Government schools, its real end is not attained, for -the reason that nothing is done for the harmonious development of -the faculties of the mind and the emotions. The scholars learn -everything by heart, and consequently memory alone is awakened: -the faculty of thought and reflection generally lies dormant, -and the idea of bringing the different activities of the mind -into play seems not to exist. The chief end of education being -to develop the mental powers and qualities harmoniously with the -gradual growth of the scholar, one faculty should not be abnormally -exerted at the expense of another. Just as the body gets compact -and grows well-knit by an harmonious exercise of all the limbs, -so the mind is strengthened and the intelligence developed by -an harmonious exercise of the sum total of their energies. All -the moral qualities likewise should be simultaneously elicited: -because one may be brought into play it does not follow that all -will be. Reverence for truth, for instance, may be developed, -without a single particle of kindliness: a man may have a large -element of kindliness in his nature, but no practical knowledge -of the business of life. Again, he may be perfectly honest in his -business relations, and yet display indifference or absolute want -of affection for his father, mother, wife and children; or he may -be all that is proper in his domestic relations, but wanting in -uprightness in his business affairs. Barada Babu was well aware in -fact, that faith in God was the foundation of the due development -and exercise of the qualities of the mind, and that they could -only be duly developed in proportion as that faith increased; -for otherwise the task was as futile as trying to write on water. - -Most fortunately for him, Ramlall had become Barada Babu's pupil, -and all his faculties were being harmoniously developed and -exercised. Association with a good man is a far more potent factor -in developing moral qualities than mere instruction; indeed by such -intercourse a mind may be as completely transformed as a branch of -the wild plum grafted on to a mango tree. So great is the majesty -of a really noble character that even its shadow falling on one -that is base and corrupt raises it in time to its own image. By -association with Barada Babu the mind of Ramlail became almost -a complete reflection of his. With the object of making himself -strong, as soon as he rose in the morning, he would take a stroll -in the open air; for strength of mind he knew could not exist -without strength of body: after his walk, he would return home -and engage in prayer and meditation. The only books he read were -those the perusal of which promoted the growth of intelligence -and good character, and the only persons he conversed with were -those whose conversation had the same effect. On merely hearing -the name of any good person, he would go and visit him, making -no enquiries about his caste or condition in life. So keen was -his intelligence that in conversation with anyone he would speak -only on matters of real moment: he had no taste for gossip. If -anybody spoke on subjects of but trifling importance, he succeeded -by force of his intelligence in extracting the pith of the matter, -as a fruit-extractor the pulp of the fruit. The steady growth of -faith in God, of morality, and of a good understanding formed the -burden of his meditations. By such consistent conduct as this, -his disposition, his character and his whole conduct became more -and more worthy of commendation. - -Goodness can never be hid. The people in the village would say to -each other: "Ah, Ramlall is the Prahlad of a family of Daityas[26]." -In all their griefs and misfortunes he was ever to the front with -his help. He did all he could think of to assist any in need of -help, by his personal exertions on their behalf, whether with his -purse or with his understanding. Old and young, they were all known -to Ramlail, and were all his friends. If they heard him abused, -it was as though a dart had pierced their ears; if they heard him -praised, great was the rejoicing. The old women of the village would -say to each other: "If we had such a child we should never let him -out of our sight. Oh, what a store of merit must his mother have -laid up to have got a son like this!" The young women, observing -Ramlall's beauty and good qualities, exclaimed in their hearts: -"God grant that such a husband may fall to our lot!" - -Ramlall's good disposition and character were manifested in -manifold ways, both at home and abroad. He never failed in any -single particular of his duty towards each member of his home -circle. His father, observing him, thought to himself;-- "Ah, my -younger son is becoming lax in his observances of Hindu religious -customs! he does not keep the sacred mark on his forehead, nor -use the customary vessels at his prayers, nor even the beads -for the repetition of the sacred name of _Hori_[27]: and yet he -does perform his devotions after his own manner, and is not addicted -to vice. We may tell any number of lies: the boy, on the contrary, -knows nothing but the truth. He is most devoted to his parents, -yet never consents to what he thinks wrong, even at our urgent -request. Now I find a good deal of duplicity necessary in my -business: both truth and falsehood are requisite. How otherwise -could I keep up the great festivals that I have constantly to -be celebrating in my house, the Dol Jatra, the Durga Pujah and -others? Now Matilall may be a wicked boy, but he keeps up his -Hindu observances; besides, after all, I do not think he is so -very bad; he is young yet, he must sow his wild oats." Ramlall's -mother and sisters were deeply affected by his many good qualities: -they rejoiced with the joy of those who out of dense darkness see -light. Matilall's evil behaviour had had a most distressing effect -upon them: bowed down as they had been in shame at the evil reports -they heard of him, they had known little ease of mind. Now again -there was in their hearts, because of Ramlall's good qualities, -and their faces were lighted up with joy. At one time all the -men-servants and maid-servants of the house, getting only abuse -or blows from Matilall, had been in terror of their lives: now, -softened by Ramlall's gentle address and kind treatment, they paid -all the greater attention to their work. - -When Matilall and his companions, Haladhar and Gadadhar, saw this -behaviour of Ramlall, they remarked to each other that the boy -had gone silly,-- must be cracked,-- and said to the master -of the house: "This brat should certainly be sent to a lunatic -asylum: he is a mere child, yet his sole talk day and night is of -virtue: it is disgusting to hear an old man's words in the mouth -of a child." Others of Matilall's companions would occasionally -say:-- "Mati Babu, you are in luck's way: things don't look -promising for Ramlall: he will soon come to grief if he makes a -parade of virtue like this: you will then get all the property, -and there will be no obstacle to your complete enjoyment. Even if -he does live, he will be little better than an idiot. But what -can you expect? what says the proverb? 'As the teacher so the -taught.' Could he find no other master in this wide world that -he must get hold of some _mantras_ from an Eastern Bengalee, -and go wandering about parading his virtue before the world? -If he does this much more, we will send him and his teacher about -their business. The canting humbug! he goes about saying: 'Ah, -how happy I should be if my elder brother were to give up the -society of his evil companions!' 'Ah, if my elder brother were -only to frequent the society of Barada Babu, what a good thing it -should be!' Ha ha! Barada Babu indeed,-- the dismal old blockhead, -a very prince of prigs. Look out, Mati Babu: take care that you -do not after all get under his influence and go to him? What, -are we to go to school again? If he wishes, let him come to us -and be taught: we are very hard up for a little amusement." - -Thakchacha was always hearing about Ramlall, and he began to -think the matter over: the one aim of his life was to find a -favourable opportunity for making a successful swoop or two -on Baburam Babu's property. So far, most of the suits-at-law -had ended disastrously, and he had had no opportunity for such a -stroke: yet he never failed to keep on baiting his ground before -casting his nets. Ramlall however having become what he was, -he could not expect any fish to fall into his net, for however -skilfully it might be cast the boy would advise his father -not to enter it. Thakchacha saw then that a great obstacle had -presented itself in his way and he thus reflected: "The moon -of hope must have sunk behind a cloud of despair, for it is no -longer visible." After profound deliberation, he observed one day -to his employer; -- "Babu Saheb, your youngest son's behaviour -has made me very anxious: I do not think he can be quite right -in his mind. He is always angry with me and tells everybody that -I have corrupted you: my heart is wounded when I hear this. Ah, -Babu Saheb! this is not as it should be: if he speaks like this to -me, he may one day speak harshly to you. The boy will doubtless -become good and gentle in time, but now he is boorish and rude, -and must be corrected; besides, so far as I can judge, you may -lose all your property if this course is allowed." A casual remark -may very easily disturb the mind of a man who is naturally rather -dense. As a boat in the hands of an unskilful steersman is tossed -about in a storm, unable to make the shore, so a dull-gritted man -is in almost constant perplexity, seeing only chaos around him: he -can himself come to no decision on the merits of any subject. For -one thing, poor Baburam Babu was naturally rather thick-headed, and -for another, Thakchacha's words were to him as the sacred Vedas: -so he stood stupidly gazing about like a man in a maze, and after -a while asked Thakchacha what plan he could suggest. That astute -individual replied: "Your boy, sir, is not a wicked boy: it is -Barada Babu that is the origin of all the mischief. Only get him -out of the way, and the boy will be all right. Ah, Babu Saheb! the -son of a Hindu should observe all the ordinances of his religion as -a Hindu. A man has need of both good and bad qualities if he is to -engage in the business of this life: the world is not all honest: -what use would it be to me if I were the only upright man in it?" - -Men always regard with approval, as the opinion of a really -great mind, language that is in keeping with their own convictions. -Thakchacha was well aware that he had only to talk about the -observance of Hindu ceremonial, and the preservation of property, -and his aim would be accomplished; and, as a matter of fact, it was -by such talk that he achieved his end. When Baburam heard the advice -Thakchacha gave, he acquiesced at once in it, remarking: "If this is -your opinion, finish the matter off at once: I will supply you with -any money you may want, but you must work out the plan yourself." - -There was a good deal of discussion of this kind about Ramlall. -"Many sages, many saws," says the proverb. Some said: "The boy is -good in this respect:" others would reply: "But not good in this." -One critic complained: "He is deficient in one important quality, -which makes all his other excellences go for nothing, just as when -a speck of cow-dung has fallen into a vessel of milk, the whole is -tainted." Another retorted: "The boy is perfect." - -Thus time went on. At last it chanced that Baburam Babu's eldest -daughter fell dangerously ill. Her parents called in a number -of physicians to see her. Matilall, needless to say, never once -came near his sister, but went about saying that a speedy death -was preferable to the life of a widow in a rich man's house; and -during the time of her illness, he only indulged himself the more. -Ramlall on the other hand was unremitting in his attention: -foregoing both food and sleep, and full of anxious thought, he -exerted himself to the utmost for the girl's recovery. But she did -not recover, and as she was dying she put her hand on her younger -brother's head, saying: "Ah, brother Ram! if I die, and am born -a girl in my next birth, God grant that I may have a brother like -you. I cannot tell you what you have done for me. God make you as -happy as you wish." With these words, his sister breathed her last. - - -CHAPTER XIV. THE FALSE CHARGE. - -BOYS who are at all wild are not to be satisfied with ordinary -amusements: they constantly require new and fresh sources of -pleasure, and if they do not find what they want abroad, they -will return and sit in melancholy brooding at home. Those that -have uncles at home perhaps recover their lost spirits, for they -can chaff and joke with them to their heart's content: they will -at least go so far as to jest about making arrangements for their -last journey to the Ganges, on the ground that they are a burden -to the family. But when such is not the case, they are bored to -death, and regard the world with the eyes of a man who is sick -of life[28]. Passionately devoted as they were to practical joking -of all kinds, Matilall and his companions invented ever new pranks, -and it was hard to foretell what would be their next. Their thirst -for some form of amusement became more intense every day: one kind -might occupy them for a day or two, but it soon palled upon them, -and they suffered torments of _ennui_ if nothing else turned -up. Such was the way in which Matilall and his companions spent -their days. In course of time, it became incumbent on each of them -in turn to devise something new in the way of amusement. - -So one day Haladhar wrapped Dolgovinda up in a quilt and, after -instructing all his chums in their different parts, repaired to the -house of Brojonath, the _kabiraj_. It was thick with smoke from -the preparation of drugs: different operations were in progress: -powders were being prepared, made up of a number of different -ingredients; essential oils were being refined, and gold ground -into powder. The kabiraj himself was just on the point of leaving -his house, with a box of his drugs in one hand and a bottle of -oil in the other, when Haladhar arrived and said to him: "Oh, -sir, please come as quick as you can: a boy is very ill of fever -in the house of a zemindar, and he seems to be in a very critical -state: his life and your fame, you see, are both at stake: you -will get undying honour if you restore him to health again. It is -thought that he may get all right by the administration of some -very powerful drug: if you can succeed in curing him, you will -be richly rewarded." Upon this, the _kabiraj_ made all haste, -and was soon at the bedside of the patient. - -The young Babus, who were all present, called out: "Welcome, -welcome, sir _kabiraj_, may you revive us all! Dolgovinda has been -lying on his bed some fifteen days with this fever: his temperature -is very high, and he puffers from terrible thirst: he gets no -sleep at night, only tosses restlessly about. Please examine his -pulse carefully, sir, and meanwhile refresh yourself by having -a smoke." Brojonath was a very old man, without much education: -he was not very skilful even at his own trade, had no opinions -of his own, and could do nothing on his own responsibility. In -person he was emaciated, with no teeth, a harsh voice, and a -heavy grey moustache, of which he was so enamoured that he was -always stroking it. He sighed as he looked at the patient's -hand, and sat perfectly motionless. Haladhar then said to him: -"Honoured sir, have you nothing to say?" The _kabiraj_ without -replying gazed intently on the face of the patient, who was -glaring wildly about him, lolling his tongue out, and grinding -his teeth. He also gave a tug at the _kabiraj's_ moustache: and -as he moved away a little, the boy rolled about and straggled to -get hold of the bottle of oil in his hand. The Babus then said: -"Come tell us, sir, what is the matter?" The _kabiraj_ replied: -"The attack is a very severe one: there seems to be high fever -and delirium. If I had only had news a little earlier, I might -have managed to cure him: as it is, it would be impossible -even for Shiva to do so." As he spoke, the patient got hold -of his bottle of oil, and rubbed a good handful of it over his -body. The _kabiraj_ seeing the visit was likely to cost him -dear[29], hurriedly took the bottle away, corked it well, and got -up to go. "Where are you going, sir?" They all cried. The _kabiraj_ -replied: "The delirium is gradually increasing: I do not think there -is any further necessity for keeping the patient in the house: you -should now exert yourselves to make his end a happy one by taking -him to the Ganges to die[30]." - -As soon as he heard this, the patient jumped up, and the _kabiraj_ -started back at the sight. The young Babus of Vaidyabati ran after -him, and as the _kabiraj_, who had gone on a short distance, -stopped dumbfounded and amazed, they began to hustle him, with -shouts of "_Hori Bol: Hori Bol:_" and one of them threw him over -his shoulders, and started for the Ganges. Dolgovinda then came -up to him, and said: "Aha my dear sir, you gave orders to have -the patient taken to the Ganges: the doctor himself it is who is -now being carried thither! I will myself perform the ceremony of -putting you into the water, and of then throwing you on to the -funeral pyre." The views of the fickle are ever changing, and so -a little later he said: "Will you send me to the Ganges again? Go, -my dear friend! go to your home, and to your children, but before -you go, you must give me that bottle of oil." With these words, -he snatched the bottle from the _kabiraj_, and all the young -lunatics, smearing themselves over with the oil, leaped into the -Ganges. The _kabiraj_ became as one bereft of his senses when he -saw all this, and thinking that he might breathe again if he could -only get away, he increased his pace. Thereupon Haladhar, as he was -swimming about, screamed out: "Ho there, respected _kabiraj_! I am -getting more and more bilious every day: you must give me some of -your powders to take: do not run away: if you do, your wife will -have to remove her bracelet and be a widow." The _kabiraj_ threw -down his box of drugs, and hurried home crying, "Alas! alas!" - -In the month of Phalgun, as spring comes in, all the trees -are coming out in new leaf, and the sweet odour of flowers is -diffused around. Barada Babu's dwelling-house was on the banks of -the Ganges: some little distance in front of it was his favourite -garden-house, and all round it a garden. Barada Babu used to sit -every evening in the garden-house, to enjoy the fresh air and -his own meditations, or to converse with any friends who might -visit him there. Ramlall was always with him, and was made the -confidant of his most secret thoughts, whereby he obtained much -good advice. At every opportunity, he would question his preceptor -minutely on the means of attaining to a knowledge of the Supreme -Being, and to perfect purity of mind. - -One day Ramlall remarked to Barada Babu: "Sir, I have a great -longing to travel: staying here, it is a constant grief to me -to listen to the bad language of my elder brother and the evil -counsel of Thakchacha, but my love for my parents and for my -sister makes me disinclined to stir from home. I cannot decide -what to do." Barada Babu replied;-- "Much benefit is to be -derived from travel: breadth of vision is not to be had without -it: the mind is enlarged by the sight of different countries, -and different people. Much knowledge too is acquired by a minute -enquiry into the different customs of the people of different -countries, into their habits, and the causes determining their -condition, whether good or bad. Association moreover with all -sorts of people, causes bitter prejudices to disappear and induces -good feeling. If a man is educated only at home, his knowledge is -derived from books only. Now education, association with good men, -practical employment, and intercourse with all sorts of people, -are all necessary to a man: it is by agencies such as this that -the understanding becomes clear, and an impetus is given towards -the moulding of a good character. But before he sets out on his -travels, it is all important that a man should know the different -matters he will require to investigate, for without this, travel -will prove a mere aimless wandering about, like the circling round -and round of an ox when threshing out the grain. I do not go so -far as to say that no benefit is to be had from such travelling, -that is not my meaning: some benefit or other there must be. But -when a man on his travels is ignorant of the kind of enquiries he -ought to make, and cannot make them, he does not derive the full -benefit of his labour. Many Bengalees are fond of travelling about, -but if you ask them for facts about the places they visit, how many -of them can give you a sensible answer? This is not altogether -their own fault, it is the result of their bringing-up. A -good understanding is not to be had all at once from the sky, -without some training in the art of observation, enquiry and -reflection. In the education of children it is requisite that -an opportunity should be given them of seeing models of a great -variety of objects: as they look at all the pictures, they will -compare one with another: that is to say, they will see that one -object has a hand, another has no foot, that one has a peculiar -mouth, another no tail; and by such comparison the faculties -of observation and reflection will be brought into play and -developed. After a time such comparisons will come easy to them; -they will be able to reflect on the causes for the peculiarities -of different objects, and will have no difficulty in perceiving -the various classes into which they naturally fall. By instruction -of this kind, assiduity in research is encouraged and the faculty -of reasoning exercised. But in our country an education like this -is hardly ever given, and as a natural consequence, our wits are -muddled and run to waste: we have no instinctive perception of -the essential and unessential features of any enquiry. When a -question is under consideration, many of us have not even the -requisite intelligence to know what kind of enquiries should be -made in order that a conclusion may be arrived at; and it is no -falsehood to say that the travels of a good many people are but -idle and profitless. But considering the education you have had, -I should imagine that travel would be of great advantage to you." - -"Now if I do go abroad" said Ramlall, "I shall have to stay for -some time in places where there is society: and with what classes, -and with what kinds of people, should I chiefly associate?" - -"That is no easy question," Barada Babu replied: "I must contrive -though to give you some kind of an answer. In every rank in life -there are people good and bad: any good people you may come across -you may associate with; but you know by now how to recognise such: -I need not tell you again. Association with Englishmen may make -a man courageous, for they worship courage, and any Englishman -committing a cowardly act is not admitted into good society. But it -does not at all follow that a man is therefore virtuous because he -happens to be courageous. Courage is very essential to everybody, -I admit; but real courage is that which is the outcome of virtue. I -have told you already and now tell you again, that you must always -meditate on the Supreme Being, otherwise all that you see, or hear, -or learn, will only have the effect of increasing your pride. One -thing more: men often wish to do what they see others doing; -the Bengalees especially, from association with Englishmen, have -acquired a false superficial kind of Anglicism, and are filled -with self-conceit in consequence; pride is the motive force in -all they do. It will do you no harm to remember this." - -They were conversing together in this way when suddenly some -police-officers rushed in from the west side of the garden and -surrounded Barada Babu. He looked at them sharply, and asked them -who they were and what their business with him was. They replied: -"We are officers connected with the police: there is a warrant out -against you on the charge of illegal confinement and assault, and -you will have to appear before the Court of the English Magistrate -of Hooghly; we shall have moreover to search your premises for -proofs of the charge." Ramlall rose up at these words, and when -he had read the warrant, he shook with rage at the falsity of the -charge, Barada Babu took his hand and made him sit down again, -saying: "Do not put yourself out: let the matter be thoroughly -well sifted. All sorts of strange accidents befall us on earth, -but there is no need to be disturbed in mind at all when calamity -comes: to be agitated in the presence of misfortune is the mark of -an ignorant mind. Besides, I am conscious of my entire innocence -of the crime I am accused of: what cause then have for fear? Still -the order of the court must be attended to, so I shall put in an -immediate appearance. Let the officers search my house, and see -with their own eyes that there is no one concealed there." The -police-officers having received this order, searched everywhere -but found nothing. Barada Babu then had a boat fetched, and made -all his arrangements for his journey to Hooghly. Meanwhile by some -good chance Beni Babu arrived at his house, so he set out on his -journey to Hooghly, taking Beni and Ramlall with him. Both were -somewhat anxious, but by his cheerful conversation on a variety -of topics, he soon put them at their ease. - - -CHAPTER XV. TRIAL OF BARADA BABU. - -THE court of the magistrate of Hooghly was crowded. The defendants -in the different suits pending, the complainants, witnesses, -prisoners, pleaders and officers were all present. The majority -were restless and impatient, anxiously awaiting the arrival of -the magistrate, but he was not yet even in sight. Barada Babu, -taking Beni Babu and Ramlall with him, spread a blanket underneath -a tree, and sat down. Some of the clerks of the court who were -near, came up to him and began to talk significantly about coming -to an arrangement, but Barada Babu refused to pay any heed to -them. Then, with the view of exciting his fears, they observed: -"The magistrate's orders are very severe; but everything is left -to us, and we can do exactly what we think fit: it is our business -to draw up the depositions, so we can upset everything by a mere -stroke of the pen; but we must have money. An investigation -will have to be made, and this is the time it should be done: -our best efforts, will be useless when the orders in the case -have once been passed." Ramlall on hearing all this was a little -alarmed, but Barada Babu replied quite fearlessly: "Gentlemen, -you must do whatever is your duty. I will never consent to give -a bribe. I am perfectly innocent and have no fears." The clerks -of the court went off to their places in high wrath. - -Presently some pleaders came up and said to him: "We perceive, -sir, that you are a very respectable man, and have evidently -fallen into some trouble; but you must take care that your case is -not lost for want of proper investigation. If you wish to have -witnesses prepared, we can supply you with some on the spot: -we have every facility for doing so at a trifling expense. The -magistrate will be here directly, so seize this opportunity -to do what is necessary." Barada Babu answered: "Gentlemen, -you are extremely kind; but even should I have to wear fetters, -I will wear them. I shall not be much troubled in mind at that: -it will be a disgrace, I know,-- I am ready to acknowledge it as -such; but I will not walk in the way of falsehood even to save -my life." "Good heavens!" they exclaimed ironically, "here is a -man belonging to the Golden Age. Surely King Yudhishthira come -to life again!" and they went away laughing quietly to themselves. - -It was now past two o'clock and still there was no sign of the -magistrate: all were looking out for him as intently as crows on a -sacred _ghât_. Some among them said to a Brahman astrologer who was -present: "Pray sir, calculate for us whether the magistrate will -come to-day or not." The astrologer at once replied: "Come, tell -me the name of some flower." Somebody mentioned an _hibiscus_. The -astrologer, calculating on his fingers, said, "No, the magistrate -will not come to-day: he has business at home." Believing the -charlatan's words implicitly, they all made preparations to tie up -their bundles of records, and got up, saying to each other: "Ah, -_Ram, Ram_! now we breathe freely again, let us go home and sleep." - -Thakchacha had been sitting with four others within the court -enclosure, with a bundle of papers under his arm and a cloth over -his face: he was now walking about, his eyes blinking restlessly, -his beard waving in the breeze and his head bent low. Just then -Ramlall's gaze fell on him and he remarked to Barada Babu and Beni -Babu: "See, see! Thakchacha is here! I fancy he is at the bottom of -all this, otherwise why should he turn away his head when he saw -me?" Barada Babu, raising his head, saw him and said, "I think -so too; he is looking sideways in our direction, and moreover -whenever his gaze falls on my face he turns and says something to -his companions: it seems to me that Thakchacha is our evil genius; -as the proverb has it, 'he is the spirit in the _sirish_ seed[31].'" - -Beni Babu was never seen without a smile on his face: his pleasantry -was of great service to him in his search for information. He could -not refrain from shouting out the name of Thakchacha, but none of -his shouts were attended to. Thakchacha had drawn a paper from -under his arm and was to all appearance busily examining it: he -pretended not to hear and did not even raise his head. Thereupon -Beni Babu went up to him, and with his characteristic gesture said -to him: "Hallo, what is the matter? What has brought you here?" -Thakchacha said nothing, only examined his paper minutely; indeed -he seemed to be seized with a sudden fit of modesty. But as he -must, he thought, put Beni Babu off somehow or other without -answering his question, he replied: "Ha, Babu! The river has risen -a good deal to-day, how will you get back? I might as well ask you -too why you are here, and why you keep on asking me the same thing. -I have a good deal of business on hand just now and my time is -short: I will speak with you later on: I will return directly." -With these words, Thakchacha slipped away, and was soon apparently -engrossed in some trifling conversation with his companions. - -Three o'clock struck: everybody was walking about impatiently. -There is no chance of getting business promptly attended to in -the Mofussil, and people get utterly weary of hanging about the -courts. They were just breaking up when suddenly the magistrate's -carriage was heard approaching. Shouts were at once raised: -"The Saheb is coming! The Saheb is coming!" The astrologer looked -utterly crestfallen, and people began to say to him: "Your honour's -calculations are somewhat amazing." "Ah!" replied he, "it must -be owing to something pungent that I have eaten to-day that my -calculations have been so upset." The clerks of the court were -all standing in their places, and directly the magistrate entered -they all bent their heads low to the ground and salaamed to him. - -The magistrate took his seat on the bench whistling casually. His -_hooka_ bearer brought him his _hooka_: he put his feet up on -the table, and lying back in his chair, pulled away contentedly, -now and then drawing out his handkerchief, which was scented -with lavender-water, to mop his face. The office of the court -interpreter was crowded. Men were hard at work writing out -depositions, but as the old proverb has it: "He wins who pays." The -head clerk of the court, the _sheristadar_, with a shawl over his -shoulders and a fine turban on his head, took a number of records -of cases and read them out in a sing-song before the magistrate, -who all the while was glancing at a newspaper, or writing some -of his own private letters: as each case was read out he asked: -"Well, what is all this about?" The _sheristadar_ gave him the -information that suited his own wishes on the subject, and the -opinion of the _sheristadar_ was practically the opinion of -the magistrate. - -Barada Babu was standing on one side with Beni Babu and Ramlall, -and was perfectly amazed when he heard the kind of judgments -that were being delivered. Considering the depositions that -had been made in his own case, he began to think that there -was very little chance of matters turning out auspiciously for -him. That the _sheristadar_ would show him any favour was in -the highest degree improbable, but he knew the old proverb: -"Destiny is the friend of the helpless." As he thus reflected, -his case was called on for hearing. Thakchacha had been sitting -inside the court: he at once took his witnesses with him, and -stood before the magistrate, proud and confident. When the papers -in the case had been read, the _sheristadar_ said: "My lord, this -is a clear case of illegal confinement and assault." Thakchacha -thereupon ceased stroking his moustache and glared at Barada Babu, -thinking that at last his end was achieved. In the other cases -no questions had been put to the defendants when the records had -been read: they had been treated as summarily as goats for the -sacrifice; but the magistrate's glance, as luck would have it, -falling upon Barada Babu before he passed his orders, the latter -respectfully explained to him in English, all the circumstances -of the case, saying: "I have never even seen the person who has -been put forward as having been confined and assaulted by me, -nor did the police-officers when they searched my premises find -anybody there. Beni Babu and Ramlall were with me at the time; -if you will be good enough to take their evidence, my declaration -will be substantiated." - -Remarking the gentlemanly appearance of Barada Babu and the good -judgment that had distinguished his language, the magistrate was -anxious to make an enquiry. Thakchacha gave many significant -hints to the _sheristadar_, and he for his own part, seeing the -turn things were taking, reflected that he might after all have -to disgorge the rupees he had taken, so laying aside all his -fears before the magistrate, he said: "My lord, there is really -no necessity for hearing this case over again." Upon this the -magistrate pursed his lips in some perplexity and turned the matter -over in his mind, cutting his nails the while. Barada Babu seeing -his opportunity again explained to him, quietly and in detail, the -real facts of the case. As soon as the magistrate had heard him, -he took the evidence of Beni Babu and Ramlall, and the charge -appearing upon their statements to be manifestly a false one, -was dismissed. - -The final orders had not been passed before Thakchacha was off -as hard as he could run. Barada Babu saluted the magistrate -respectfully and went out. When the court was closed, everybody -began to compliment him: he paid little heed however to them -and manifested no particular pleasure at winning his case, but -quietly got into his boat, accompanied by Beni Babu and Ramlall. - - -CHAPTER XVI. THAKCHACHA AT HOME. - -THAKCHACHA's house was on the outskirts of the city: on either side -of it were filthy tanks, and in front the shrine of some guardian -saint. Inside the enclosure was a storehouse for grain, and ducks -and fowls were running about the yard. Rogues of every description -were in the habit of assembling at the house early every morning. - -Thakchacha could assume many characters in the conduct of his -business: he could be gentle or passionate: he could laugh or frown: -he could make a parade of virtue or a show of force, with equal -facility[32]. When the business of the day was over, he would take -his bath and his food, and then sit by his wife and smoke: and as -he smoked the tobacco would gurgle and hiss in its well-chased bowl -of _Bidri_ ware. Their conversation was generally on their mutual -joys and sorrows. - -Thakchacha's wife was held in great repute amongst the women of -the district. They were firmly convinced that she was well versed -in religious ritual and incantations, in the art of making bad -qualities good, in mesmerising, in causing even death or timely -disappearances, in magic and sorcery, and in fact in every variety -of the black art. For this reason women of all classes of life came -constantly to her to hold secret converse. An old proverb has it: -"As the god, so the goddess," and Thakchacha and his wife were -a well-matched pair: the husband got his living by his wits, -and the wife by her reputed learning. - -A woman who earns her own living is apt to become somewhat -imperious, and her husband rarely receives from her unfeigned -respect and attention. Thakchacha had consequently to put up -occasionally with his wife's reproaches. She was now sitting -upon a low cane stool, saying to her husband: "You are always -roaming about everywhere but at home. What good does it all do -to me or the children? You are always saying that you have such -a lot of business on hand; is our hunger appeased by such talk -as that? Now it is the desire of my heart to dress well and to -mix in the society of women of good position, but I never get a -glimpse of any money. You go wandering about like a lunatic; do -remain quietly at home for a change." Thakchacha replied somewhat -testily: "How can I possibly tell you all the trouble I have had -to undergo. Look at my great anxieties, look at all the artifices, -intrigues and trickery I have to employ: I have no language to -express it all. Then just as the game is on the point of falling -into my hands, off it flies again. Never mind, sooner or later -it will be caught." Just at this moment, a servant came to tell -them that a messenger was arrived from Baburam Babu's house to -summon Thakchacha, who thereupon looked at his wife and said: "You -see, the Babu is continually sending for me: he will do nothing -without consulting me. I will strike when the hour is come." - -Baburam Babu was seated in his reception-hall: with him were -Bancharam Babu of Outer Simla, Beni Babu of Bally, and Becharam -Babu of Bow Bazar: they were all chatting hard. Thakchacha -sat down among them as a monkey chief might sit amidst his -subjects. Baburam at once greeted him: "Ha, Thakchacha, your -arrival is most opportune: my difficulties are as great as ever: -I am more involved than ever in these law-suits. Come and tell -me some way of preserving my property." - -_Thakchacha_.-- Litigation is natural to a man who is a man. Your -misfortunes will all be at an end when your cases are won: why -then should you feel alarmed? - -_Becharam_.-- Mercy! what advice is this you are giving? Baburam -Babu will be completely ruined by your instrumentality: of -that there is not the slightest doubt. What do you say, Beni, -my dear friend? - -_Beni_.-- Some portions of the estate should be sold, I think, -to clear off the debts, and some arrangements made for reducing -the expenditure: the suits-at-law also should be looked into and -cleared off. But our words are wasted, like one crying in a bamboo -jungle. Thakchacha's are the only words attended to. - -_Thakchacha_.-- I pledge my word of honour that all the suits -that have been instituted at my instigation will be gained: -I will clear all the difficulties away. Fighting is one of the -necessities of man's existence: what cause then is there for alarm? - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, Thakchacha, how grand is the heroism you have -always exhibited! What a magnificent display of courage you made -when the boat was swamped! Why it was all on your account that -we suffered so on the occasion of the marriage. You displayed -great bravery, I must say, in getting up that false charge against -Barada Babu. Not one of the affairs of Baburam Babu in which you -have meddled but has turned out most prosperously! All hail to -you: I humbly salute you! But ugh! my gorge rises at the mere -recollection of you and all your works! what more can I say to -you? Come, friend Beni, get up and come away: it is no pleasure -to me to sit here any longer. - - -CHAPTER XVII. BABURAM'S SECOND MARRIAGE. - -THERE had been heavy rain in the night: the roads and _ghâts_ -was all muddy and wet: the sky was still overcast, and there were -occasional distant rumblings of thunder: frogs croaked everywhere -in loud chorus. The shopkeepers in the bazaar had opened out -their awnings, and were now engaged in smoking. Owing to the rainy -weather very few people were moving about: only a few _gariwans_ -passed along the road, singing at the top of their voices, and -some coolies bearing loads on their heads, absorbed in their -favourite melody, of which the refrain ran:-- - -"Oh yes, my darling Bisakha! -"Your friend's just off to Mathura." - -A number of barbers lived on the west side of the Vaidyabati -Bazar. One of them was sitting in his verandah on account of the -rain, and as he sat there, every now and then looking up at the sky -or humming softly to himself, his wife brought her infant child -to him and said, "I have not yet got through all my house work: -just nurse this child for me a bit! the pots and pans have not yet -been scoured, and the floor has not been rubbed down with cow-dung; -and besides, I have a lot of cooking to do. I am the only woman in -the house: how can I possibly do all this myself? -- have I four -hands or four feet?" - -The barber straightway tucked his shaving instruments under his -arm and got up to go, saying, "I have no time just now to nurse -the child. Baburam Babu is to be married to-morrow: I must be -off at once." His wife started back, saying: "Good heavens! what -next? what, that fat unwieldy old man going to marry again! Alas, -alas! And such an excellent housewife as he has already, a chaste -divinity, as pure as Lakshmi! What, he must go and tie a co-wife -to her neck! It is a crying shame! Why, there is a really -nothing that men will not do!" The barber was dumbfounded by -this eloquent outburst, but taking no notice of what his wife was -saying, stuck his hat of plaited leaves on his head and went off. - -That day was a very cloudy one, but early next morning the sun -shone brightly. The trees and plants seemed all to have received -new life, and the joyous sounds of beast and bird, in field and -garden, were redoubled. Baburam Babu, Thakchacha, Bakreswar Babu, -and Bancharam Babu were just getting into one of the numerous -boats at the Vaidyabati Ghât, when suddenly Beni Babu and Becharam -Babu appeared. Thakchacha pretended not to see them, and shouted -to the boatmen to let the boat loose, while they remonstrated: -"But master, the ebb tide is still running! how shall we be able -to get along against it even if we punt with poles or haul with -ropes?" Baburam Babu received his two friends very courteously, -saying: "Your arrival is most opportune: come, let us all be -off." Becharam Babu then remonstrated: "Ah Baburam, who in the -world advised you to go and marry at your age?" - -_Baburam_.-- Ah Becharam, my dear friend, am I so old as all -that? I am a good deal younger than you are: besides, if you say -that my hair is quite gray and that I have lost all my teeth, -that is the case with a good many others even at an early age: -it is not such a very great drawback. I have a good many things to -think of; one of my sons has gone to the bad, another has become -a lunatic: one of my daughters is no more, another is as good as -a widow. If I have children by this marriage, my family will be -preserved from extinction: I am, moreover, under an obligation -to marry: if I do not do so the girl's father will lose caste, -for they have no other family they can marry her into. - -_Bakreswar_.-- That is indeed true: do you suppose that the -master has entered upon a matter of this importance without -taking everything into consideration? I know no one of a better -understanding. - -_Bancharam_.-- We are Kulins: we must maintain the traditions -of our family at any cost, and where wealth is a recommendation -as well, why, there is nothing more to be said! - -_Becharam_.-- Confound your family traditions and bad luck to -your wealth! Alas, how many persons have combined to overthrow -one house! What do you say, friend Beni? - -_Beni_.-- What shall I say? our remonstrances are but as idle -words, as the tears of one weeping in a wilderness. But really -this matter is a cause of great grief to me. To marry again when -you already have one wife, is a grievous sin: no man who wished -to maintain his virtue could ever do such a thing. There may be a -_Shástra_ of an opposite opinion, it is true; but there is never -any necessity for following it: that such a _Shástra_ is not a -genuine one there can be no reasonable doubt, and should it be -taken as a guide in actual practice, the bonds of marriage would -thereby become much weakened. The feelings of the wife towards -her husband cannot remain as before, and the feelings of the -husband towards his wife will also be constantly changing. If -such a calamity as this befalls a family, it cannot possibly -prosper or be happy. If there is such a rule in the _Shástras_, -that rule should not be regarded as binding. Be that as it may, -it is very base of Baburam Baba to marry a second time, considering -what a wife he has still living. I know nothing about the details -of the matter: it has only just come to my ears. - -_Thakchacha_.-- Ah, the man of books picks a hole in everything! -he seems to me to have nothing else to do. I am getting an old man -now, and my beard is gray. Must I be always arguing with such -children? Does the learned Babu know how much wealth this marriage -will bring to the family? - -_Becharam_.-- Mercenary wretch that you are! do you recognise -money only? Have you no regard for anything else? You are a low -unprincipled scoundrel, that is all I can say. Ugh! friend Beni, -come, let us be off. - -_Thakchacha_.-- I will have a talk with you some other day: we -cannot waste any more time now. You will have to hurry if you -want to reach the house in time. - -Thereupon, Becharam caught hold of Beni Babu by the hand and -got up, saying: "We will never, as long as we live, go to such -a marriage; and if there be such a thing as virtue in the world, -may you not return in peace! Only ruin can attend your counsel: -you who are now enjoying yourself at Baburam Babu's expense! I -have nothing more to say to you. Ugh!" - - -CHAPTER XVIII. MOZOOMDAR ON THE MARRIAGE. - -THE sun was just setting: gloriously beautiful was the western -sky with its many and varied tints. On land and water the sun's -tremulous light seemed gently smiling, while a soft breeze blew: -everything was calm and inviting. On such an evening as this, -a number of young men were thronging with loud and boisterous -shouts down the main street of Vaidyabati. They knocked against the -passers-by, smashing the things they were carrying, hustling them, -throwing their baskets away and robbing them of their supplies -of food. They sang continuously at the top of their voices, -imitating the howls of dogs at the same time. On either side -of the road people fled, calling for assistance and protection, -trembling, and bewildered with fear. Like a storm sweeping down -from all four quarters of the compass at once, with the roar -of heavy rain, this whirlwind came tearing and raging past. And -who are these mighty men? Who indeed but those models of virtue, -Matilall and his companions? -- King Nala and Yudhishthira over -again! They are far too great personages to pay heed to anyone: -so full of self-importance and of pride are their heads that they -are as unsteady in their gait as men drunk with much wine. They -have it all their own way as they come swaggering along. - -Just then an old man from the village, one Mozoomdar, his -solitary lock waving in the breeze, a stick in one hand and some -vegetables in the other, approached them, leaning heavily on his -stick. They all surrounded him and began to amuse themselves at -his expense. Mozoomdar was a little hard of hearing, and when -they said to him: "Come, tell us, how is your wife?" he replied: -"I shall have to roast them before I can eat them." They laughed -heartily, and Mozoomdar would have liked to slip away, but there -was no escape for him. The young Babus seized him, and making -him sit on the bank of the river, gave him a pipe of tobacco, -saying to him: 'Come, Mozoomdar, tell us all about the row at -the marriage of the master of Vaidyabati: you are bit of a poet: -it is a pleasure to us to listen to you. If you do not tell us, -we shall not let you off, and we shall go and tell your wife that -you have met with an untimely death.' Mozoomdar saw that he was -in a bad way, and that there was no getting out of it unless he -complied; so, making the best of a bad job, he set his stick and -vegetables on the ground and commenced his narrative. - -"It is a pitiable tale that I have to tell. What an experience -has it been to me, accompanying the master! It was close on -evening when the boat drew up at the Barnagore _ghât_. Some -women had come to the riverside to draw water: as soon as they -saw the master, they veiled their faces slightly and began to -chatter hard to each other, laughing quietly the while. 'Ha -what a lovely bridegroom!' they cried, 'what a sweet _champac_ -flower for a lucky girl to fondle in her braided hair!' Said -one of them: 'Old or young, whichever he may be, the girl will -have no difficulty in seeing him with her eyes: that of itself -is something. May the wretched lot that has befallen me befall -no one else: married at the age of six, I have never even set -eyes on my husband. I have heard that he has married some fifty -wives, and is over eighty years of age; and though he is such a -wretched tottering old man, he never makes any objection to marry -if he is only well paid for it. Sorely some great crimes must have -been committed in former births, or else daughters would never be -born into a Kulin's family!' 'My dear,' said another woman to her, -'you have finished drawing water now: come along, you ought not to -gossip like this when you come to the riverside. Why, your husband -is alive, whereas the man I was married to was actually dying, -with his feet in the Ganges, when the ceremony of marriage was -performed! What possible good will it do to discuss the religious -duties of Kulin Brahmans? The secrets of the heart are best kept -locked up in the breast.'" - -"It grieved me to listen to the talk of the women, and the -words of Beni Babu, which he spoke at the time of our departure, -recurred to my mind. Then on landing at the Barnagore _Ghât_, -there was a good deal of trouble in trying to get a _palki_, but -not a single bearer was to be had, and the time for the ceremony -was fast slipping away. We had to proceed as best we could. After -a good deal of floundering about in the mud, we reached the house -of the bride's father. How can I describe to you the figure that -the master presented after he had tumbled down in the road? we had -only to put him upon an ox, for him to have appeared a veritable -Mahadeva, and we might have presented Thakchacha and Bakreswar as -Nandi and Bhringi in attendance upon him. I had heard rumours that -there would be a large distribution of presents, but on getting up -to the great hall, I saw that there was to be nothing of the sort: -it was all a delusion, and another illustration of the old proverb, --- 'Sand has fallen into the _goor_.' Thakchacha, seeing his -hopes destroyed, was glaring around him everywhere, and strutting -insolently about. I could not help smiling to myself, but I thought -it would be safer not to express my real sentiments. The bridegroom -had meanwhile withdrawn for the ceremonies performed by the women -of the family. The women, old and young, all surrounded him, -their ornaments jingling as they moved about They were horrified -when they saw the bridegroom. During the performance of the -ceremony, when bride and bridegroom gaze into each other's eyes, -he was obliged to put his spectacles on: the women all burst out -laughing and began to make fun of him. He flew into a passion and -called out, 'Thakchacha! Thakchacha!' Thakchacha was just on -the point of running into the women's apartments, when the people -belonging to the party of the bride's father got him on the ground. -Bancharam Babu was pugnacious, and got well thrashed. Bakreswar -Babu was hustled about so that he resembled a pigeon with swollen -neck. When I saw the disturbance, I left the bridegroom's party -and joined that of the bride. What became of everybody in the end -I cannot say, but Thakchacha had to return home in a _dooly_. You -all know the saying-- 'In avarice is sin, and in sin death.' -Now listen to the poetry I have composed":-- - -Any counsel his parasite pours in his ears, -Baburam, the old dotard, as gospel reveres. -Still dreaming of riches by day and by night, -No thought ever stirs him of wrong or of right. -In saving and getting he squanders his life, -And lately it struck him, "I'll marry a wife!" -"Fie! you're old," cry his friends, "and what can you need more? -"You've your wife and your children, with grandsons in store?" -But their kindly advice for themselves they may keep" -At a trifle like bigamy, fortunes go cheap! -So all in a flurry he orders a boat, -And with kinsmen and servants is shortly afloat. -Good Beni's remonstrance he haughtily spurns, -Who home to his rice unrewarded returns. -Becharam is disgusted, and toddles away: -"Thakchacha, you scoundrel!" was all he could say. -But the Barnagore women such volleys of jeers -Exchange through their _chudders_ where'er he appears, -That the bridegroom gets nervous, and asks in affright, -"Can I really be such a ridiculous sight? -"Is some further expenditure needed, alas?" -And anxiously studies his face in the glass. -Reassured of his beauty, and freed from alarm -He swaggers along, upon Thakchacha's arm. -But scarce is he rid of that terrible doubt, -When in mud like a pumpkin he's tumbling about; -And his friends in the mire as they flounder half-dead, -See the Halls, not of Hymen but Pluto ahead. -And indeed it turns out, when he's taken the yoke[33], -That his vision connubial has vanished in smoke; -For the cluster of pearls he was hoping to claim, -And the gold and the silver, were nought but a name! -Thakchacha, outwitted, with furious scowl -Glares round him, scarce able to stifle a howl. -And oh, when its time for the bridegroom to enter -The ladies' domain[34], of what mirth he's the centre! -Every bangle a-jangle, around him they flutter, -And flout him and scout him till scarce he can stutter. -"This pot-bellied dotard to wed with a baby! -"This bloated old octogenarian gaby! -"With a head like a gourd, not a tooth to his gum! -"'Tis an overgrown ogre in spectacles come! -"And the child, the sweet blossom, our jewel so rare! -"Ah, shame on the Kulins, such deeds who can dare!" -While, shrinking and blinking and all of a shiver, -The bridegroom, a captive whom none will deliver, -Cries feebly as one in the direst of pain, -"To the rescue, Thakchacha!" again and again. -That hero leaps in at the piteous sound, -But is seized by the _durwans_ and hurled to the ground. -The remains of his beard he may rescue to-day, -But a terrible hiding's his share of the prey. -The guests, who consider it risky to stay, -Have other engagements, and hasten away. -Your servant, the tumult increasing still more, -Not without some temerity, made for the door, -And retired, with a fortitude second to none. -All hail to you, masters! my story is done. - - -CHAPTER XIX. DEATH OF BABURAM BABU. - -HAVING just come in from his morning walk, Beni Babu was sitting -in his garden-house. He was gazing about him, and had just caught -up a refrain of Ram Prasad's[35] - -"Swift to its goal life ebbs away." - ---when suddenly from a bower of creepers to the west of him, he -heard a voice: "Ha! friend Beni! True indeed it is that 'swift -to its goal life ebbs away.'" Starting up from his seat, Beni -Babu saw Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar hurrying towards him, and -going to meet him, said: "Becharam, my dear friend, what has -happened?" Becharam Babu replied: "Throw your shawl over your -shoulders and come with me at once: Baburam Babu is very ill: -you must see him just once." - -The two friends soon reached Vaidyabati, and saw that Baburam -Babu had a very severe attack of fever: his temperature was very -high, and he was suffering from intense thirst, tossing restlessly -about on his bed. Some slices of cucumber and a cloth steeped in -rose-water lay beside him, but he could retain no nourishment. The -villagers all thronged around, loudly discussing the nature of -his illness: one of them was saying: "Our pulse is the pulse of -vegetarians and fish-eaters: nothing but harm can arise from the -use of leeches, purgatives, and blisters. The best kind of treatment -for us is that of the old village doctor; and then, if no relief -is obtained, and grave symptoms occur, a doctor using the English -methods might be called in." Another remarked: "It would be a good -thing to have the opinion of a Mahomedan _hakim_: they often effect -wonderful cures, and their drugs are all as pleasant to take as -that delicious sweetmeat the _mohanbhog_" Another said: "You may -say what you will, but doctors who treat on English methods give -instantaneous relief in all such cases of sickness, as if by the -repetition of a _mantra_: a cure will be very difficult without -proper medical treatment." The sick man kept repeatedly asking -for water. Brojonath Raya, the old _kabiraj_, who was sitting -by him at the time, said: "The case is a very serious one: it is -not a good thing to be constantly giving him water: we must give -him a little of the juice of the _bael_. We are none of us his -enemies, I should imagine, that we should be giving him just now -as much water as he wants." All this wrangling was going on by -Baburam Babu's bedside. The next room was filled with a number -of pandits, who, of course, regarded as of chief importance -the performance of sacrifices to Shiva, the worship of the sun, -the offering of a million of _hibiscus_ flowers at Kali's shrine -at Kalighat, and all such religious ceremonials. Beni Babu had -been standing listening to the discussion going on round Baburam -Babu, but everybody was talking at once and nobody listening to -anybody else. "Many sages many opinions" says the old proverb, and -each man thought his words as infallible as the mystic _mantra_ -possessed by Druva. Though Beni Babu attempted once or twice -to express his own opinion, his words were lost almost before he -had opened his lips[36], and being unable to get a word in -edgewise, he took Becharam Babu outside with him. - -Just then Thakchacha approached them, limping painfully along: -he was exceedingly anxious on account of Baburam Babu's illness, -reflecting that all his chances of gain had slipped away. Beni -Babu, seeing him, said: "Thakchacha, what is the matter with -your leg?" Becharam burst in with the remark: "What, my friend, -have you never heard of the affair of Barnagore? The pain he is -suffering is only the punishment for his evil advice: have you -forgotten what I said in the boat?" Thakchacha tried to slip away -when he heard this, but Beni Babu caught him by the arm and said: -"Never mind that now! is anything being devised for the recovery -of the master? There is great confusion in the house." Thakchacha -replied: "When the fever commenced, I took Ekramaddi the _hakim_ -with me: by the administration of purgatives and other drugs he -reduced the fever, and allowed his patient to eat spiced rice; but -the fever returned again the other day, and since then Brojonath -the _kabiraj_ has been looking after the case. The fever seems to -me to be steadily increasing: I cannot imagine what to do." Beni -Babu said: "Thakchacha, do not be angry at what I am going to say: -you should have sent us news of this before. However, that cannot -be helped now: we must call in a skilled English doctor at once." - -At this moment, Ramlall and Barada Prasad Babu approached. -Ramlall's face was quite worn from night-watching, from the labour -and toil of nursing, and from I anxiety of mind; his daily anxiety -was to devise means for restoring his father to convalescence and -health. Seeing Beni Babu he said to him: "Sir, I am in grievous -trouble: with all this confusion in the house no good advice is to -be had from any one. Barada Babu comes every morning and evening -to look after my father, but none of the people here will allow -me to carry out his instructions. Your arrival is most opportune: -please adopt any steps you think necessary." - -Becharam Babu gazed steadily at Barada Babu for some time, and -then with tears in his eyes caught hold of his hand and cried: -"Ah, Barada Babu, why is it that everybody does you reverence, -except on account of the many good qualities you possess? Why, -it was Thakchacha here who advised Baburam Babu to have that -charge of illegal confinement and assault brought against you, -and all kinds of violence and knavery have been practised on -you without rhyme or reason, at their instigation; and yet, when -Thakchacha fell sick, you cured him, treating him and even nursing -him yourself, and now too, when Baburam is ill, you spare no effort -to give good advice, and to look after his welfare. Now generally -speaking, if one man but speaks harshly against another, enmity -at once springs up between them, and though a thousand apologies -may be made, the feeling does not pass away; but though you have -been grievously insulted and injured, you have no difficulty in -forgetting the insult and injuries you have suffered. No feeling -towards another but brotherly kindness arises in your mind. Ah, -Barada Babu, many may talk of virtue, but never have I found -any possessing such as you possess. Men are naturally base and -corrupt; how then can they judge of your qualities? But as day -and night are true, your qualities will be judged above." - -Somewhat vexed by these remarks of Becharam Babu, Barada Babu -bowed his head and said humbly: "Sir, pray do not address me like -this. I am but a very insignificant person: what is my knowledge -or what my virtue after all?" - -"We had better postpone this conversation" Beni Babu said, -"tell me now what to devise for the master's illness." - -Barada Babu replied: "If you gentlemen think the idea a good -one, I can go to Calcutta and bring a doctor back with me by -the evening: no further confidence, I think, should be placed in -Brojonath Raya." - -Premnarayan Mozoomdar, who was standing near, remarked: "Doctors -do not properly understand the pulse, and they let their patients -die in their houses. We ought not to dismiss the _kabiraj_ -altogether: on the contrary, let the _kabiraj_ and the doctor -each take up a special feature of the case." - -"We can take that matter into consideration afterwards" Beni Babu -said, "go now, Barada Babu, and fetch a doctor." - -Barada Babu started off for Calcutta at once, without taking -either his bath or his food, though they all remonstrated: "Sir, -you have the whole day before you, take a mouthful of food before -you start." He only replied: "If I stop to do that there will be -delay, and all my trouble may go for nought." - -Baburam Babu, as he lay on his bed, kept asking where Matilall -was, but it was hard to get a glimpse of even the top tuft of -his hair: he was always out on picnics with his boon companions, -and paid no heed to his father's illness. Beni Babu observing -this conduct sent a servant out to Matilall in the garden, but he -only sent back some feigned excuse; he had a very bad headache, -and would come home later on. As the fever left Baburam Babu about -two o'clock in the afternoon, his pulse became exceedingly weak: -the _kabiraj_ examining it, said: "The master must be removed from -the house at once. He is a man of long experience, an old man, -and a man highly respected; and we ought certainly to ensure that -his end be a happy one." On hearing this the whole household broke -out into loud lamentations, and all his kinsmen and neighbours -assisted in carrying him into the great hall of the house. Just -then Barada Babu arrived with the English doctor. The latter, -observing the state of his pulse, remarked. "You have called -me in at the last moment: how can a doctor possibly be of any -use if you only summon him just before taking a patient to the -Ganges[30]?" With these words he departed. - -All the inhabitants of Vaidyabati stood round Baburam Babu, each -asking some question or other, such as: "Honoured sir, can you -recognise me?" "Come, sir, say who I am?" Beni Babu remonstrated: -"Please do not vex the sick man in this way? What is the good of -all this questioning[37]?" The officiating priests had now -completed their sacrifices, and approached with the sacred flowers -of blessing; but they saw at once that their ceremonial had all -been in vain. Seeing that Baburam Babu's breathing was becoming -heavier, they all took him to the Vaidyabati Ghât. After tasting -of the Ganges water and breathing the fresher air, he revived -a little: the crowd too had diminished in numbers. Ramlall sat -beside his father while Barada Prasad Babu came and stood in -front of him. After a short pause, the latter said very quietly: -"Pray meditate for this once with all your mind upon the Supreme -God: without His favour we are utterly helpless." Baburam Babu -hearing these words, gazed intently for a few seconds at Barada -Prasad Babu, and began to shed tears. Ramlall wiped away his -tears and gave him a few drops of milk to drink. Baburam Babu -then grew more composed and said in a low tone: "Ah, my friend -Barada Babu, I now know that I have no other friend in the world -but you! Through the evil counsel of a certain individual, I -have committed many and grievous crimes: these are continually -recurring to my memory, and my soul seems to be on fire. I am a -grievous sinner: how shall I make answer for it? Can you possibly -forgive me?" As he uttered these words Baburam Babu took hold -of the hand of Barada Babu, and closed his eyes. His friends and -neighbours who were near began repeating the name of God. Thus, -in full possession of his faculties[38] Baburam Babu passed away. - - -CHAPTER XX. THE SHRADDHA CEREMONY. - -ON the death of his father, Matilall succeeded to the _guddee_, -and became the head of the house. His former companions never -left his side for a moment, and he grew as proud as a turkey-cock, -rejoicing in the thought that at last after so long a time he might -give his extravagance its full bent. When Matilall displayed a -little grief on his father's account, his companions said to him: -"Why are you so depressed? who expects to live for ever with his -father and mother? You are now lord and master." A fool's grief -is a mere empty name. How can true sorrow possibly affect the -mind of the man who has never given any happiness to those whom -he should hold most sacred -- his father and his mother -- but -on the contrary untold pain and misery? The feeling, if it does -arise, passes away like a shadow, and the natural consequence is -that such a man can never have any veneration for the memory of -his father, and his mind is never inclined to do anything to keep -him in remembrance. Matilall's eager desire to know the extent of -the property which his father had left, very soon overshadowed his -grief. Acting on the advice of his companions, he put double locks -on the house-door and on the money-chest, and became more easy in -his mind when he had done so. He was in a perpetual state of alarm -lest his money should somehow or other fall into the hands of his -mother, stepmother, brother or sister, and be altogether lost to -him in consequence. His companions were continually saying to him: -"Money is a very important thing, sir! Where it is in question, -no confidence is to be reposed even in one's own father. Now there -is your younger brother always carrying a big bag of virtue about -with him wherever he goes, and with truth always on his tongue; -yet even his preceptor never shows indulgence to anyone, but -whenever he has the opportunity enforces his full claims. We -have seen a good many shams of that kind. Anyhow, Barada Babu -must know something of witchcraft: he must have lived some time -at Kamrup[39]. How otherwise is it possible to account for the great -influence he had over Baburam Babu at the time of his death?" - -Not very long after this conversation, Matilall proceeded to -visit his relatives and kinsmen, to signify his accession to -his new position as master of the house. Busybodies are at -all times to be found, ready to interfere in other people's -concerns. Like the twists and turns of the _jelabhi_ sweetmeat, -their conversation touches on a variety of topics, but never goes -straight to the point: like air it wanders where it will, and it -is as difficult to get hold of, for it will generally be found -on close examination to have double meaning. Some of those he -visited said: "The master was a most worthy person: had it not been -for his great store of merit, he could not have had the children -he did. His death too,--why, it was characteristic of the man! -it was marvellous! Ah, sir, all this time you have been under the -shelter of a mountain, shielded and protected! You will now have -your own discretion to depend upon: the family all look to you: -you have the whole number of religious festivals to keep up: you -have, moreover, to perpetuate the name of your father and your -grandfather. First, of course you must perform the _shraddha_ -with due regard to your property: you need not in this matter -dance to the tune of the world's opinion. Why Ram Chandra -himself offered a funeral cake of sand to his father's shade, -and if you have to abridge your expenditure in this respect, -it is idle to mourn over that: but to do nothing at all is not -good. Ah, sir, you must know that your father's name resounds -far and wide! by virtue of his name the tiger and the cow drink -at the same pool! can his _shraddha_ then be like the _shraddha_ -of a poor and insignificant man? Even those encumbered with debt -must avoid the world's reproach." Matilall could not comprehend the -drift of all this talk. These men, while nominally manifesting -their bosom friendship as kinsmen for a kinsman, were really in -their inmost hearts eager to have a gorgeous _shraddha_ ceremony, -and themselves to get the management of it, so that they might -gain importance thereby; but they would never give a plain answer -to a plain question. One of them said: "It will never do not to -have the _shorash_, with the usual display of silver and other -presents" Another remarked: "You will find it very hard to keep -the world's respect, if you do not have a _dan-sagar_, with -costly presents of every kind for all comers." Another said: -"It will be a very poor sort of _shraddha_, if there is no -_dampati-baran_ for poor Brahmans." And another said: "It will -be a great disgrace if pandits are not invited to attend, and a -distribution of alms not made to the poor." There was a good deal -of wrangling over the affair. "Who wants your advice?" -- "Who -told you to argue?" -- "Who listens to your conclusions?" -- -"Nobody respects you in the village: it is only in your own -opinion that you are the head-man," such remarks were freely -bandied about from one to the other. Each of those present indeed -was in his own estimation the most important man there, and each -man thought what he had to say the conclusion of the whole matter. - -Three days after this discussion, Beni Babu, Becharam Babu, -Bancharam Babu, and Bakreswar Babu, arrived at Matilall's -house. Thakchacha was sitting near Matilall as melancholy -and spiritless as a snake with its jewelled crest lost: -with bead-rosary in his hand and with trembling lips, he was -muttering his prayers. His attention was not directed to the brisk -conversation that was going on around him: his eyes were rolling -about, their glance chiefly directed at the wall. When he saw Beni -Babu and the others, he rose hurriedly and saluted them. Such -humility on Thakchacha's part had never been witnessed before, -but the old proverb has it:-- "With the venom, goes the glamour." - -Beni Babu took hold of Thakchacha's hand, and said to him: "Why, -what are you doing? How is it that you, a venerable old Moulvi -as you are, honour us like this?" - -Bancharam Babu said: "We must waste no more time: our leisure -is very limited. Nothing is as yet arranged; come, tell us what -should be done." - -_Becharam_.-- Baburam's affairs are in great confusion: some of -the property will have to be sold to clear off debts. It would -not be right to celebrate the _shraddha_ on a magnificent scale -and incur more debt by so doing. - -_Bancharam_.-- What is this I hear? Surely the very first -requisite is to avoid the censure of the world: the property may -be looked after later on. Shall honour and reputation be allowed -to float away on the waters of this flood? - -_Becharam_.-- That is very bad advice, and I will never assent -to it myself. How now, friend Beni, what do you say? - -_Beni_.-- To incur debt again in any case where there is already -a good deal, and where it is doubtful whether it can be cleared -off even by a sale of property, is really a species of theft; -for how can the new debt incurred be cleared off? - -_Bancharam_.-- Bah! that is only an English idea. As a matter of -fact the rich always live on credit: they incur debts here only -to pay them off there. A respectable man like you should not be -a marplot; or put obstacles in the way of a good action. I have -no property to give way myself, but if any one else is prepared -to make presents to all the pandits, am I bound to offer any -opposition? We all of us have pandits more or less dependent -upon us, and they will all want to receive invitations. It is -only natural they should: they must live. - -_Bakreswar_.-- Very well said, sir! There is an old saying: -"Death before dishonour." - -_Becharam_.-- Baburam Babu's family are in the centre of a -conflagration: as far as I can see they will soon be utterly -ruined. We must try and find a remedy to prevent this. A curse -on this method of purchasing renown at the expense of debt! I do -not consider Brahman followers to have such a claim upon me that -I should sacrifice others to fill their maws: a pretty business -that would be! Come, my friend Beni, let us be off. - -As soon as Beni Babu and Becharam Babu had gone, Bancharam said -"A good riddance! these two gentlemen understand nothing about -the matter: they only talk. How refreshing it is to speak with -a man of real intelligence. Thakchacha, come and sit by me: -what is your opinion in this matter?" - -"It is a great pleasure to me also," Thakchacha replied, "to -have a talk with a man like you: those two gentlemen are daft: -I am afraid to go near them. All that you have said is very true: -a man's life is practically thrown away if his honour and power -are lost. You and I will look well after the particulars and get -rid of all the difficulties. Is there any cause for alarm then?" - -Matilall was naturally very extravagant, and fond of display: -he had no knowledge of money matters at all, and knew nothing of -business. He put full confidence in Bancharam and Thakchacha: -for apart from the fact that they were always frequenting the -courts and had the law at their fingers' ends, they had managed -to win an influence over him, exactly hitting off his wishes by -their clever ingenuity. - -"Do you undertake the entire management of this business," said he, -"I will sign my name to anything you require." - -"Let me have the master's will out of the box," Bancharam Babu -said. "Under the terms of the will, you are the only heir: your -brother is a lunatic, consequently his name has been omitted. If -you take the will and hand it into court, you will have letters of -administration granted you, and the property may then be mortgaged, -or sold upon your signature only." Matilall at once opened the box, -and took the will out. - -When Bancharam had done all that was necessary in the courts, -he made arrangements with a money-lender, and returned to the -Vaidyabati house with the papers and the money. Matilall signed -the papers the moment he caught sight of the money, and putting -his hands on the bag of rupees was on the point of placing it in -the box, when Bancharam and Thakchacha said to him, "Ah, sir! -if the money remains with you, it will soon be all spent: it -will be safer, we think, in our charge. You are so good-natured -you know, so tender-hearted, that you cannot deny anything even -to a look: we, knowing people better, will be able to drive all -suppliants away." - -Matilall thought to himself: "This is very excellent advice: -besides, how am I to get any money to spend after the _shraddha_! -have no father now to get money from by a mere look." So he agreed -to their proposal. - -Great were the preparations for the shraddha ceremony of Baburam -Babu. What with the noise of arranging the _shorash_ and the silver -presents to be given to the pandits, the smell of the sweetmeats, -the buzzing of hornets, the pungent smoke from wet wood, and the -continual stream of things arriving for use on the occasion, -the whole house was full of confusion and bustle. Brahmans of -the poorer classes, whether connected with family worship, or -with shop or bazar accounts, all wearing silk clothes, and with -Ganges clay on their foreheads, were continually crowding in -for invitations to the shraddha ceremony. Of the Tarkavagishas, -Vidyaratnas, Nyayalankars, Bachaspatis, and Vidyasagars, all -learned and celebrated pandits, there was no end. Sages and _gurus_ -were continually arriving. It was like the festival of the village -leather-seller, on the death of a cow. - -The day of the ceremony arrived. Pandits from all parts of the -country had come for the assembly usual on such occasions[40], and -seated near them were their relatives, kinsmen and friends. Before -them were arranged presents of every description and for all -comers; horses, _palkis_, brass dishes, broadcloth, oil vessels, -and hard cash. On one side of them the processional singing was -in progress, and in the midst of the singers was Becharam Babu -enthusiastically absorbed in the music. Outside the house were -collected together Brahmans of lesser degree, pedigree reciters, -mendicants, _sannyasis_ and beggars. Thakchacha, not having -sufficient effrontery to sit down in the assembly, was roaming -about in the crowd. - -The venerable Pandits were taking snuff and conversing together on -subjects connected with the _shástras_. One of their characteristics -is the difficulty they find in carrying on a discussion at their -great meetings calmly and composedly: some element of discord -is always sure to arise. One of the pandits introduced a portion -of the _Nyaya shástras_ for discussion:-- "Smoke is the effect -of fire, and this is a different substance from a water-jar." A -pandit from Orissa thereupon remarked, "The water-jar is itself -distinct from a mountain." "What is this, my friend, that you -are saying?" asked a pandit from Kashigoya, "you surely have not -paid proper attention to the sentence: he who regards a water-jar, -clothes, and a mountain as the same as smoke from a fire, simply -murders the famous Siromani." A pandit from Eastern Bengal said: -"Smoke is an entirely different substance from a water-jar: smoke -is the effect of fire: how then can there be smoke when there is -no fire[41]?" And so the dispute went on, and at last, from simply -glaring at each other, they got to a hand-to-hand scrimmage. - -Thakchacha thought matters were looking serious and that he had -better calm things down before they went any further; so going -quietly up to them, he said: "I say, gentlemen, why are you -making such minute enquiries about such trifles as a water-pot -or a lamp? I will make you a much more valuable present; I will -give you two water-pots apiece," A very sharp Brahman amongst the -pandits at once got up and said, "Who are you, you low fellow? An -infidel outcast present at the _shraddha_ of a Hindu? This is not -the _shraddha_ of a she-ghost, that an apparition like you should -be the superintendent of it." As he said this, everybody present -began abusing Thakchacha, thumping him with their fists, pushing -him about and beating him with sticks. Thereupon Bancharam Babu -hurried up and said: "If you make a disturbance and interfere with -the _shraddha_ in this way, I will know the reason why: I will -get a summons out against you at once from the High Court. I am -not a man to be trifled with I can tell you." Bakreswar Babu too -had his say. "That is right: besides, the boy who is performing -the _shraddha_ is no common boy, he is the very model of a boy." -Becharam Baba observed: "It is becoming a matter of notoriety -that nothing ever goes right where Thakchacha and Bancharam have -the management. Ugh! Ugh." The disturbance did not cease. The -rowdy vagrants who were present, and others, kept adding to the -confusion, and as blows from the canes continually rained on them, -they shouted out, "A fine shraddha indeed you have celebrated." At -length all the respectable gentlemen present, seeing the state -of affairs, exclaimed:-- - -"Friends! Call this a _shraddha_? Whose _shraddha_ I pray? -"Tis death to a Brahman to toil without pay." - -"Come, we had better slip away at once: why should we run any -more risk when there is nothing to be gained by it?" - - -CHAPTER XXI. MATILALL ON THE GUDDEE. - -PEOPLE did not think much of Baburam Babu's _shraddha_. The rain, -as the proverb has it, was out of all proportion to the thunder. -Oil fell on a good many heads that were oiled already, while heads -that were dry and destitute of oil only got cracked. Their -disputation was all the profit that the pandits got. The -uneducated city Brahmans had it all their own way. The harsh -discipline of all kinds to which pandits subject themselves, -creates in them a stubbornness of nature: they follow their own -opinions and do not agree with all and everything they find. -The Brahmans of a lower order, _habitúes_ of the city, suit their -conversation to the minds of the Babus: in the words of the proverb, -they adapt their strokes to the quality of the wood. If it suits -them to be Gosains, Gosains they can be; and the characters they -can assume are as varied as the ingredients of a curry mixture; is -it surprising then that they generally get the best of everything? -The managers of the _shraddha_ had taken every precaution to fill -their own pockets: they were keen chiefly on their own share of -the gifts: what did it matter to them whether the pandits or the -poor received anything worth mentioning? There was a great flourish -of trumpets over things that would be matter of public observation -and could not be avoided, but equal consideration was not shown -throughout. Management such as that is a mere playing to the gallery. - -The stir which the _shraddha_ had caused gradually died away. - -Bancharam and Thakchacha took to flattering Matilall to an -extraordinary extent, and Matilall, being of a very weak nature, -was enthralled by their seductive language, and thought that he had -no other friends on earth like them. With a view to increasing his -importance they one day said to him:-- "Sir, you are now master: -it behoves you to take your seat on the _guddee_ of the master now -in heaven: how otherwise will his dignity be maintained?" Matilall -was highly delighted at the idea. As a child he had heard bits -of the _Ramayana_ and _Mahabharata_[42], and so it occurred to him -that he would be seated on the _guddee_ with the same pomp and -circumstance with which Yudhishthira and Ram Chandra were anointed -to the throne of their ancestors. Bancharam and Thakchacha saw that -Matilall's face shone again with delight at the suggestion they -had made, so the next day they settled on a date for the ceremony, -and calling together all his kinsmen and friends, seated Matilall -upon his father's _guddee_. In the village the report got about -that Matilall had attained to this honour: The news soon spread: -it was told in the market-place, in the bazar, at the _ghât_, and -in the fields. A choleric old Brahman, when he heard it remarked, -"Oh, he has attained the _guddee_, has he? What a fine expression! -And whose _guddee_, pray? That of the great Jagat Sett[43], or of -Devi Dass Balmukunda?" - -When a man of sound sense attains to a high position or to great -wealth, he is not liable to be lightly swayed hither and thither; -whereas a man who lacks solidity of character, should he attain -to a higher position than he is accustomed to, is as unstable -as the waters of a flood. And so it proved with Matilall. Day -and night, unceasing as a torrent, arose the hubbub of boisterous -amusement. His companions did not diminish; on the contrary, their -number daily increased, rapidly as the fabulous _Raktabij_[44]. Was -there anything surprising in this? When rice is scattered there -is no lack of crows, and a whole army of ants will come together -at the scent of molasses. - -Bakreswar Baba visited Matilall one day to try and get something -out of him, and used all his arts to fascinate Matilall by his -talk. But Matilall had been acquainted from his boyhood with -Bakreswar's crafty cajolery, and so he gave him this answer:-- -"Sir, you have destroyed all my chances in the next world by the -partiality and favour you showed me in the past. I never failed -to give you enough presents when I was a boy: why do you keep -bothering me now?" Bakreswar went away with his head bent low, -muttering to himself. Matilall was now as one inebriated with -pleasure: though Bancharam and Thakchacha went occasionally -to see him, he would have little to do with them in the way of -business. Owing to the power-of-attorney he had given them, they -had entire command over everything, and now and again they made -the Babu a liberal advance, but nothing in the way of detailed -accounts of expenditure was forthcoming from them. - -As for the rest of his family, he never took the slightest notice -of them: he never even troubled himself to enquire where they -were or where they went. The ladies endured much hardship on -this account, but Matilall by his riotous living had become so -lost to all sense of shame that he paid no heed to the reports -that reached him on the subject. To have to mourn for a husband -is the greatest affliction that a faithful wife is called on to -endure. It is some alleviation to her in her trouble, if she have -good children; but if on the contrary they disappoint her it adds -intensity to the bitterness of her grief, as melted butter thrown -upon fire. Matilall's evil behaviour was a terrible grief to his -mother, but she never spoke openly of it. One day, however, after -long deliberation, she approached him and said:-- "My child, -what was to be my lot, that has been: now, for the few remaining -days that I have to live, let me not have to listen to this evil -report of you. I cannot lend my ears to people's abuse of you. Have -some little regard for your younger brother, your elder sister, -and your stepmother: they are not getting half enough to eat. Ah, -my child, I ask nothing for myself: I lay no farther burden upon -you." To these words of his mother, Matilall, his eyes inflamed -with passion, replied: "What? will you be always chattering -and abusing me? Do you not know that I am now master in my own -house? What is this evil report about me?" As he said this, he -struck his mother a blow on the face and pushed her down. She -got up from the ground after a short interval, and wiping away -her tears with the border of her _saree_, said to her son: "Ah, -my son! I never heard of children beating their mothers before, -but it has been my destiny for this to happen to me. I have nothing -further to say: I only pray that all may be well with you." Next -day, without saying a word to any one, his mother left the house -with her daughter. - -Since the death of his father, Ramlall had made many efforts to -be on good terms with his brother, but had had to suffer many -indignities. Matilall was in constant anxiety lest he should have -to give up the half of the property, and so be unable to continue -his _role_ of the grandee; and as life would be but a sorry farce -if he had to give up that _role_, he must, he considered, take -the necessary steps to mulct his brother of his share. Having -settled on this plan, by the advice of course of Bancharam and -Thakchacha, he forbade Ramlall the house. Thus shut out from the -home of his fathers, Ramlall, after long deliberation, without -having had an interview with his mother, sister, or any one, -proceeded to another part of the country. - - -CHAPTER XXII. MATILALL IN BUSINESS. - -MATILALL saw that his mother, his brother, and his sister, had now -all gone from the house. "A good riddance!" thought he: his path -was at length cleared of thorns; all bother was at an end. This -had come about by a slight display of passion on his part, -- -'Dhananjoyas got rid of by a blow[45]!' True it was, a single blow -had sufficed to get rid of them all, but his resources were -now exhausted. What was to be done? How could he go on living -in such style? The small retail shopkeepers would not be put off -with excuses any more, and no one would supply him with anything -on credit: just too as the great bathing festival of the -_Snan Jatra_ was coming off. The expenses of engaging a _budgerow_ -had to be provided: earnest money would have to be advanced to -the nautch girls: sweetmeats must be ordered: tobacco, _ganja_, -and liquor all had to be procured for the occasion; and for these -preliminary arrangements he had no money at his disposal. In such -anxious thoughts Matilall was wrapped when Bancharam and Thakchacha -arrived. After exchanging a few remarks, they said to Matilall: -"Well, sir! why this melancholy? It makes us quite sad to see -it. At your age you should be always lively and cheerful. Why this -anxiety? Fie! be merry." Affected almost to tears by this sweet -language, Matilall told them all that was in his mind. Bancharam -said: "Why be so anxious on that account? Are we mere grass-cutters -that we cannot help you out of a difficulty? What brought us to -see you to-day was a splendid idea that has occurred to us. Within -a year you will have paid off all your liabilities, and be able to -enjoy yourself at your leisure, and your sons and your grandsons in -their turn will be able to play the rich man on a grand scale. Is -it not written in the _shástras_? -- - -'Lakshmi, fair goddess, -'Of commerce is queen.' - -There is a fortune to be made in trade: by it people spring -to sudden affluence. Why, look at the numbers of people I have -known, -- many of them of very low origin and blessed with no -brains to speak of, -- who have sprang to sudden importance by -trade! It makes me quite envious to see them. What troubles me is -that we are wasting all our energies with only one string to our -bow. This is not as it should be! 'Chandi Charan gathers cow-dung -while Ram is riding on horseback[47].'" - -_Matilall_.-- Ah, a brilliant notion! I am daily in need of -money. Does commerce flourish in the bazar, or does it grow in -an office? Is it merely the buying and selling that goes on in -a sweetmeat-maker's shop? My business will lack all importance -unless I am to be the chief agent of some English merchant. - -_Bancharam_.-- You need only sit at home on the _guddee_, -sir! The burden of business will devolve entirely upon us. A -Mr. John, a friend of one Mr. Butler, has but recently arrived -from England. You might make some arrangement with him and become -his agent: he is a very shrewd business man. - -_Thakchacha_.-- I shall be with you to help you, whether it be the -courts of law or the Treasury Office, or the police department, -or commerce. They none of them have any secrets for me: I know -all the ins and outs of them! My Shena also understands all these -matters. Ah, sir, it is a grief to me that my great capacity for -business has been lying dormant all this time! it has never been -roused into action or had full play. I am not the kind of man -to sit idle: if I find an enemy in my way, I promptly assault -him and put him to the rout. If I once put my hand to business -I shall get on like the famous Rustem Jol. - -_Matilall_.-- And who is Shena, Thakchacha? - -_Thakchacha_.-- Shena is your humble servant's wife. How can I -possibly extol her qualities adequately? Her beauty is as the -beauty of Zuleeka, and her understanding as that of an angel -of light. - -_Bancharam_.-- Enough of this talk for the present: let us get -to business. We shall have to advance Mr. John ten or fifteen -thousand rupees, but there need be no risk. I have arranged to -find this money by mortgaging the Kotalpore Taluk. I will deposit -the necessary deeds in Mr. Butler's office: the expense will -not be very great; it will come to between four and five hundred -rupees. Besides this, you have to give five hundred rupees to -the money-lender's _amlah_. Ah, those _amlahs_! they are our -mortal enemies: our enterprise may all come to nought if they -put any obstacle in our way. When we have smoothed away all the -preliminary difficulties, we shall find the auspices favourable for -our success. I am just going off to Calcutta with Thakchacha. I -have a variety of commissions to execute, and shall be in a -fever till I have finished them. Do you, sir, for your part, -ascertain from friend Tarka Siddhanta a propitious day for the -commencement of the enterprise, and then come at once; under the -auspices of Durga, to my house in Sonagaji. You will have to remain -a few days in Calcutta; but only a short time will elapse before, -like Chand Sadagar, you will return to Vaidyabati Ghât with -seven[48] vessels laden with wealth, drums beating, young men and -old men, women and children, as they gaze on the splendour of your -return, greeting you with blessings. Oh, may the day speedily dawn! - -Bancharam then proceeded on his way, and took Thakchacha with him. - -Matilall reported the whole of the conversation to his -companions. They danced with delight when they heard it. Want of -means had almost entirely put an end to their fun. Now there was -every chance of the treasury being replenished. Mangovinda at once -hurried off to the _tol_ of Tarka Siddhanta; he was puffing and -blowing with his exertions when he arrived there. Tarka Siddhanta -was a very old man. He was taking snuff, and alternately sneezing -and coughing; his pupils were ranged all round him; in front of -him lay a Sanscrit work written on a palm leaf. Every now and -then he would glance at the manuscript through his spectacles, -then give out a passage to his pupils and explain it to them. The -cow of the establishment had not had its rack supplied, there -being a scarcity of straw, and it lowed continuously. From -inside the house the wife of the old pandit was screaming: "The -old man is rapidly losing his wits: he does nothing, all day and -all night but mind his books: he never once turns his attention -to household matters." His pupils, hearing all this, nudged each -other and winked. Tarka Siddhanta flew into a towering rage, and -taking hold of a stick, with which to keep the old women quiet, -was just getting up very slowly and deliberately, when suddenly -Mangovinda caught hold of him, and said: "Oh, Tarka Siddhanta, -respected sir! we are all going into trade. Do ascertain for us an -auspicious day." Tarka Siddhanta got up in great wrath, his face -distorted with passion. "A curse light upon you and your trade; -could you find no other time but when I had just risen from my -seat, to call me behind my back[49]? So you will go into trade, -eh? May you and your father's house come to ruin, bad luck to -you. You want to know what day will be auspicious, eh? When you -cease vexing people as you do, they will have their _Ganga Snan_ -in peace. Off, away with you this minute! The day you clear out -of this will be the auspicious day." Somewhat disconcerted by -the old man's abuse, Mangovinda went and told his companions that -the next day would be auspicious. - -Sounds of preparation straightway arose, and there was all the -bustle that attends arrangements for a festival: it was the -_Udjog Parba_ over again. While one of the party fixed the wire -for playing the _sitar_ on his fore-finger, another tested the -_baya_, tapping it to see whether it had any pitch or not: another -examined the _tabala_: another tightened the rings round the drums: -another put resin on a fiddle and tested the strings: another -packed up the clothes: another prepared small parcels of tobacco, -_ganja_ and other stimulants, along with bundles of firewood: -another selected, with great care, balls of opium and sweetmeats: -another examined the different purchases to see whether they were -of correct weight. All day and all night the bustle and noise -of preparation went on without any diminution. It had got about -in the village that the young Babus were about to go into trade, -and next day, when all the shopkeepers of the place, the poorer -sort of people, and the beggars and loafers, were out in the -roads looking out for them to pass, they came swaggering down to -the _ghât_, like so many wild elephants. There were a number of -pandits at the _ghât_ engaged in their early morning devotions: -hearing the stir and bustle, they looked behind them, and at -once shook with fright. Seeing them so terrified, the Babus only -jeered at them and laughed. Then they showered upon them Ganges -mud and brick-bats, and insulted them generally, and the Brahmans, -interrupted in this rude way at their devotions, went their way, -calling upon Krishna in their distress. The young men having -embarked on board a boat, all caught up a popular love-song, -screaming it out at the top of their voices. The boat glided -quickly down stream on the ebb. The Babus could not keep still -for a moment; one would get on the deck of the cabin; another -would work the rudder; one would pull an oar, and another strike a -light with a flint. They had not gone very far when they met with -Dhanamala. Now Dhanamala never cared what he said to any one: he -called out to them: "Having reduced a whole village to ashes, are -you now going to set the Ganges on fire?" To which they angrily -replied: "Shut up, you idiot! Do you not know that we are all -going into business?" Dhanamala's only answer to this was:-- -"If you ever become traders, may your business come to grief! -may it perish with a halter on its neck!" - - -CHAPTER XXIII. MATILALL AT SONAGAJI. - -AT Sonagaji there was a Mahommedan mosque: it had long since -become the abode of ghosts, and was everywhere covered with lichen, -while jungle crows and mynahs had built their nests in different -parts of it. These were now bringing food to their young ones, -who were chirping merrily. The mosque had been left unrepaired for -many a long day: the only sounds heard there at nightfall were -the cries of jackals and the howling of dogs: no one remembered -having ever seen a light in any part of it. - -Near this ruin a village teacher used to instruct some of the -village children, whose necks were generally enveloped in woollen -comforters; and whatever the extent of the education they were -receiving, they were at least frightened put of their lives by the -sound of the cane. It was only necessary for a boy to lift his eyes -off his book, or to eat something out of his lap, for the stick to -fall at once with a whack on his shoulders. It is a human failing -for a man armed with authority in any matter, to think that he must -constantly display that authority in various ways lest his dignity -should suffer; and so it was that the old village school-master -loved to collect a crowd round him, in order to make a display -of his sovereignty. When he saw people going by, he would look -in their direction and raise his voice to its highest pitch, -and then, if a crowd collected, his self-importance increased -till there was no limit to it: no wonder therefore that there -was a very heavy punishment for any trifling fault on the part -of the boys. A village school under such a master pretty nearly -resembles the Hall of Yama. Besides the constant sounds of slapping -and screaming, and cries of "_Oh Guru Mahashay! Guru Mahashay!_ -your pupil is present," one boy will get his nose tweaked, another -his ear pulled, another will have to carry a brick in one hand, -another will be caned, another may be strung up by his thumbs, -while a stinging nettle will be applied to another: some form of -punishment or other is continually in force[50]. The honour and -glory of Sonagaji used to be kept up solely by the village -school-master whom I have mentioned. Just on the outskirts of the -village, a few beggars, who had been at it all day long, used to -congregate in the evening, wearied by their day's labour, and lie -down, singing snatches of songs softly to themselves. - -Such was Sonagaji. Since Matilall's auspicious arrival, however, -the destiny of the place had undergone a revolution: there was -all the stir and bustle attending a great man's movements: the -air was full of the prancing of horses, the loud beating of drums: -there was an eternal munching of delicate sweetmeats: feasting and -revelry went on unceasingly by night and by day, and the people -of the place began to prostrate themselves before the great man. - -It is very difficult to know Calcutta people well: to the -outer world, many of them appear all that is respectable, like -mangoes with a fair outside. They can assume a vast variety of -characters. Money is at the bottom of all this: where that is -in question, countless are the shifts and turns resorted to. -Man's nature is so frail that he worships wealth out of all -proportion to its worth. People make herculean efforts to become -recipients of the favour of any man reputed to be wealthy; and -whatever may be necessary for them to say or to do to accomplish -their object, there are no shortcomings on their part. - -People of all grades took to visiting Matilall. Now there are -some men, like the Brahmans of Ula, who at once go to the point -with unblushing frankness, so that there is no mistaking their -meaning. Others, again, like the good people of Krishnaghar, expend -much ingenuity in embroidering their remarks, and only after a -good deal of beating about the bush will they introduce the real -object of their visit, and then very delicately. Others, like our -friends of Eastern Bengal, are very careful and deliberate in their -procedure: they at first assume an appearance of indifference and -disinterestedness, plunging their real object deep in the Dvaipara -Lake, and when after a long interval their special intention is -revealed, it turns out that the real object of all their coming and -going was after all a pecuniary one,-- some present or other that -might hereafter be exchanged for cash. Matilall had only to sigh, -and the visitor with him at the time would snap his fingers, by -way of warding off the evil omen: if he but sneezed, his visitor -would say: "May your life be prolonged." If Matilall called for a -servant, the sycophant would scream out: "Ho there! Ho there!" and -in answer to every remark of Matilall's, no matter what it was, -he would say: "Whatever your honour says must be right." - -From early dawn till long after midnight people crowded about -Matilall: every single moment of the day they were either coming or -going: the staircase leading to his reception-room was constantly -creaking beneath the heavy tramp of their shoes. Every moment fresh -supplies of tobacco were arriving; smoke issued from the room at -all times as from the funnel of a steam ship: the servants were -so terribly worried, they were at their wits end. Night and day, -in one continuous succession, dancing, music and all sorts of -boisterous fun were kept up. - -The dignity of the village school-master was quite eclipsed -by all this stir: till now he had been the turkey-cock; now he -had become but the tiny tailor-bird. There would be a good deal -of noise at times when he was teaching his boys, and Matilall, -hearing this one day, said to his companions:-- "Why is that idiot -making so much noise? I escaped in boyhood from the annoyance -of a school-master: why must have I another near me now? Away -with him quickly." The young Babus taking the hint, very soon -brought about the disappearance of the village school-master from -the scene by the simple expedient of throwing brickbats at him; -and the village school was in consequence broken up. The boys of -the school, thinking it a happy release, took up their bundles -of palm leaves, and having ridiculed their old school-master to -their heart's content, ran breathlessly home. - -Just about this time, Mr. John opened his house of business: the -firm was known as John and Company. Matilall was the chief agent -of the house, Bancharam and Thakchacha managers. The Saheb showed -great attention to his chief agent for the sake of his money, -and the chief agent for his part would pay occasional visits to -the office with his companions. He generally came about three or -four in the afternoon, chewing _pán_, his eyes red and inflamed, -and after walking about and prying into everything, would go -home again. The Saheb had not a pice to his name, and depended -entirely upon Mr. Butler for his support: but he rented a house -in Chowringhee, and filled it with a great variety of furniture -and pictures: he also bought splendid carriages, fine horses -and dogs, all on credit, and amused himself training and running -race-horses. Later on he married, and frequented the best society -of the place, wearing a gold chain and a diamond ring. Seeing all -this display, many people were firmly persuaded that Mr. John -was a wealthy man, and had no hesitation in having monetary -transactions with him; but a few persons, of higher intelligence, -knowing the real state of his affairs, were more cautious, and -would have nothing to say to him. Many of the Calcutta merchants -get their living by brokerage: they may be either freight brokers, -or they may buy and sell Government paper or goods generally, their -commission being several rupees in every hundred. Many others, -acquainting themselves with the market prices current in Calcutta -and elsewhere, do affairs on their own account; but to manage -this, they must have already learned the details of business, -as otherwise their business cannot prosper. Mr. John had no -capacity for business at all: he was persuaded that he only had -to purchase goods to dispose of them at a profit: as a matter of -fact, his only object was to enjoy himself and play the rich man -at the expense of others. He thought trade a very simple thing: -he only had to fire enough bullets, and game was sure to fall to -one or other. - -The chief agent was even worse in this respect than the Saheb: -he was blankly ignorant, without any education to speak of, and -understanding nothing whatever of accounts: consequently, to do -business with him was so much lost labour. _Mahajans_, brokers, -and shopkeepers were continually going to him with patterns of -their goods, informing him of the fluctuations in prices, and -giving him the latest market intelligence: all the time they -were talking business, he would be gazing vacantly about him, -completely at sea. He never answered any of their questions, -doubtless for fear that anything he might say would betray his -ignorance: he would refer them to Bancharam and Thakchacha. - -There were a few clerks in the office, who kept all the accounts -in English. Matilall having one day expressed a wish to have a -thorough examination of the English cash-book, had it fetched for -this purpose by one of the clerks, then having just looked into it -casually, shoved it aside. He generally occupied a room below the -office: this being rather damp, the cash-book, having been kept -there over a month, soon got completely ruined. The young Babus -too used to tear leaves out of it and twist them up into spills -for daily use; and very soon they were all used up in this way, -the cover only remaining. When search was afterwards made for it, -it was found to be the mere shadow of its former self: it was -reduced to a mere skeleton,-- bones and hide, as the saying is, -sacrificed in the service of others. - -Mr. John bewailed and lamented the loss of his cash-book, -but kept his grief locked in his own breast. He exercised no -discrimination in the purchases he made, when he began to export -largely to England and to other countries, and took no trouble to -find out the real cost of the goods, or what would be the margin -of profit. Bancharam and Thakchacha saw their opportunity, and -made many a successful stroke of business for themselves: they -soon waxed fat on their gains[51]. A small draught is never -sufficient to relieve great thirst. These two, as they sat -together in secret consultation, had only one object in view, -and that was to increase their gains by every possible means in -their power. They well knew that the opportunity would never recur -again. The springtide of their gains would soon pass, and the -winter of want might come: no time like the present. - -Within a year or two, very bad news arrived of the sale of the -goods: instead of a profit there would be a loss, which Mr. John, -to his confusion and dismay, estimated at a lakh of rupees. He had -himself been spending nearly a thousand rupees a month, and was -besides heavily in debt to several banks and money-lenders. For -some months past, indeed, the firm had only been kept going by -a variety of shifts: now the fair bark of outward respectability -was altogether swamped. It was impossible to keep up appearances -any longer, and it soon became notorious that John and Company -had failed. The Saheb went off with his wife to Chandernagore, -a place under French rule, to which, even to this day, debtors -and criminals betake themselves to escape imprisonment. The -money lenders and other creditors thereupon came down upon -Matilall. Look where he would, Matilall could see no way out -of his difficulties: he had not a single pice he could call his -own: he had been living entirely on credit. He could come to no -decision one way or the other at this juncture. He was constantly -on the look out for a visit from Bancharam Babu or Thakchacha, -but "confidence in a dear friend is as a knife in the left hand" -says an old proverb: it was idle to look for any aid from them: -they had vanished before the smash. - -When the creditors were referred to them they only answered that -all the accounts were in Mati Babu's name: they had had no dealings -with the others, regarding them as agents only. Owing to all this -confusion in his affairs, Matilall fled one night in disguise -with his companions to Vaidyabati. The people of that place, -when the news reached them of the outcome of Matilall's trade -enterprises, all clapped their hands, and cried: "This is grand -news: there is still justice on the earth[52]: what meaning would -the terms right and wrong have, if such a fate had not befallen -so wicked a man,-- a man who has cheated mother, brother, and -sister,-- a man to whom no sinful action has come amiss?" - -It so chanced that Premnarayan Mozoomdar was bathing the next -day at the Vaidyabati Ghât: seeing Tarka Siddhanta there, he -remarked to him: "Those wretched fellows, after having squandered -all their substance, have had to take to flight, to escape a -warrant for their apprehension, and have returned here: they are -not ashamed to appear in public again. A fine instrument for the -ruin of his family has Baburam bequeathed to the world." Tarka -Siddhanta replied: "The village has been tranquil all the time -those boys have been away: alas! that they should have returned -at all. Had mother Ganga only shown us a little favour, how -happy we might have been!" Several other Brahmans were bathing -at the ghât at the same time: their teeth began to chatter in -terror when they heard the news of the return of the young Babus, -and they thought to themselves:-- "Henceforth we may expect to -have to confide into Sri Krishna's keeping our daily ablutions -and devotions." Some small shopkeepers, as they looked towards -the _ghât_ said:-- "Ah sir! we heard that drums would beat when -Mati Babu returned with his seven ships laden with treasure: -yet we cannot see so much as a fisherman's dinghy approaching -let alone a cargo-boat." Premnarayan replied:-- "Do not be -anxious; Mati Babu, like Srimanta Saudagor[53], has obtained a -place of temporary retirement, because of the difficulties caused -by Kamala Kamini. Is not the Babu a very estimable person? Is he -not the chosen son of the fair Lakshmi! His dinghies, his -cargo-boats, and his ships will soon appear, and you will hear the -sound of the drums, while preparing your parched rice and pulse." - - -CHAPTER XXIV. THAKCHACHA APPREHENDED. - -THE morning breeze was blowing softly: the _champac_, the -_sephalika_, and the _mallika_ were diffusing sweet odours -abroad: birds were chirping merrily. Beni Babu had taken Barada -Babu home with him to his house in Ghatak, and was engaged in -converse with him, when suddenly to the south of where they were, -the dogs began to bark violently, and some boys came laughing -loudly along the road. During a temporary lull, they heard the -charming accents of a nasal voice, expostulating with the boys, -and singing a Vaishnava song:-- - -"In Brindabun's woods, and the sweet-scented bowers -"Of Brindabun's maidens, O waste not your hours." - -Rising from their seats, Beni Babu and Barada Babu saw that it -was Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar who had just arrived: he was rapt -in his song, and was snapping his fingers by way of accompaniment: -dogs were barking about him, and boys laughing derisively, and the -man of Bow Bazar had been angrily expostulating with them. Beni -Babu and Barada Babu greeted him very courteously and invited him -to be seated. When they had enquired after each other's welfare, -Becharam Babu, putting his hand on Barada Babu's shoulder, said to -him:-- "My good friend, I have seen a great many people in my day -since I was a boy, and many of them possessed of good qualities, -but after all I can only regard them as moderately good, their -standard little above the average. Be that as it may, I have never -seen anyone with modesty, sincerity, moral courage, simplicity and -straightforwardness, equal to yours. I am somewhat modest myself; -but still there are occasions when my pride manifests itself: -the sight of another man's pride is sufficient to evoke it, and -with the manifestation of my pride my anger rises, and my pride -is increased still more by my anger. I can never abate a jot of -my claims on others. I always say what comes uppermost in my mind, -but to tell you the truth, I am never sincere enough to be willing -to acknowledge openly any mean action I may have been guilty of, -for I always fear that I may have to endure mortification, if -I acknowledge the truth. I have a very limited amount of moral -courage: I may be convinced in my own mind that I ought to take a -particular course, but I lack the moral courage to act uniformly -up to my convictions. I find it very difficult, too, to maintain -a straightforward attitude in dealing with others. True, I am -aware that a man should always exert himself for the welfare of -mankind, but I find it very hard to carry the conviction into -actual practice. It is only necessary for a man to speak harshly -to me for me to lose all respect for him, and to regard him as -utterly beneath contempt. Now a man may have done you an actual -injury, but your feelings towards him are still sincere and kind. I -mean to say, that you would never think of doing him an injury, -but on the contrary a kindness; and even abuse does not make you -angry. Can qualities such as these be considered trifling?" - -_Barada_.-- Any man who loves another sees nothing but good -in him, whereas a man who cannot know another intimately -only misinterprets his conduct. It is pure kindness on your -part to speak as you have of me: it cannot be owing to my own -qualities. It is well-nigh an impossibility for man to maintain -a mind that shall be simple and honest at all times, in all -respects, and towards all men. Our minds are full of passion, -envy, malice, and pride, and is it an easy task to hold all these -in restraint? If one's character is to be simple and unaffected, -humility is the one thing necessary. Some persons display a mock -modesty: some are made humble by fear, others by trouble and -misfortune. Humility of this kind is but transient. If humility -is to be an enduring and permanent quality, such sentiments as -these should be firmly fixed in our minds. Our Creator, He is -all-powerful, omniscient, without spot, or stain: ourselves, we -are here to-day, gone to-morrow. Our strength, what is it? Our -learning, what is it? Every moment of our lives we are subject -to error, evil thoughts and evil deeds: where then is the ground -for pride? Such humility as this being implanted in the mind, -passion, envy, malice, and pride, all are dwarfed, and the mind -becomes simple and sincere. Where this is the case, we derive -no pleasure from a display of our own learning or intelligence, -our own pride of wealth or place, which can only anger others; -neither is our envy excited by the sight of the prosperity of -others. We have no desire, either to abuse others, or to think -meanly of them neither does an injury we may have received from -another arouse our anger, or hatred against him. Our thoughts are -directed solely to the purification of our own minds, or to other's -welfare. But much harsh self-discipline is necessary before this -result can be attained. It is wonderful, the pride that springs -up in the mind of the man possessed of but a modicum of wit: his -own words, his own deeds, stand forth, in the estimation of such -a man, as superior to those of all others; nothing that others -may say or do is worthy of the slightest attention on his part. - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, my dear friend, how it refreshes me to hear you -talk! I have been all along wishing to have such an opportunity. - -Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the harried arrival -of Premanarayan Mozoomdar, with the news that the Calcutta police -had apprehended Thakchacha and taken him off to prison. Becharam -Babu was immensely delighted when he heard the news, and exclaimed: -"This is indeed good news to me." Barada Babu was astounded, and -fell into deep thought. Becharam Babu said to him: "Why are you -so deep in thought? Why, there is nobody I know who would not be -delighted if so wicked a man were to be transported." - -_Barada_.-- What grieves me is the thought that the man from -his youth upwards should have done evil and not good. Besides, -there is his family to think of: they will die of starvation if -he is put in chains. - -_Becharam_.-- Ah, my good friend! why do people reverence you -but for all your qualities? Thakchacha never lost an opportunity -of maligning and injuring you: he never ceased insulting and -abusing you. Why, it was he who fabricated that charge of illegal -confinement and assault against you, and he made every effort -to press the charge home by means of forgery. And yet there is -not a trace of anger or enmity in your mind against him on that -account. The very meaning of retaliation is unknown to you. Your -idea of retaliation was to restore him and his family to health -again when they fell sick, by administering medicines, and by -unremitting attention on your part; and even now all your anxiety -is for his family. Ah, my dear friend, you may be a Kayasth in -caste, but I should be willing to take the dust off the feet of -such a Kayasth and put it on my head! - -_Barada_.-- Do not, sir, I pray you, talk like this to me. I am -contemptible, and of no reputation amongst men, and am in no way -worthy of your praise. Ah, sir! if you keep on saying this to me, -my pride will increase. - -Meanwhile, in Vaidyabati, a police sergeant, some constables, -and an inspector, were hurrying Thakchacha, his arms tied behind -his back, away to prison. A great crowd had collected in the -streets. One man said, quoting an old proverb:-- "As the deed, -so the fruit." Another man exclaimed:-- "We shall never have any -peace until the wretch is put on boardship and transported." While -another remarked:-- "My only fear is that he may after all get -off, and become as mischievous as ever." - -As, with head bent low, beard fluttering in the breeze, and eyes -glaring, Thakchacha was going along with the police, he quietly -offered the sergeant half a rupee to loose his bonds: the sergeant -had a capacious paunch, and at once tossed the half rupee away -in contempt. Thakchacha then said to him: "Take me for a short -time to Mati Babu: get him to give bail: let me go for a day only, -I will put an appearance to-morrow." The sergeant only replied: -"You jabbering idiot: you will get a smack on the face, if you -speak to me again." Thakchacha then folded his hands in humble -supplication before the sergeant, and begged and prayed to be let -off. The sergeant refused to listen to him, and put him into a -boat; About four o'clock in the afternoon he arrived with him at -the police court; but as the police magistrate had left the court -by that time, Thakchacha had to spend the night in the lock-up. - -Matilall, when he heard of the evil plight of Thakchacha, became -very anxious for himself. He dreaded the fall of the thunderbolt -in his direction. Thakchacha having been caught, his turn he -thought was safe to come next: the whole affair, he imagined, was -connected with John Company, but anyhow extreme caution on his -part was necessary. Acting upon this determination, he fastened -the main door of the house very securely. Ramgovinda said to him: -"Thakchacha has been apprehended, sir, on a charge of forgery: -if there had been a warrant out against you, your house would -have been surrounded long ago: why entertain such causeless -alarm?" Matilall replied. "Ah! none of you understand: unluckily -for me misfortunes are cropping up all round me: as the old proverb -has it, 'The burnt _shal_ fish has slipped out of my hands.' If I -can only get through to-day somehow or other, I will go off the -first thing to-morrow to my estates in the Jessore district. It -is not safe for me to remain at home any longer: I am encompassed -with portents, obstacles, fears, and misfortunes of every kind, -and besides all this my money is all gone, my hand is mere dust." - -Just as he had finished speaking, there was a loud knocking at -the door, and somebody shouted out: "Open the door, friend! Ho -there! Is there anybody there?" Matilall said very quietly: -"Hush! just what I expected has happened." Mangovinda peeped out -from above, and saw a messenger pushing away at the door: he went -quietly to Matilall and said to him: "It is high time for you -to be off, sir! you had better get away at once; I rather fancy -that a second warrant has come in connection with Thakchacha's -case. Who can foresee the end of a spark of fire? If you can find -no other deserted spot, go and get into the dirty tank at the -back door, and stand like a pillar in the middle, as did King -Durryodhan." Dolgovinda said: "Why anticipate evil? why swamp -the boat at the first sight of waves? Find out the true state of -affairs first: if you wait a second I will make enquiries." Saying -this, he called out: "Ho there! you messenger! from what court -have you come?" The messenger replied, "Sir, I have brought a -letter from Mr. John," and saying, "Here, take the letter!" he -threw it up to them. They all shouted "Aha! we are saved! we -breathe again!" Then Haladhar and Gadadhar, who were behind the -others, caught up the refrain:-- "Protect us, O Lord, in this -world." The news to the young Babus was like an autumn cloud: -it was rain, it was sun, it was warmth, it was joy. Matilall -enjoined them to be quiet a little and asked for the letter, -telling them that it was possible that some other opportunity for -trade might be presenting itself. When he had opened the letter, -the young Babus all stooped over him: there were a good many heads -collected together, but not an atom of learning amongst the lot -of them: reading the letter was a sore trial to them. At last -they had a man called from the house of a neighbour of theirs, -a Kayasth, and they ascertained the substance of the letter to be -that Mr. John was almost starving, and that he was very badly in -want of money. Mangovinda remarked:-- "What a shameless wretch! So -much money already thrown into the deep on his account, and yet he -does not leave us alone; I like his impudence!" Dolgovinda said: -"It is a very good thing to have an Englishman in our power, -for their luck is sure to turn[54]: there are times when a handful -of mud in their hands may become a handful of gold." Matilall -said to them: "Why are you chattering like this? You may cut -me up and not find any blood in me: you may whittle me away, -and get no flesh off me." - -One evening, about this time, Becharam Babu, having crossed over -from Bally, was proceeding along in a northerly direction in a -_gharry_. He was singing a song, the refrain of which was-- - -"Mahadev! thou, by thy great might, -"Upholdest, all things day and night." - -Bancharam Babu was driving his buggy from a southerly direction: -when the two were alongside each other, they both peeped out to -see who was passing. As soon as Bancharam caught the outline of -Becharam's figure, he whipped up his horse. Becharam thereupon, -holding the door of his _gharry_ tight with his hand, put his head -hurriedly out of the window and shouted out: "Ho! Bancharam! Ho -Bancharam!" Upon this summons, the buggy was brought to a stop, and -the _gharry_ drew up to it with many a creak and a groan. Becharam -Babu then said to Bancharam: "Aha, Bancharam! you are indeed a -lucky fellow! The vessel of your gains is like Ravan's funeral -pile, ever blazing[55]. At one stroke you have successfully carried -out your trade ventures. Your friend and ally, Thakchacha, is -now ruined; and I fancy that even out of that circumstance some -trifling gain will accrue to you, perhaps the price of a goat's -head. But you have only worked your own future ruin by all your -_vakeel's_ practices and stratagems; Has this thought, that you -must die some time or other, never occurred to you?" Bancharam -Babu was exceedingly angry at all this: he frowned and bit his -moustache in his vexation, and venting his rage on his horse's -back, drove away. - - -CHAPTER XXV. MATILALL IN JESSORE. - -THE _taluk_ that belonged to Baburam Babu in Jessore had been more -profitable to him than all his other estates. At the time of the -Permanent Settlement the land on that portion of the property had -been mostly uncultivated, and the rent of it had been fixed at -one rate; but once under tillage, it became very productive and -was let out in fields: in fact it proved so fertile that hardly -any portion of it remained common land or waste. - -At one period the ryots, after cultivating it for some time, -used to make large profits by a succession of crops of different -sorts, but they were now in a very bad way, owing to oppression -on the part of the proprietor of the estate, acting entirely on -Thakchacha's advice. Many of the _lakherajdars_, finding that -their lands had been included in the estates of the zemindar, -and not having any proofs of possession, came now and again -to give their customary offerings to the zemindar, and then -gradually left the estate altogether. Many of the headmen of the -different villages, too, finding themselves disturbed in their -possession by forgeries and oppression, abandoned their rights -to their own lands, without getting any compensation, and fled -to other estates. So it came about that for a space of two or -three years the income of the _taluk_ had considerably increased, -and Thakchacha would remark to Baburam in a swaggering tone: "See -how great my power is!" But, says the old Sanscrit proverb;-- -"The course of virtue is a very delicate thing." Within a very -short time, many of the ryots, alarmed at the state of affairs, -left the estates, taking with them their draught cattle and their -seed-grain, and it became very difficult to let their land: they -were all afraid that the proprietor would, either by force or by -craft, seize upon the little profits they might make, and that the -toil and labour of cultivation would be carried on at the risk of -their lives: what was the use then, they argued, of remaining any -longer on the estate? The _naib_ of the estate, for all his soft -language and insinuating address, could not succeed in calming them -down. So it was that a good deal of land remained unlet, and nobody -could be found willing to take it even at a low rent: much less -would anyone take it at a fixed permanent rent. The proprietor -had now some difficulty in raising the revenue from it when he -took it into his own hands, and paid labourers to cultivate it. -The _naib_ kept the proprietor constantly informed of the state -of affairs, and he would write back the customary reply;-- "If -the revenue is not collected, as it always has been hitherto, -you will have to starve, and no excuse will be attended to." Now -there are times when severity, under special circumstances, -may be of avail; but what can it profit when misfortunes have -occurred entirely beyond its reach? In this dilemma, the _naib_ -went about his duties, anxious and perplexed. Meanwhile, as -the revenue had fallen into arrears for some two or three years -past, an order was issued for a sale of the property; in order to -save his property, Baburam Babu had paid the Government revenue, -borrowing money by a mortgage upon the land. - -Matilall now came and took up his abode on this estate, accompanied -by his band of boon companions. His intention had been to get all -the money he could out of the _taluk_ to pay off his debts with, -and so keep up his state and dignity. The Babu had never seen a -paper connected with estate management, and was entirely ignorant -of the ordinary terms used in keeping estate accounts. When the -_naib_ said to him one day: "Just look, sir, for a moment at these -different heads of the records;" he would not even glance at the -papers, but gazed vacantly in the direction of a tree near the -office. On another occasion, the _naib_ said to him: "Sir, there -are so many Khodkast and so many Paikast tenants." "Don't talk to -me," said the Babu, "of Khodkast and Paikast, I will make them all -Ek-kast[56]." When the tenants heard of the arrival of the -proprietor of the estate at his head-quarters, they were delighted, -and said to each other: "Ah, now that that old wretch of a -Mussulman has gone, our destiny after all these days has changed -its course!" And so these poor empty-handed, empty-stomached and -poverty-stricken tenants came with joyous and confident faces, -to offer him the customary gifts, making profound obeisance the -while. Matilall, enraptured by the jingling sound of the silver, -smiled softly to himself. Then the ryots, seeing the Babu so happy -and cheerful, began to shout out their various grievances. "Somebody -has removed my boundary mark, and ploughed up my land," said -one. "Somebody has put his own pots on my date palm, and stolen all -my toddy," said another. "Somebody has loosed his cattle into my -garden," exclaimed another, "and they have done a lot of damage -in it." "My grain has all been eaten up by somebody or other's -ducks," cried another. Another said, "I have brought back the -money I borrowed upon a promissory note; please give me my bond -back." "I have cut down and sold some _babul_ trees" said another, -"and as I wish to repair my house, please pass an order to have -the fourth part of the price remitted to me." Another said, "My -land has not been properly made over to me yet: the old tenant's -name has not been cut out of the deed: I shall be unable to give -the customary offering till this is done." And another cried out, -"The present measurement of the land in my occupation is short: -allow me to pay rent in proportion, or else let another measurement -be made." Such were some of the grievances the ryots gave vent to, -but Matilall, not understanding in the least their purport, remained -sitting like a painted doll. The young Babus, his companions, made -fan of the strange sounds, which they had never heard the like of -before, and made the office ring with their laughter, striking up -a song the refrain of which ran:-- - -"A bird is soaring in the air: -"Oh, let me count its feathers rare!" - -The _naib_ was like a log, and the ryots sat round in utter -dejection, resting their heads on their hands. Where the master is -a competent man, there is not much chance of the servant carrying -on his tricks. The _naib_, seeing how utterly dense Matilall was, -soon began to show himself in his true colours. The proprietor -being altogether incompetent to enter into the numerous cases -that had come before him, his agent threw dust in his eyes, to -effect his own ends; and the ryots soon got to know that to have -an interview with the Babu was a mere waste of breath. The _naib_ -was wholly master. - -The high-handedness of the indigo planters of Jessore had greatly -increased at this time. The ryots had no mind to sow indigo, -as more profit was to be got out of rice and other crops, and -besides, any of them who chanced to go to an indigo factory to get -an advance, was ruined once for all. True, the ryots cultivating -indigo at their own risk might clear off the advances made to them, -but their accounts would go hanging on and increase, yearly and the -maw of the planter's _gomashtha_, and the other people about the -factory, was never satisfied with a little. Any ryot therefore who -had once drank of the sweet waters of an advance from the factory, -never, to the end of his life, got out of its power. But it would -be a heavy calamity to the planter if his indigo were not ready: -the working expenses of the factory were annually advanced by one -or other of the merchant firms in Calcutta, and if his wares were -not forthcoming, his expenses would be very largely increased: -the factory might even have to be closed, and the planter be -compelled to retire from the concern. These English managers -might be very ordinary sort of people in their own country, but -at their factories they lorded it like kings. Their great fear -was lest obstacles should be put in the way of the working of -their concerns, and they, in consequence, should become as mean -as mice[58] again: naturally, therefore, they exerted themselves to -the utmost, by all the means in their power and at all seasons, -to have their indigo ready in time. - -One day, Matilall was amusing himself with his companions. The -_naib_, with spectacles on his nose, had just opened his office, -and was busily engaged in writing, drying the ink on his papers -with lime, when suddenly some ryots came running up, shouting: -"Sir! those brutes from the factory have ruined us entirely! the -manager has come on our land in person, and is now ploughing -over some of our sown lands, and he has taken off our draught -cattle. Oh sir! the brute is not content with destroying all -our seed, he must needs too have his barrows drawn over our ripe -paddy." The _naib_ at once assembled about a hundred _paiks_, and, -hurrying off to the scene, saw the planter, with his sun-helmet on -his head, a cheroot in his mouth, and a gun in his hand, standing -there, and, urging on his men. Upon the _naib_ approaching him, -and gently remonstrating, the planter only called out to his men: -"Drive them all off, and beat them well." The men on both sides -thereupon wielded their clubs, and the planter himself hurried -forward, quite prepared to fire. The _naib_ slipped off, and -concealed himself in a hedge of wild cotton. After the fight had -lasted a considerable time, the zemindars' people fled, some of -them badly wounded. The planter, after this exhibition of his -might went off to his factory in great glee, while the ryots -returned to their homes, crying out for justice, and exclaiming, -amid their tears: "We are ruined: we are utterly undone." The -indigo planter proceeded home to his factory after the row, -his dog running before him and playing, poured himself out some -brandy and soda, and drank it, whistling the while, and singing --- "Taza ba Taza". He knew that it was hard to control him; -the magistrate and the judge constantly dined at his house, -and the police and the people about the courts held him in great -awe because of his associating so much with them! Besides even if -there was any investigation made, in a case of homicide, his trial -could not take place in the Mofussil courts. Any black people -accused of homicide or any other great offence, would always be -tried and sentenced in the local courts; whereas any white man -accused of such offences would be sent up to the Supreme Court; in -which case the witnesses or complainants in the case being quite -helpless owing to the expense, trouble, and loss their business -that would be entailed, would fail to put to in an appearance; -and naturally, when the cases against such persons came on for -trial at the High Court, they would be dismissed. - -It happened just as the indigo planter had anticipated. Early next -morning the police inspector came and surrounded the zemindar's -offices. Weakness is a great calamity: in the presence of a -man of might, the poor man is powerless. When Matilall saw the -state of affairs, he withdrew inside his house, and secured the -doors. The _naib_ then approached the inspector, and having -arranged matters by a heavy bribe, got most of the prisoners -set free. The inspector had been blustering loudly, but as soon -as he received the money, it was as though water had fallen on -fire: having completed his investigation, he made a report to the -magistrate, exonerating both parties -- actuated on the one hand -by avarice, on the other by fear. The planter was at the same time -busily engaged in arranging the affair, and the magistrate for -his part was firmly convinced that the indigo planter, being an -Englishman, and a Christian to boot, would never do what was wrong; -it was only the black folk who did all the mischief. This was an -opportunity the _sheristadar_ and the _peshkar_ did not neglect: -they took a heavy bribe from the indigo planter, and suppressing -the depositions of the opposite party, read only the depositions -of the party they favoured themselves: thus by very delicate -and skilful manoeuvring, they succeeded in their object. The -indigo planter seized the opportunity to address the court:-- -"Ever since I came to this place, I have been conferring endless -benefits on the Bengalis: I have spent a great deal upon their -education and upon medical treatment for them; how can such an -accusation be brought against me? The Bengalis are very ungrateful, -and very troublesome." The magistrate, having heard everything, -proceeded to tiffin: he drank a good deal of wine after tiffin, -and came into court again, smoking a cheroot. When the case came -on again, the magistrate looked at the papers before him as if they -had been so many tigers, evidently wishing to have nothing more to -do with, them, and said all at once to the _sheristadar_: "Dismiss -this case." The planter's face beamed again with delight, and he -glared at the _naib_, who went slowly away, his head bent low, -and his whole frame trembling, exclaiming as he went: "Ah, it has -become very difficult for Bengalis to retain their zemindaries! the -country has been ruined by the violence of the brutal planter: the -ryots are all calling out in fear for protection: the magistrates -are entirely under the influence of their own countrymen, and -the laws are so administered as to provide the indigo planter -with many paths of escape. People say that it is the oppression -of the zemindars that has ruined the ryot: that is a very great -error. The zemindars may oppress the ryot, but they do keep him -alive after their fashion: his ryots are to the zemindar his field -of _beguns_. Very different is the action of the indigo planter; -it does not much matter to him whether the ryots live or die: -all he cares about is to extend the cultivation of indigo: to -him the ryots are but a common field of roots." - - -CHAPTER XXVI. THAKCHACHA IN JAIL. - -SLEEP will never come when fear and anxiety have entered the -mind. Thakchacha was exceedingly uncomfortable in the lock-up: -he had thrown himself on a blanket, and was tossing restlessly -from side to side: now and again he got up to see what hour of -the night it was. Whenever he heard the sound of carriage-wheels, -or a voice, he imagined it must be daybreak: he kept getting -up in a hurry, and saying to the sepoy guard: "Friends, how far -advanced is the night?" They were very angry, and said to him: -"Ho, you there! the gun will not be fired for two or three hours -yet! Keep quiet now; why do you keep on disturbing us like this -every hour?" Thakchacha, at these words, began to toss about on -his blanket again. Conflicting emotions rose in his mind, and he -revolved a variety of plans: his reflections continually taking -this turn;-- "Why have I been so long conversant with craft and -trickery? Where is now the money that I have earned in this way? I -have nothing left of all my sinful gains. The only result, so far -as I can see, is that I got no sleep at night for fear of being -detected in some crime or other. I lived in constant terror: if -the leaves of a tree only shook, I imagined some one was coming -to apprehend me. How often did my sister-in-law's husband, -Khoda Buksh, warn me against all this trickery and craft! His -words to me were: 'It would be much better for you if you would -get your living by agriculture or trade or service: you can come -to no harm so long as you walk in the straight path: by such a -course you will keep body and mind alike in sound health.' And -Khoda Buksh, because he does himself walk thus, is happy. Alas -I why did I not listen to his words? How shall I find a release -from this present calamity? Unless I can secure a pleader or a -barrister, I shall never succeed in doing so. But if there is -no evidence against me, I cannot possibly be punished. How will -they find out where the forgery was committed, or who committed -it?" He was still revolving all these thoughts in his mind when -the day began to break, and then from sheer weariness he fell -asleep. Soon however he began to dream about his many misfortunes, -and to talk in his sleep. "Ah Bahulya! take care that no one -gets a glimpse of the pencil, the pen and the other instruments: -they are all in the tank in the house at Sialdah: they will be -quite safe there: be very careful now not to take them out again, -and get off yourself as soon as you can to Faridpore; I will meet -you there, when I have been set free." - -It was now morning, and the rays of the sun fell through the -venetians full on Thakchacha's beard. The _jemadar_ of the -lock-up had been standing near Thakchacha, and had heard all he -said. He now shouted: "Ho, you old rascal! what! have you been -asleep all this time? Get up, you have revealed all your secrets -yourself." Thakchacha got up in a great flurry, and rubbing his -eyes, his nose, and his beard with his hand, commenced repeating -his prayers: and again, he looked at the _jemadar_ with eyes -half-open, and then closed again. The _jemadar_ frowned, and said: -"You are a fine hypocrite, you are! sitting there with a whole -sack of virtue! Well, well! your virtue will be fully manifest -when we have taken the instruments out of the tank at Sialdah." At -these words Thakchacha trembled all over like a plantain leaf, -and said: "Ah, sir! I have a heavy fever on me; hence the lies -I told in my sleep." "Well," replied the _jemadar_, "we shall soon -know the meaning of all you have said: get ready at once." With -these words, he departed. - -As soon as it struck ten, the officers of the court took Thakchacha -and the other accused into court. Bancharam had been walking up -and down the police court with Mr. Butler, long before nine. He -was thinking -- "If we can only get Thakchacha off this time, -we may still secure a good deal of business through his agency: -he is an extremely useful person in many ways, through his -power of talking people over, and his special knowledge and -experience in every kind of business, legal or otherwise; but I -have always for myself acted, on the principle;-- 'No rupees, -no investigation' I cannot, as the saying is, 'drive away the -wild buffalo at my own expense;' and again, as another saying has -it, 'I have sat down to dance, why then a veil?' Why conceal my -sentiments? Besides, Thakchacha has bled a good many people, what -harm then in bleeding him? But a good deal of skill is necessary -to get the flesh of a crow[59] to eat, and it will not be easy to -make anything out of so wary an individual as Thakchacha." Mr. -Butler, seeing Bancharam so absent-minded, asked him what he was -anxious about. Bancharam replied: "Ah, dear Saheb, I am thinking -how to get money to enter my house!" Mr. Butler, who had moved -away a little distance, exclaimed: "A capital idea, capital." - -As soon as he saw Thakchacha, Bancharam ran up to him, and -catching hold of his hands said to him, with tears in his eyes: -"Ah, what a misfortune this is! I sat up the whole of last night -in consequence of the bad news; not once did I close my eyes, -and after I had in a fashion performed my religious duties, I -slipped away before daylight, and brought the Saheb with me. But -why be afraid? Am I a mere child that you cannot trust me? A -man's life has many vicissitudes: moreover, it is the big tree[60] -that the storm strikes! But no investigation can be made, and -nothing done, unless money is forthcoming: I have none with me: -but if you would have some of your wife's heavy ornaments fetched, -business can proceed: only get off scot-free this time, and you -will get plenty of jewelry afterwards." It is very hard for a man -who has fallen into any misfortune to deliberate calmly. Thakchacha -at once wrote off a letter to his wife. Bancharam took the letter -and with a wink and a smile at Mr. Butler handed it to a messenger, -saying: "Run with all speed to Vaidyabati, get some heavy ornaments -from Thakchacha's wife, and return here or to the office in the -twinkling of an eye; and look you, be very careful how you bring -the ornaments! Look sharp, be off like a shot." The messenger -testily replied: "It is easier said than done, sir! I have to get -out of Calcutta first, then I have to get to Vaidyabati and then -find Thakchacha's wife. I shall have to wander and stumble about -in the dark, and besides, I have not yet had my bath, let alone -a morsel of food: how can I possibly get back to-day?" Bancharam -lost his temper and abused the man, saying: "The lower orders are -all alike: each acts as he thinks proper: courtesy is wasted upon -them: there is no hurrying them up without kicks and blows! People -can go as far as Delhi when they have an object in view: cannot -you then go as far as Vaidyabati, do your business, and come back -again? You know the proverb: 'A hint is sufficient for a wise man:' -now I have actually had to poke my finger into your eye, and yet -you have not had wit enough to see." The messenger hung his head -down, and without saying a word in reply, went slowly off like a -jaded horse, muttering as he went: "What have poor persons to do -with respect or disrespect? I most put up with it in order to live, -but when will the day arrive when the Babu will fall into the same -snare as Thakchacha? I know that he has ruined hundreds of people -and hundreds of homes, and hundreds he has rendered houseless and -destitute. Ah indeed, I have seen a good many attorneys' agents, -but never a match for this man! See the sort he is! a man who can -swear black is white, a man who can compass anything he likes by -his trickery and craft, and yet all the time keeps up his daily -religious duties, his Dol Jatra and his Durga Pujah, his alms to -the Brahmans and his devotions to his guardian deity! Bad luck -to such Hinduism as his, the unmitigated scoundrel!" - -Meanwhile Thakchacha, Bancharam and Mr. Butler had all taken -their seats: the case had not yet been called on, and their -impatience only increased with the delay. Just as it struck -five o'clock, Thakchacha was placed before the magistrate, and -soon saw that the instruments wherewith he had committed the -forgery had been brought into court from the tank at Sialdah, -and that some villagers from that quarter were also present in -court. After examination into the case, the magistrate passed -these orders:-- "The case must be sent up to the High Court: -the prisoner cannot be admitted to bail: he must be imprisoned in -the Presidency Jail." As soon as these orders had been passed, -Bancharam ran up quickly, and shaking the prisoner by the hand, -said: "What cause for alarm is there? You don't take me for a -child that you cannot trust me? I knew all along that the case -would go up to the High Court: that is just what we want." - -Thakchacha's face looked all at once pinched and withered from -anxiety. The constable seized him by the arms, dragged him roughly -down, and sent him off to the jail[61]. Thakchacha proceeded along, -his fetters clanging as he went, and his throat parched, without -so much as lifting up his eyes, for fear of seeing somebody who -might recognise and jeer at him. - -It was evening when Thakchacha first put his foot into that -'House of Beauty,' -- the Presidency Jail. All those who are in -for debt or civil cases are imprisoned on one side, those who -are in on criminal charges on the other; and after trial they -may have either to work out a fixed sentence there, or grind -_soorkey_ in the mill-house, or else chains and fetters may be -their lot. Thakchacha had to remain on the criminal side of -the jail. As soon as he entered, the prisoners all surrounded -him. Thakchacha looked closely at them, but could not recognise -a single acquaintance amongst them. The prisoners exclaimed: "Ah, -Munshi Ji! what are you staring at? You are in the same plight as -we are: come then, let us associate together." Thakchacha replied: -"Ah, gentlemen I have fallen into unmerited trouble! I have taken -nothing from any man: I have touched nothing belonging to any man: -it is but a turn of the wheel of fortune." One or two of the old -offenders said: "Ha! And is that really so? A good many people -get overwhelmed by false charges." One rough fellow said harshly: -"Are we to suppose then that the charge against you is false, -while those against ourselves are true? Ha! what a virtuous -and eloquent man has come amongst us! Be careful, my brothers; -this bearded fellow is a very cunning sort of individual." -Thakchacha at once became more modest, and began to depreciate -himself, but they were long engaged in a wrangle on the subject: -any trifling matter will serve when people have nothing else to -do, as a peg whereon to hang an argument. - -The jail had been shut for the night: the prisoners had had their -food and were preparing, to lie down to sleep. Thakchacha was -just on the point of seizing this opportunity to throw into his -mouth some sweetmeats he had brought with him tied up in his -waistcloth, when suddenly two of the prisoners, low fellows, -with whiskers, hair and eyebrows all white, came up behind him -and snatched away the vessel containing the sweetmeats, laughing -loudly and harshly the while. They just showed them to the -others, then tossed them into their mouths, and demolished them, -coming close up to Thakchacha as they ate, and jeering at him. -Thakchacha remained perfectly dumb, and keeping the insult to -himself, got quietly on to his sleeping mat, and lay down. - - -CHAPTER XXVII. THE TRIAL AT THE HIGH COURT. - -THE cutting of the rice-crops had already begun in the -Soonderbunds: boats were constantly coming and going with their -loads. There was water everywhere: here and there were raised -bamboo platforms to serve as refuges whence the ryots could watch -their crops; but, for all their produce the people were no better -off. On the one hand there was the _mahajan_, who made them -advances, to be satisfied, on the other, the zemindar's _paik_ -with his extortion: if they succeeded in selling their crops -well, they might perhaps have two full meals a day, otherwise -all they had to depend upon was fish or vegetables, or what -they could earn as day labourers. On the higher lands only the -autumn rice-crops are grown, the spring crops being generally -raised on the lower lands. Rice is very easily grown in Bengal, -but the crops have many obstacles to contend with: they are -liable to destruction from excess of rain and from want of it; -then there are the locusts and all kinds of destructive insects, -and the late autumn storms: the rice-crop, moreover, requires -continual attention for without very great care being exercised, -blight attack the plants. Bahulya, after looking after his little -property all the morning, was sitting in his verandah smoking, -a bundle of papers before him. Near him were seated certain -scoundrels of the deepest dye, and some persons connected with -the courts: the subject of their conversation was the law as -administered by the magistrate, and certain suits-at-law then -pending. One of the men was hinting at the necessity of getting -some fresh documents prepared and some additional witnesses -suborned: another was loudly applauding his successful devices, -as he unfastened rupees from his waistcloth. Bahulya himself -seemed somewhat absent-minded and kept looking about him in all -directions: now and again, he gave some trivial orders to his -cultivators. "Ho there! lift that pumpkin on to the _machan_" -"Spread those bundles of straw in the sun." Then again he would -gaze all about him, evidently restless and agitated. One of the -company remarked: "Moulvi Saheb! I have just heard some bad -news about Thakchacha. Is there not likely to be some trouble?" -Bahulya had no wish to tell any of his secrets, so shaking his -head from side to side he replied in a light sententious manner: -"Man is encompassed about with every danger; why should you be -in any fear?" Another man remarked: "That is all very true, but -Thakchacha is a very clever man: he will escape from the danger -by the mere force of his intelligence. But be that as it may, we -shall be very glad if no calamity befalls you: we have no allies, -no resources save you, in this Bhowanipore. Talk of our strength, -of our wisdom; why, you are all in your own person: if you were -not here we should have to remove our abode hence. It was most -fortunate for me that you fabricated those papers for me, for I -managed to give that idiot of a zemindar a good lesson by their -means: he has done me no injury since: he knows very well that -all the weight of your influence has been thrown into the scales -on my behalf against him." Bahulya, contentedly puffing away at -his _hooka_, with its pedestal of _Bidri_ ware, and letting the -smoke out of his eyes and mouth, laughed gently to himself. Another -man remarked: "When a man has to take land into his own hands in -the Mofussil there are two ways of keeping the zemindar and the -indigo planter quiet; the first is to get the protection of a man -like the Moulvi Saheb here: the second to become a Christian. I -have seen a good many ryots, under the protection of the _padri_, -lording it over their fellows, like so many Brahmin bulls among -a herd of cows: there is power in the _padri's_ money, in his -signature, and in his recommendation. 'People always look after -their own' says a proverb. I do not say that the ryots are all -really Christian at heart, but those that go to the _padri's_ -church get a good may advantages, and in police cases a letter -from the _padri_ is of great service to them." Bahulya replied: -"That may be all very true but it is a very bad thing for a man -to renounce his faith." They all at once said: "Very true, very -true, and on this account we never go near the _padri_." - -They were all gossiping away merrily like this, when suddenly a -police inspector, some _jemadars_, and sergeants of police, rushed -forward and caught hold of Bahulya by the arms, saying: "You have -committed forgery along with Thakchacha: there is a warrant for -your apprehension." The men who had been with Bahulya were seized -with terror when they heard these words, and ran off as fast as -they could. Bahulya appealed to the avarice of the inspector and -the sergeant of police, but they would not listen to the offer of -a bribe for fear of losing their appointment; they seized him and -took him off with them. As the news spread in Upper Bhowanipore, -a great crowd collected, and some of the more respectable people in -the crowd exclaimed;-- "The punishment of crime must come sooner -or later: if people who have been perpetrating crimes pass their -lives in happiness, then must the creation be all a delusion and -a lie; but such can never be." As Bahulya proceeded on his way, -with his head bent low, he met a good many people, but he affected -to see no one. Some there were who had at some time or other been -victimised by him: seeing that their opportunity had now come, -they ventured to approach him, and said: "Ah, Moulvi Saheb! how -deep in thought you are -- Krishna pining for Brindabun! you -must have some very important business on hand." Bahulya answered -not a word. After having crossed over from Bansberia Ghât he -arrived at Shahganj. Some of the leading Mahomedans of that place -remarked when they saw him, "Ah! the rogue has been caught: that -is a very good thing, and it will be still better thing if he -is punished." All these remarks directed against him seemed so -much added to his disgrace: they were as the strokes of a sword -upon a dead body. Exceedingly mortified by all the insults he -had been exposed to, he at length reached Bhowanipore. - -From a short distance off it appeared as if there was a crowd -of people standing on the left side of the road. When they came -nearer, the police sergeant stopped with Bahulya, and asked why -there was such a crowd there: then, pushing his way into the -circle, he saw a gentleman seated on the ground with an injured -man in his lap: blood poured in a continuous stream from his -head, and the clothing of the gentleman was all saturated with -it. Upon the sergeant asking the gentleman who he was and how the -man got injured, he replied:-- "My name is Barada Prasad Biswas: -I was coming here on business, and, as it happened, this man was -accidentally run over by a carriage, and I have been looking after -him. I am trying to find some means of taking him to the hospital -at once: I sent for a _palki_, but the _palki_-bearers refuse on -any consideration to take the man, as he is of the sweeper caste. I -have a carriage with me, but the man cannot get into a carriage: -if I can only get a _palki_, or a _dooly_. I am fully prepared to -pay the hire, whatever it may amount to." The heart even of the -most worthless may be melted by the sight of such goodness. Bahulya -marvelled to see this behaviour of Barada Babu's, and a feeling -of remorse rose in his mind. The sergeant of police said to Barada -Babu: "Sir, the people of Bengal never touch a man of the sweeper -caste: it must be no easy matter for you, being a Bengali, to -do as you are doing: you must be no ordinary person." As he said -this, he put the prisoner in the charge of a constable and went -off himself to a _palki_ stand, where by a liberal expenditure -of threats and promises, he managed to get a _palki_, and sent -the injured man off to the hospital in charge of Barada Babu. - -At one time, criminal cases were tried at the High Court at -intervals of three months in the year; now, they are held much more -frequently. Two kinds of juries are empanelled for the purpose -of deciding upon criminal cases. First, there is the grand jury, -who, after due deliberation as to whether an indictment framed -by the police or others is a true bill or not, inform the court; -secondly, there is a petty jury, who help the judge to come -to a decision in cases that have been found to be true bills, -in accordance with the deliberate opinion of the grand jury, -and find the accused guilty or not guilty. At every sessions of -the Criminal Court, twenty-four persons are called on the grand -jury: any person with property of the value of two lakhs, or any -merchant, may be on it. During the sessions, the petty jury may -be empanelled every day, and when their names are called on, the -defendants or the plaintiffs may raise objections to them if they -please: that is to say, they may have some one appointed on the -jury in place of anyone about whom they have any doubts; but when -the twelve persons have once been sworn in as the petty jury, no -change can be made. On the first day of the sessions, three judges -preside, and as soon as the grand jury have been empanelled, the -judge, whose turn of duty it may be, charges them, that is to say, -explains to them all the cases on for trial at the sessions. After -the charge has been delivered, the two other judges, who are not -on duty, depart; and the grand jury will then withdraw to record -their deliberate opinion on the cases before them, and when they -have sent it in to the judge, the trial will commence. - -The night had nearly come to an end: a gentle breeze was -blowing. At this beautifully cool morning hour Thakchacha was -fast asleep and snoring loud, with his mouth wide open: the -other prisoners were up and smoking, and some of them hearing -the sound of snoring kept whispering into Thakchacha's ears: -"Eat a burnt buffalo[62]!" but Thakchacha went on sleeping as -soundly as the famous Kumbha Karna[63];-- - -"Oh! the thunder of a snore; -"How it terrifies me sore!" - -Not long afterwards the English jailor came and told the prisoners -that they must get ready at once, as they were all wanted at the -High Court immediately. - -Upon the opening of the sessions, the verandah of the High -Court was crowded with people, even before the clock struck -ten. Attorneys, barristers, plaintiffs defendants, witnesses, -attorneys' touts, jurymen, sergeants of police, _jemadars_, -constables, and others were all collected there. Bancharam was -pacing up and down with Mr. Butler, and any rich man he saw, -no matter whether he knew him or not, he would greet with -hands uplifted, in order to parade his Brahmanical degree[64]; -but he deceived no one who knew him well by this assumption of -courtesy. They would perhaps speak with him for a moment or -two, and then on some imaginary plea or other slip away from -him. Soon the jail van arrived, with sepoys on it before and -behind: everybody looked down on it from the verandah above. The -police removed the prisoners from the van and placed them in an -enclosure in a room below the court-room. - -Bancharam hurried below to have an interview with Thakchacha -and Bahulya. "You two are Bhima and Arjuna[65]," said he to them; -"have no fear; you may put full confidence in me, I am not a -child you know." - -About twelve o'clock, a space was cleared down the middle of -the verandah, and the people all stood on either side of it: -the _chuprassis_ of the court commanded silence: all were eagerly -expecting the arrival of the judges; then the sergeant of police, -the _chuprassis_ and the mace-bearers, bearing in their hands -staves, maces, swords, and the royal silver-crowned insignia, went -outside the court: the sheriff and deputy sheriff appeared with -rods, and then the three judges, clothed in scarlet, ascended the -bench with dignified gait and grave faces, and, after saluting the -counsel, took their seats on the bench, the counsel making profound -obeisance as they stood up in their places. The moving of chairs, -the whispering and chattering of people, made a great noise in the -court, and the _chuprassis_ of the court had repeatedly to call -out: "Silence in the court!" The sergeants of police also tried -to keep the people quiet, and then, as the town crier called out: -"Oh yes! oh yes!" the sessions opened. The names of the grand jury -were then called over, and they were duly empanelled. They then -appointed their foreman, that is, their president. It happened to -be Mr. Russell's turn to sit as judge: turning to the grand jury -he thus addressed them:-- "Gentlemen of the jury, an inspection -of the cases for trial shows me that forgery is on the increase -in Calcutta: I see that there are five or six cases of that -kind, and amongst them a case against the two men Thakchacha and -Bahulya. It appears from the depositions in their case that they -have for some years past been forging Company's paper at Sialdah, -and selling it in this city. Take this case first, please, and -be good enough to inform me whether it is a true bill or not: -it is superfluous for me to bid you do your duty in examining -into the other cases for trial." - -The grand jury, having received this charge, withdrew. Bancharam -looked very despondently at Mr. Butler. After about a quarter of an -hour had elapsed, the indictment against Thakchacha and Bahulya was -returned to the court as a true bill. Thereupon the jail sentry -produced Thakchacha and Bahulya and made them stand within the -railed enclosure before the judge. As the petty jury were being -empanelled, the court interpreter called out loudly: "Prisoners -at the bar! you have been charged with forging Company's paper: -have you committed this crime or not?" The accused replied: "We -do not even know what is meant by forgery, or by Company's paper: -we are only simple cultivators: we do not concern ourselves with -things of this kind: that is the concern of our English rulers." -The interpreter then said rather angrily to them: "Your language is -all very fine: have you done this thing or have you not?" The only -reply of the accused was: "Our fathers and our grandfathers never -did such things." The interpreter then, in a great rage struck the -table with his fist and said: "Give an answer to my question: have -you done this thing or not?" "No, we never did such a thing," the -accused at last replied. The reason for putting these questions was -that, if the accused acknowledged his crime, his trial proceeded -no further: he was at once sentenced. The interpreter then said: -"Attention! These twelve men, all good and true, who are seated -here, will try you: if you have any objection to raise against -any of them, then speak at once: he will be removed, and another -man substituted." The accused, not understanding anything that was -being said, remained silent, and the trial then commenced: by means -of the depositions of the complainants, and the witnesses, the -Crown prosecutor established a clear case of forgery. The counsel -for the accused did not produce any witnesses, but did his best, -by the ingenious twistings and turnings of cross-examination and by -the chicanery of the law, to mislead the jury. When the speech for -the defence was finished, Mr. Russell gave the jury a summary of -the proofs of the case and explained the evidence of the forgery. - -Having received their charge, the petty jury withdrew to -consult. Unless the jury are unanimous, they are unable to record -a verdict. Bancharam seized this opportunity to draw near the -prisoners to encourage them. A few words had passed between them, -when there was a sudden stir in the court, caused by the re-entry -of the jury. When they had all entered and taken their seats, -the foreman stood up: there was at once silence in the court: -all craned their necks and strained their ears to catch what -was said. The clerk of the Crown, the chief conductor of all -criminal cases in the court, put the question:-- "Gentlemen of the -jury! Are Thakchacha and Bahulya guilty or not guilty?" "Guilty" -was the reply of the foreman of the jury. As soon as the accused -heard this, their hearts died within them. Bancharam then hurried -up to them, and said: "Ha, ha! what, guilty? Put your trust in me, -I am no child as you know: I will petition for a new trial, that -is, for another verdict." Thakchacha only shook his head, and said: -"Ah, sir! what must be, must: we cannot afford any more expense." - -Bancharam then explained, with some irritation, "How much -do you suppose I shall make by binding leaves in an empty -vessel? In business like this, is clay to be moistened by tears -only?" Mr. Russell then, examining his records very carefully, -looked fixedly at the prisoners, as he passed this sentence -upon them:-- "Thakchacha and Bahulya, your guilt has been well -established, and all who commit such crimes as yours should be -heavily punished: I sentence you therefore to transportation for -life." No sooner was the sentence delivered then the guards seized -the prisoners by their hands and took them below. Bancharam had -slipped back and was standing to one side; some people remarked -to him, "Is this your case that has been lost?" "You might have -known that," he replied; "let me never again have anything to do -with so bad a one: I have never cared for cases like this." - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. A PHILANTHROPIST. - -THE Vaidyabati house was enveloped in gloom: there was no one to -superintend affairs or look after the maintenance of the household; -the family was in a very bad way, and had great difficulty even -in procuring food. The villagers began to say amongst themselves: -"How long can an embankment of sand last? A virtuous household -is as a building of stone." Matilall was all this time an exile -from home, and his companions had also vanished; nothing more was -heard of all their display. Great was the delight of Premnarayan -Mozoomdar. He was sitting one day in the verandah of Beni Babu's -house, snapping his fingers and singing a popular song:-- - -"The babul's sweet flower doth its petals unfold, -"While it swings in your ear with its colour of gold. -"Your talk is of silver rupees and of rice," -"Of sweetmeats delicious, and all that is nice." - -Inside the house, Beni Babu was playing on the _sitar_ and -devising a special song for it, in accompaniment to the tune of -"_The Champac Flower._" Suddenly, Becharam Babu was seen approaching; -causing great excitement among the children in the street, as he -caught up the popular measure of Nara Chandri:-- - -"With dice in my hand, all prepared for the game, -"Born into the world as a gambler I came." [66] - -The boys were all laughing and clapping their hands, and Becharam -was angrily expostulating with them. When Nadir Shah attacked -Delhi, Mahomed Shah was absorbed in listening to music and singing; -and even when Nadir Shah appeared suddenly before him in the full -panoply of war, Mahomed Shah said not a word, and for a time ceased -not drinking in with his ears the sweet nectar of song; at last, -and still not speaking a word, he left his throne. Not thus did -Beni Babu behave upon the arrival of Becharam Babu; he at once put -down his _sitar_ and rising quickly from his seat, courteously -invited him to be seated. After a somewhat lengthy exchange of -courtesies, Becharam Babu observed: "Ah, my dear friend Beni, -we have at last reached the end of the chapter[67]! Thakchacha has -come to utter grief by his wicked conduct: your Matilall too, by -his lack of intelligence has gone to the bad. Ah, my friend! you -have always told me some terrible misfortune is sure to happen to -a boy when he has not been so educated from his early childhood -as to have a cultivated intellect and a knowledge of rectitude: -Matilall is an instance of this. It is a sorrowful subject: what -more can I say? The whole fault was Baburam's; he had only the wit -of a Muktar: he was sharp enough where trifles were in question, -but blind in the really important concerns of life[68]." - -_Beni_.-- What is the good of casting reproach upon him by saying -this all over again: it was demonstrated a long time ago. When -there was such an utter want of attention in the matter of Mati's -education, and no means adopted for keeping evil companions from -him, it was a foregone conclusion[69]. "It is the _Ramayana_ without -Ram." Be that as it may, it is Becharam who has been the chief -gainer. Bakreswar has got nothing by all his importunities. No -school-master has ever been seen with an equal capacity for -flattering the children of the rich: the education he was supposed -to give was all a sham: his thoughts day and night were directed -solely to getting gain, while appearing still to the outside -world to be doing a great work. Anyhow the Vaishnava's hopes -of making a good thing out of Matilall were never extinguished; -like the little _chátak_ bird, he rent the heavens with his cry: -"Give me water! give me water!" but not even a cloudlet could he -ever see, much less a shower[70]. - -_Premnarayan Mozoomdar_.-- Have you, gentlemen, nothing else to talk -about? Have you nothing to say on the subject of Kavi Kankan, or -of Valmiki, or of Vyasa[71]? Have you nothing to say on business? -I am tired to death of discussing the troubles connected with the -name of Baburam. Mati has only met with the fate which so wicked -a boy deserved: let him go to perdition: need we feel any anxiety -on his account? - -Meanwhile Hari, the servant, who had been busy preparing tobacco, -brought a _hooka_, and putting it into Beni Babu's hands, said:-- -"That Babu from Eastern Bengal is just approaching." Beni Babu at -once rose from his seat and saw Barada Babu approaching rather -hurriedly with a stick in his hand. Both Beni Babu and Becharam -Babu greeted him courteously and invited him to be seated. -When they had enquired after each other's welfare, Barada Babu -said:-- "Now at length what has been long expected has come -to pass. I have a request to make of you just now; I have been -living for a long time past at Vaidyabati, and for this reason -it became my duty to help the people of the place to the best -of my ability. I have no great wealth, it is true, but when I -consider what I am, the Lord has given me plenty: if I were to -hope for greater abundance, I should be finding fault with His -good judgment, and that is not a proper course for me to take: -it was my duty to help my neighbours, but whether from laziness, -or ill fortune, I have not discharged my duty thoroughly of late." - -_Becharam_.-- What language is this? Why, you have assisted -all the poor and afflicted people of Vaidyabati in a hundred -different ways, with supplies of food, with clothing, with money, -with medicines, with books, with advice, and by your own personal -exertions on their behalf. In no single detail have there been -any shortcomings on your part. Why, my dear friend, they shed -tears when they proclaim your virtues. I know all this well: -why do you try to impose on me like this? - -_Barada_.-- My dear sir, it is no imposition; I am telling -you the plain truth: if any have derived any help from me, I am -humiliated when I think how trifling that help has been. However, -the request I have now to make is this; the families of Matilall -and Thakchacha are starving; it has come to my knowledge that they -often have to fast for days. It has been a great grief to me to -hear this; I have therefore brought two hundred rupees that I had -by me, and I shall be exceedingly gratified if you will somehow -contrive to have this money sent to them without revealing my name. - -Beni Babu was astounded on hearing these words, and Becharam -Babu, after a short interval, looking towards Barada Babu, -his eyes filling with tears of emotion, said to him, as he put -his hand on his shoulder: "Ah, my dear friend! you know what -rectitude really is: as for us, we have spent our lives in vain: -it is written in the Vedas and in the Puranas: 'The man whose -mind is pure and upright, he shall see God.' What shall I say -about your mind? I have never hitherto seen even the slightest -taint of impurity in it. God keep you in happiness acceptable to -yourself. But tell me, have you had any news of Ramlall lately?" - -_Barada_.-- Some months back I received a letter from Hurdwar: -he was well: he did not say anything about returning. - -_Becharam_.-- Ramlall is a very good boy: the mere sight of him -would refresh my eyes: he is bound to be good, and it has all -come about by reason of his association with you. - -Meanwhile, Thakchacha and Bahulya had passed Saugor on a vessel -The pair were for all the world like two cranes: they sat together, -ate together, slept together, and were perfectly inseparable: their -mutual woes formed the continual theme of their conversation. One -day Thakchacha, with a deep sigh, said to his companion:-- "Our -destiny is a very hard one: we have become mere lumps of earth: -our trickery is of no further avail, and as for my stratagems, -they have all escaped from my head. My house is ruined: I did -not even have an interview with my wife before leaving: I am -very much afraid that she will marry again." Bahulya replied: -"Friend, pluck all these matters out of your heart: life in -the world is after all but a pilgrimage: we are here to-day, -gone to-morrow: no one has anything he can call his own. You -have one wife, I have four. Throw everything else to the winds, -consider only carefully the means whereby it may go well with -self." The wind soon began to blow hard, and the ship went on -her way with a strong list to one side. A terrible storm then got -up. Thakchacha, trembling all over with fright, said to Bahulya: -"Oh, my friend, I am in a terrible fright! I think my death -must be very near." Bahulya replied: "Are we not already within -an ace of death? We are but ghosts of our former selves. Come, -and let us go below, and say our prayers to Allah and his prophet: -I have them all by heart: if we are swamped, we shall at any rate -have the name of our patron saint to accompany us on our journey." - - -CHAPTER XXIX. BANCHARAM IN POSSESSION. - -BANCHARAM BABU's hunger had not yet been appeased: he was always -looking out for the chance of a successful stroke, or else -revolving in his mind the kind of stratagem it would be best for -him to adopt in order to accomplish his wished-for object. His -cunning intellect became keener than ever by this practice. He was -one day overhauling all Baburam Babu's affairs which had passed -through his hands, when a fine plan suddenly presented itself to -him: in the midst of his calculations, as he sat there propped up -by a cushion, he suddenly slapped his thigh, and exclaimed. "Ah! at -last I see before me a toad to a fine fortune. There is an estate -in the China Bazar belonging to Baburam, and there is the family -house too: they have both been mortgaged, and the limit of time -has expired. I will speak to Herambar Babu, and have a complaint -lodged in court, and then for a few days at any rate my hunger -may be appeased." With these words, he threw his shawl over his -shoulders, and making a visit to the Ganges the nominal excuse -for his departure, he tramped off with a firm determination to -succeed in his plan, or perish in the attempt. - -He soon reached Herambar Babu's house. Entering at the door, he -enquired of a servant where the master of the house was. Hearing -Bancharam Babu's voice Herambar Babu at once descended the -stairs. He was a very open-hearted and generous man, and he -always acceded to every suggestion made to him. Bancharam took -him by the hand and said to him very affectionately:-- "Ha, -Choudhury Mahashay! you once lent some money to Baburam upon -my recommendation. The family and their affairs are now in -a very bad way: the honour and reputation of his house have -departed with Baburam: the elder boy is a perfect ape, and the -younger a fool: they have both gone abroad. The family is deeply -involved in debt: there are other creditors all prepared to bring -suits against the family, and they may put many difficulties -in the way of a settlement: I can therefore no longer advise -you to keep quiet. Give me the mortgage papers. You will have -to record a complaint in our office to-morrow: kindly give us a -foil power-of-attorney." In similar circumstances, all men alike -would be afraid of losing their money. Herambar Babu was neither -deceitful nor artful himself, and so the words which Bancharam had -just spoken at once caught his attention: he agreed straightway, -and entrusted the mortgage papers into Bancharam Babu's hands. As -Hanuman, having obtained the fatal arrow of Ravan, all gleefully -hurried away from Lanka[72], so Bancharam, putting the papers -under his arm as if they had been a cherished charm[73], hurried -off smilingly home. - -Nearly a year had elapsed since Matilall's departure. The main -door of the Vaidyabati house was still close shut: lichen covered -the roof and the walls and all about the place there was a dense -jungle of thorns and prickly shrubs. Inside the house, were two -helpless young women, Matilall's stepmother, and his wife, who when -it was necessary for them to go out at any time, used the back -door only. They found the greatest difficulty in getting food, -and had only old clothes to wear. For fifteen days in the month -they went without food altogether. The money they had received at -Beni Babu's hands had all been expended in the payment of debts, -and in defraying the cost of their living for some months. They -were now experiencing unparalleled, hardships, and being utterly -without resources, were in great anxiety. One day, Matilall's -wife said to his step-mother:-- "Ah, lady! we cannot reckon the -number of sins we must have committed in our other births: I am -married, it is true, but I have never seen my husband's face: -my lord has never once turned to look at me: he has never once -asked whether I am alive or dead. However bad a husband may be, -it is not for a woman to reproach him: I have never reproached my -husband. It is my wretched destiny: where is his fault? I have only -this much to say, that the hardships which I am now suffering would -not appear hardships, if only my husband were with me." Matilall's -step-mother replied: "Surely there are none so miserable as we are: -my heart breaks at the thought of our misery: the only resource of -the helpless and poor is the Lord of the poor." Men-servants and -maid-servants will only remain in service with people as long as -they are well off. Now that these two girls had been reduced to -their present state, their servants had all left them. One old -woman alone remained with them out of pure kindness of heart: -she herself managed to pick up a living by begging. - -The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were engaged in the -conversation we have recorded, when suddenly this old servant -came to them, trembling all over, and said, "Oh, my mistresses, -look out of the window! Bancharam Babu, accompanied by a sergeant -of police and some constables, has just surrounded the house. -On seeing me, he said, 'Go and tell the ladies to leave the -house.' I said to him, 'Sir! And where will they go?' Then he -got angry, and threatened me, adding, 'Do they not know that the -house is mortgaged? Do they suppose that the creditor will throw -his money into the Ganges? Well, I am only acting upon his wish; -let them go away at once, or shall I have to put them out by the -scuff of the neck?'" The two women trembled all over with fright -when they heard this. The house was soon full of the noise made by -the men who were breaking in the front door: a crowd of people too -had collected in the street. Bancharam was ostentatiously ordering -the men to hammer at the door, and was gesticulating and saying: -"No one can possibly prevent me from taking possession: I am not -a child that I can be easily trifled with: it is the order of -the Court: I will force an entry into the house: is a gentleman -who has advanced money on the house to be called a thief? What -wrong is being done? Let the members of the family depart at -once." A great crowd had now collected, and some of the people -were very angry, and exclaimed: "Ho, Bancharam! No baser wretch -exists on earth than you: by your counsel you have ruined this -house altogether. You have had heaps of money out of this family -by your long-continued malpractices, and now you are turning the -household adrift: why the very sight of your face would render -it necessary to perform the _Chandrayan_ penance: no place will -be found for you even in hell." Bancharam paid no heed to their -remarks; and when he had at last burst in the door, he rushed into -the house, with the sergeant of police, and went into the zenana. - -Just at that moment, Matilall's wife and his stepmother, -taking hold of the hands of the old woman, and wiping the tears -from their eyes, as they exclaimed, "Oh, Lord God, protect -these poor helpless women!" went out of the house by the back -door. Matilall's wife then said, "Friends, we are women of good -family: we are utterly ignorant: where shall we go? Our father and -all his race are gone: we have no brothers: we have no sisters: -we have no relatives at all: who will protect us? Oh, Lord God, -our honour and our lives are now in Thy hands. Welcome death by -starvation before dishonour." When they had gone a few paces, -they stopped beneath a banyan tree, and began to consider what -was to be done. Just then Barada Babu approached them with a -_dooly_: with bowed head and sorrowful face he said to them: -"Ladies, do not be anxious: regard me as you would a son: I -beg that you will get into this _dooly_ at once, and go to my -house: I have separate quarters ready for you: stay there for a -while, until your plans are arranged." When Matilall's wife and -stepmother heard these words of Barada Babu, they were like people -just rescued from a watery grave. Overwhelmed with gratitude, -they said: "Sir, how we should like to be prostrate at your feet: -we have no words to express our gratitude to you: you must surely -have been our father in a previous birth." Barada Babu hurriedly -placed them in the _dooly_, and sent them to his house; while -he himself, fearing he might meet some one on the road who would -question him, hurried home by back streets. - - -CHAPTER XXX. MATILALL AT BENARES: HOME AGAIN. - -A GOOD disposition is created by good advice and good associations: -to some it comes early in life, to others later; and from lack of -it in early youth great harm happens. As a fire, when it has once -caught hold of a jungle, blazes furiously, destroying everything -in its path, or as a wind, when it has once got up with any -force, on a sudden increases in violence, and hurls down in its -course large trees and buildings, so an evil disposition, when -it has once been formed in childhood, gradually assumes fearful -proportions, if roused into activity by the natural passions of -the blood. Bad examples of this are constantly seen; but examples -may also be seen of persons long given over to evil thoughts and -evil ways becoming virtuous all of a sudden, quite late in life. A -conversion like this may have its origin either in good advice -or in good companionship. However, it occasionally happens that -people come suddenly to their right mind; it may be by chance, it -may be by an accident, it may be by a mere word. Such conversions, -however, are very rare. - -When Matilall returned home from Jessore in despair, he said to -his companion: "It is evidently not my destiny to be rich: it is -idle therefore for me to seek further for wealth. I am now going -to travel for a time in the North-West: will any of you accompany -me?" The darling of Fortune may call all men his friends: when a -man has wealth he has no need to summon any one to his presence: -numbers will crowd to him uninvited, but a poor man finds it very -hard to get companions. All those who had been in attendance upon -Matilall had made a show of friendship for him because of the -amusement and profit they had derived; but, as a matter of fact, -they had not a particle of real affection for him. As soon as -they saw that his means were exhausted, and that he was hampered -on all sides by debt, and that, far from being any longer able to -maintain his old style of living, he could hardly keep himself, -they began to ask themselves what possible benefit they could -derive from keeping on friendly terms with him,-- far better -drop his acquaintance altogether[74]! When Matilall put that -question to them then, he saw at once that none of them would give -him any answer. They all hummed and hawed, and pleaded all sorts -of excuses. Matilall was very angry at their behaviour, and said: -"Adversity is the real test of friendship: at last, after all this -time, I have got to know your real character: however, go to your -respective homes, -- I am about to proceed on my journey." His -companions replied: "Oh, sir! do not be angry with us: nay, go -on in advance, we will follow you as soon as we have settled all -our affairs." - -Matilall, paying no heed to what they said, proceeded on his way -on foot, and being hospitably entertained, at some of the places -on the road, and begging his way at others, he reached Benares -in three months. Having fallen into this pitiable condition, the -course of his mind began to be changed, from his long solitary -meditations. Temples, once built at great expense, _ghâts_, and -buildings of all kinds, all sooner or later begin to crumble away: -sooner or later some vigorous old tree, whose great branches spread -far and wide, is seen to decay: rivers, mountains, valleys, none -continue long the same. Indeed, time brings change and decay, -to all alike. Everything is transient; all is vanity. Man, too, -is subject to disease, old age, separation from friends, sorrow -and troubles of every kind; and in this world, passion, pride, -and pleasure are all but as drops of water. Such were Matilall's -meditations, as day after day he made the circuit of Benares, -sitting, when evening came, in some quiet spot on the banks of -the Ganges, and meditating again and again on the unreality of -the body, and the reality of the soul, and on his own character -and conduct. By such a course of reflection, the evil passions -within him became dwarfed[75], and he was roused in consequence to -a sense of his former conduct and his present evil condition. As -his mind took this direction, there sprang up within him a feeling -of self-contempt, and, accompanying that self-contempt, deep -remorse. He was always asking himself this question, "How can I -attain salvation? When I remember all the evil I have committed, -my heart burns within me like a forest on fire." Absorbed in such -thoughts, paying no attention to food or clothing, he went wandering -about like one demented. - -Some time had been spent by him thus, when one day he chanced to -see an old man sitting deep in meditation, under a tree, glancing -at one moment at a book, and at the next shutting his eyes, and -meditating. To look at the man one would at once imagine him to be -a very learned person, and one, too, who had attained to perfect -knowledge and complete subjection of mind. The mere sight of his -face would arouse a feeling of reverence in the mind. Matilall at -once approached him, and, after making a most profound -salutation[76], remained standing before him. After a while, the -old man looked intently at Matilall, and said, "Ah, my child, from -your appearance I should imagine that you belong to a good family; -but why are you so sorrowful?" This gentle address gave Matilall -confidence, and he acquainted the old man with the whole story of -his life, concealing nothing. "Sir," he said, "I perceive you to -be a very learned man: now, and from henceforth, I am your humble -servant: pray give me some good advice." The old man replied, "I see -that you are hungry: we will postpone our conversation till you have -had some food and rest." That day was spent in hospitality. The -old man was pleased at the sight of Matilall's simplicity and -straightforwardness. It is a characteristic of human nature that -there cannot be any frank interchange of thought amongst men where -they receive no mutual gratification from each other's society; but -where there is this mutual gratification, then the thoughts of each -man's heart are revealed in quick succession. Moreover, when one man -displays frankness, the other, unless he is exceedingly insincere, -can never manifest insincerity. The old man was a very worthy person; -pleased at Matilall's frankness and sincerity, he began to love -him as a son, and, at a later period, he expounded to him his own -notions about the Supreme Being. He often used to say to him:-- -"My son, to worship the Almighty with all our powers, with faith, -affection, and love, is the main object of all virtue: meditate -always on this, and practise it in thought, and word, and deed: -when this advice has taken firm root the course of your mind will -be changed, and the practice of other virtues will naturally follow; -but to have a constant and uniform love of the Almighty, in thought, -word, and deed, is no easy thing; for, in this world, such enemies -as passion, envy, avarice, and lust, put extraordinary obstacles -in the way, and therefore there is every need for concentration of -thought and steadfastness." Matilall, after receiving this advice, -engaged every day in meditation on the Almighty, and in prayer, -and endeavoured to examine into all his faults, and to correct -them. As a consequence of a long-continued course of action like -this, faith and devotion towards the Lord of the Universe sprang up -in his mind. The honour due to good companions is beyond the power of -words to express: pre-eminent amongst the virtuous stood Matilall's -instructor; was it then in any way astonishing that Matilall's mind -should have so changed from association with such a man? A feeling -of brotherly kindness towards all men developed itself in the mind -of Matilall as one consequence of his very great faith in God, and -then, in quick succession, a feeling of affection for his parents, -and for his wife, and a desire to alleviate the sorrows of others, -and to confer benefits upon others, grew in intensity. To see or -hear anything opposed to truth and sincerity made him intensely -unhappy. He would often tell the old man the thoughts that were -passing in his mind, and his former history; and he would sometimes -say in a mournful tone, "Oh, my teacher! I am very wicked: when I -think of what my behaviour has been towards my father, my mother, -my brother, my sister, and others, I sometimes think that no place -can be found for me even in hell." The old man would console him -by saying, "My child, devote yourself to the practise of virtue -at any cost: men are constantly sinning in thought, in word, and -in deed: our only hope of salvation is the mercy of Him who is all -mercy: the man who displays heartfelt grief for his sins, and who -is sincerely zealous for the purification of his soul, can never -be destroyed." Matilall would listen attentively, and meditate -with bowed head upon all he heard. Sometimes he would exclaim, -"My mother, my step-mother, or my sister, my brother, my wife, -where are they all? My mind is exceedingly anxious on their account." - -It was a day at the commencement of the autumn season; the time -was the early dawn. Who can give Expression to the amazing beauty -of Brindabun? Palms and trees of every kind flourished everywhere -in abundance; thousands of birds were singing in every variety of -note, perched on their branches. The waves of the Jumna, as if in -merry play, embraced its banks. The boys and girls of Brindabun, in -arbours and in the roads, were playing their _sitars_, and singing -as they played. The night had come to an end, and all the temples, -now that the hour for waving the lamps before the shrines had come, -resounded with the hoarse murmur of tens of thousands of conch -shells, and with the clanging of innumerable bells, shoals of -tortoises played around the Kashi Ghât: hundreds of thousands of -monkeys were leaping and jumping about on the trees, now curling -their tails, now stretching them out, and now and again plunging -headlong down with hideous grimaces, and carrying off some poor -people's stores of food. Hundreds of pilgrims were wandering about -the different groves, and as they gazed on the different objects -of interest, were talking about the sports of Sri Krishna. As -the sun grew hot, the earth got baked with the heat; it became -irksome to walk about any longer on foot, and the majority of -the pilgrims sat about under the shade of the trees, and rested. - -Matilall's mother had been wandering about holding her daughter by -the hand; soon overcome with fatigue, she lay down in a quiet spot -with her head in her daughter's lap. The girl fanned and cooled her -wearied mother with the border of her _sari_. The mother, feeling -at length somewhat refreshed, said to her, "Pramada, my child, take -a little rest yourself. Now I will sit up awhile." "Now that your -fatigue is removed, mother," said the girl, "mine also has gone: -continue lying down, and I will shampoo your feet." Tears rose -in the mother's eyes as she heard her daughter's affectionate -address, and she said, "My child, the mere sight of your face -has revived me. How many must be the sins that I committed in -my other births, or why should I be experiencing this grief? It -is no pain to me that I should myself be dying of starvation: -my great sorrow is that I have not the wherewithal to give you -even a morsel of food: the world is too small to contain such -sorrow as mine. My two sons, where are they? I know not what -has become of them. My daughter-in-law, how is she? Why did I -display such anger? Matilall struck me, he actually struck me, his -mother! My soul, too, is in constant anxiety on Ramlall's account, -as well as on Matilall's." The girl, wiping away her mother's -tears, tried to console her; after a while, her mother went to -sleep, and the girl, seeing her asleep, sat perfectly motionless, -gently fanning her: though mosquitoes and gadflies settled on her -person, and annoyed her with their bites, she moved not for fear -of interrupting her mother's sleep. A marvellous thing is the love -and endurance of women? Herein are they far superior to men. The -girl's mother dreamt in her sleep that a youth clothed in yellow -came near her, and said, "Lady, weep no more! You are virtuous: -you have warded off sorrow from many of the afflicted poor: you -have never done anything but good to any: all will soon be well -with you: you will find your two sons and be happy again." The -sorrowful woman started out of her sleep, and, on opening her -eyes, saw only her daughter near her; without speaking a word to -her she took her by the hand, and they returned in great trouble -to their hut of leaves. The mother and daughter were constantly -conversing together: one day the mother said to her daughter, -"My child, my mind is very restless: I cannot help thinking that -I ought to return home." Not seeing her way to that, the girl -replied, "But mother, we have amongst our stock of supplies but -one or two cloths, and a brass drinking vessel: what can we get -by the sale of these? Remain here quietly for a few days, while -I earn something as a cook, or as a maid-servant somewhere, and -then we shall have got something together to defray the expenses -of our journey." The girl's mother at these words sighed heavily, -and remained motionless: she could restrain her tears no longer: -seeing her distressed, the girl was distressed also. - -As luck would have it, a resident of Mathura, who lived near -them, and who was constantly doing them small kindnesses, came up -at that moment: seeing them in such sorrow, she first consoled -them, and then listened to their story: the woman of Mathura, -sorrowing in their sorrow, said to them, "Ladies, what shall -I say? I have no money myself I should like to alleviate your -distress by giving you all I possess: let me now tell you of a -plan you had better adopt: I have heard that a Bengali Babu has -come to live at Mathura, who has amassed a fortune in service, -and by making advances to agriculturists: I have heard, too, -that he is very kind and liberal: if you go to him, and ask for -your travelling expenses, you will certainly get them." As the -two distressed women could see no other resource open to them, -they agreed to adopt the plan proposed; so they took their leave -of the woman of Mathura, and reached Mathura in about two days. - -On arrival there, they went to the vicinity of a tank, where they -found collected together the afflicted, the blind, the lame, the -sorrowful and the poor, all in tears. The girl's mother said to an -old woman amongst them: "My friend, why are you all in tears?" "Ah, -mother!" replied the woman, "there is a certain Babu here; words -fail me to tell of his virtues: he goes about among the homes of -the poor and afflicted, and is continually attending to their -wants, supplying them with food and clothing, and, moreover, -he watches by the bedside of the sick at night, administering -medicines and proper diet. He sympathises with us in all our joys -and all our sorrows. Tears come into my eyes at the mere thought -of the Babu's virtues. Blessed is the woman who has borne such -a child in her womb: she is certainly destined for the joys of -heaven. The place where such a one lives is holy ground. It is -our miserable destiny that this Babu is just leaving the country: -our tears are flowing at the thought of what our condition will be -when he has gone." The two women, hearing this, said to each other: -"All our hopes appear to be fruitless: sorrow is our destined -lot. Who can rub the writing off our foreheads?" Seeing their -despondency, the old woman already mentioned said to them, "I fancy -you are ladies of good family who have fallen into misfortune: -if you are in want of money, then come with me at once to the -Babu, for he assists many persons of good family as well as the -poor." The two women at once agreed to this, and following the -old woman they remained outside, while she entered the house. - -The day was drawing to a close: the rays of the setting sun gave -a golden tinge to the trees and to the tanks. Near where the two -women were standing was a small walled garden, in which every -variety of creeper was growing, carefully trained on trellis work: -the turf in it was nicely kept, and at intervals raised platforms -had been erected to serve as seats. Two gentlemen were walking -about in this garden, hand in hand, like Krishna and Arjuna; -as their gaze chanced to fall upon the two women outside, they -hurried out of the garden to meet them. The two women, out of -confusion, veiled their faces and drew a little to one side. Then -the younger of the two men said to them in a gentle tone: "Regard -us as your sons: do not be ashamed: tell us fully the reason of -your coming here: and if any assistance can be rendered by us, -we will not fail to render it." Hearing these words, the mother, -taking her daughter by the hand, moved forward a little, and -briefly informed them of the plight they were in. Even before -she had finished telling her story, the two men looked at each -other, and the younger of them, in the enthusiasm of his joy, -fell to the ground, exclaiming, "My mother! my mother!" The -other, and the elder of the two, made a profound obeisance to -the sorrowful mother, and, with his hands humbly folded, said, -"Dear lady, look, look! He who has fallen to the ground is your -precious one, your treasure[77]: he is your Ram! and my name is -Barada Prasad Biswas." When she heard this, the mother unveiled -her face, and said: "Oh, dear sir, what is this that you are -saying? Shall such a destiny as this befall so miserable a wretch -as I am?" On coming to himself, Ramlall bowed down to the earth -before his mother, and remained motionless. Taking her son's head -into her bosom and weeping the while, his mother poured the cool -waters of consolation over his heated mind; and his sister, with -the edge of her _sari_, wiped away his tears and the dust that had -collected on him, and remained still and silent. - -By-and-by the old woman, not finding the Babu in the house, -came running into the garden, and when she saw him lying on the -ground with his head in the lap of the elder of the two women, -she screamed out: "Dear me, what is the matter? Oh dear! Oh -dear! Is the Babu ill? Shall I go and fetch a _Kabiraj_?" Barada -Prasad Babu said to her, "Be quiet, the Babu has not been taken -ill: these two women that you see are the Babu's mother and his -sister." "Oh Babu!" exclaimed the old woman, "Must you make fun -of me because I am a poor old woman? Why, the Babu is a very rich -man: is he not the chosen lord of Lakshmi? and these two women are -but poor tramps: they came with me. How can one be his mother, -and the other his sister? I rather fancy they are witches from -Kamikhya who have deceived you by their magical arts. Oh, dear! I -have never seen such women. I humbly salute their magic." And -the old woman went away in high dudgeon, muttering to herself. - -Having recovered their composure, they all went into the house, -and great was the satisfaction of the mother when she found -Mati's wife and her own co-wife there. Having received full -particulars of all the other members of her family she said: -"Ah, my son, Ram! come, let us now return home: as for my Mati, -I do not know what has become of him, and I am very anxious on -his account." Ramlall had been already prepared to return home: -he had a boat, and everything ready at the _ghât_. Having, -in accordance with his mother's instructions, ascertained an -auspicious day for the journey[78], he took them all with him, and -prepared to depart. The people of Mathura all thronged round him -at the time of his departure: thousands of eyes filled with tears: -from thousands of mouths issued songs in celebration of Ramlall's -virtues: and thousands of hands were uplifted in blessing. As for -the old woman, who had gone away in such dudgeon, she drew near -Ramlall's mother, with her hands humbly folded, and wept. All -remained standing on the banks of the river Jumna, like so many -lifeless and inanimate beings, until the boat had passed away out -of their sight. As the current was running down and the wind was -not blowing strong from the south, the boat glided quickly down, -and they all reached Benares in a few days. - -Early morning in Benares! Oh the beauty of the scene! There in -their thousands were Brahmans of two Vedas, and Brahmans of four -Vedas, worshippers of Ram, worshippers of Vishnu, worshippers -of Shiva, followers of Shakti, worshippers of Ganesh, religious -devotees and Brahman students, all devoutly engaged in reciting -their hymns and prayers. There too in their thousands were men -reciting portions of the Samvedas, and hymns to Agni and Vayu: -crowds of women, hailing from Surat, from the Mahratta country, -from Bengal, and from Behar, all clothed in silk garments of -various hues, were engaged in perambulating the temples after -due performance of their ablutions: beyond calculation in number -were the temples sweetly perfumed with the odours of aromatic -tapers, of incense, of flowers, and of sandal. Devotees in -countless numbers crowded the streets puffing their cheeks, -and shaking their sides, as they shouted aloud in enthusiasm: -"Oh, Mahadeva! Lord of the Universe!" Women, devotees of Shiva, -carrying tridents in their hands, and wearing scarlet raiment, -were perambulating in their hundreds, about the temple of Shiva, -engaged in their devotions to Shiva and Durga, and laughing madly -the while. Ascetics there were in great numbers, who striving -hard to subdue their bodies, and their passions, sat solitary with -their hands uplifted, hair all matted, and bodies covered with -ashes. There, too, in countless numbers, were religious devotees, -each sitting apart by himself in some secluded corner, engaged in -various mystic ceremonies, now emitting their breath, now holding -it in: musicians and singers with their lutes and their tabors, -their violins and their guitars, were there in great numbers, -all completely absorbed in every variety of tone and tune. - -Ramlall and his companions remained four days in Benares, bathing -and performing other ceremonies at the Mani Karnika Ghât. He was -always with his mother and sister, and in the evening he used -to roam about with Barada Babu. One day, in the course of their -walks, they saw a beautiful pavilion before them. An old man was -sitting inside gazing at the beauty of the Bhagirathi: the river -was flowing swiftly by, its waters rippling and murmuring in their -course; and so transparently clear was it that it seemed to bear on -its bosom the many-hued evening sky. On the approach of Ramlall, -the old man addressing him as an old acquaintance said: "What was -your opinion of the Upanishad of Shuka[79] when you read it?" -Ramlall looked intently at the old man, and saluted him -respectfully. The old man a little disconcerted said to him: -"Sir, I perceive I have made a mistake: I have a pupil whose face -is exactly like yours. I mistook you for him when I addressed -you." Ramlall and Barada Babu then sat down beside the old man -and began to converse on a variety of topics connected with the -_Shástras_. Meanwhile a person with a somewhat anxious expression -of countenance came and sat beside them, keeping his head down. -Barada Babu, gazing intently at him, exclaimed: "Ram! Ram! do you -not see? It is your elder brother sitting by you." On hearing these -words, Ramlall's hair stood on end with astonishment, and he looked -at Matilall, Matilall, looking at Ramlall, suddenly started up, and -embraced him: and remaining for some time motionless, he said: "Oh, -my brother! will you forgive me?" and then winding his arms round -his younger brother's neck, he bathed his shoulders in his tears. -For some time both remained silent: no words issued from their -mouths, and they began to realise the real meaning of the word -'brother.' Then Matilall, prostrating himself at the feet of Barada -Babu and, taking the dust off his feet, said, as he humbly folded -his hands: "Honoured sir, now at length I have come to know your -real worth: forgive me, worthless wretch that I am." Barada Babu, -taking the two brothers by the hand, then took leave of the old man, -and they all proceeded on their way, each in turn telling his story -as they went. When Barada Babu, after a long converse, perceived -the change that had taken place in Matilall's mind, his delight knew -no bounds. On coming to where the other members of his family were, -Matilall, while still some distance off, exclaimed with a loud voice: -"Oh, mother, mother, where are you? Your wicked son has returned -to you: he is now alive and well, he is not dead: ah, mother! -considering what my behaviour towards you has been, I do not wish -to show you my face; it is my wish to see your feet only just once -before I die." On hearing these words, his mother approached with -cheerful mind, and tearful eyes, and found priceless wealth in -gazing on her eldest son's face. Matilall at once fell prostrate -at her feet: his mother then raised him up, and as she wiped away -his tears with the border of her _sari_ said: "Oh, Mati, your -stepmother, your sister, and your wife are all here: come and see -them at once." After greeting his stepmother and sister, Matilall, -seeing his wife, wept at the remembrance of his previous history, and -exclaimed: "Oh my mother, I have been as bad a husband as I have been -a son and a brother. I am in no way worthy of so estimable a wife: -a man and woman, at the time of marriage, take a form of oath before -the Almighty that they will love each other as long as life lasts, -and that they will never forsake each other, even though they may -fall into great trouble; the wife too, that she will never turn her -thoughts to another man, and the husband that he will never think -of another woman, as in such thoughts there is grievous sin. I have -acted in numberless ways contrary to this oath: how is it then that -I have not been deserted by my wife? Such a brother and a sister -as I have too! I have done them an irreparable injury. And such a -mother! than whom a man can have no more priceless possession on -earth. Ah, mother, I have given you endless trouble. I, your son, -actually struck you! What atonement can there be for all these sins? -If I were only to die at this moment I might find deliverance from -the fire that is burning within me, but I almost think that death -has been the cause of its own death; for I see no sign of disease -even, the messenger of death. However, do you now all of you return -home. I will remain with my teacher in this city, and depart this -life in the practice of stern austerities." After this Barada Babu, -Ramlall, and his mother, summoned to them Matilall's spiritual -teacher, and explained matters to him at length, and then took -Matilall away with them. - -While their boat was tied up to the shore at nightfall, off -Monghyr, some one, resembling a boy in form, came close up to -the boat, and raising himself up called out: "There is a light, -there is a light." Seeing this peculiar behaviour, Barada Babu, -bidding them all to be very careful, got on to the deck of the -cabin, and saw about twenty or thirty armed men in ambush in -the jungle, all ready to attack as soon as they should get the -signal. Ramlall and Barada Babu got their guns out at once, and -began firing: at the sound of the firing, the dacoits withdrew -into the jungle. Barada Babu and Ramlall were eager to follow -them up with swords and apprehend them, and give them in charge to -the neighbouring inspector of police, but their families forbade -it. When Matilall saw what had happened he said: "My training -has been bad in every way. I have been utterly ruined by my -life of luxury. I used to laugh at Ramlall when he was practising -gymnastics, but now I recognise that without manly exercise from -one's boyhood courage cannot exist. I was in a terrible fright -just now, and if it had not been for Ramlall and Barada Babu we -should all have been killed." - -In a few days they all arrived at Vaidyabati, and proceeded -to Barada Babu's house. Hearing of the return of Barada Babu -and Ramlall, the villagers came from all parts to see them: joy -uprose in the minds of all, and their faces beamed with delight: -and all, eager for their welfare, showered down upon them prayers -and flowers of blessing. On the following day, Herambar Chandra -Chaudhuri Babu came, and said to Ramlall: "Ram Babu! without -understanding the full circumstances of the case, and acting -on Bancharam Babu's advice, I have obtained possession of your -family house: I am really sorry that I should have entered into -possession, and so driven away the members of your family: take up -your abode there, whenever it suits your good pleasure." To this -Ramlall replied: "I am exceedingly obliged to you: and if it is -really your wish to give me the house back, we shall be under an -obligation to you if you will accept your legitimate claims." Upon -Herambar Babu agreeing to this proposal, Ramlall at once paid the -money out of his own pocket, and drew up a deed in the name of the -two brothers, and then, accompanied by the other members of the -family, returned to the family house; raising his eye to heaven, -and with heartfelt gratitude, he exclaimed: "Lord of the world, -nothing is impossible with Thee." - -Soon after this Ramlall married, and the two brothers passed -their lives very happily, striving, with exceeding affection, -to promote the happiness of their mother and the other members -of their family. Under the favour of Durga, the granter of -boons, Barada Babu went on special employment to Badaraganj. -Becharam Babu, becoming by the sale of his property the true -Becharam, went to live at Benares. Beni Babu, who had been for -some time the independent gentleman without much training, turned -his attention to the practice of law. Bancharam Babu, after a -long course of trickery and chicanery, was at length killed by -lightning. Bakreswar went roaming about, making nothing for all -his obsequious flattery. Thakchacha and Bahulya, transported for -life to the Andamans for forgery, were set to hard labour, chained -hand and foot, and at length died after enduring unparalleled -sufferings. The wife of Thakchacha, being left without resources, -roamed about the lanes singing the song of her craft as a seller -of glass bracelets:-- - -"Bracelets, fine bracelets have I. -Come and buy, come and buy!" - -Haladhar, Gadadhar, and the rest of Matilall's old boon companions, -seeing Matilall's altered character, looked out for another -leader. Mr. John, after his bankruptcy, commenced business again -as a broker. Premnarayan Mozoomdar assumed the distinctive dress -of a religious mendicant, and roamed about Nuddea, shouting out: - -"To faith alone 'tis given below -Mahadev's secret mind to know." - -The husband of Pramada having accepted many hands in marriage[80] in -different places, becoming at length himself empty-handed, came -to Vaidyabati, and lived at the expense of his brothers-in-law, -indulging, to his utmost bent, in every variety of sweetmeat -pleasant to the taste. All that happened afterwards must be left -to be related hereafter. - -"Thus my story ends: -The Natiya thorn withereth:"[81] - -FINIS. - - - -NOTES. - -[1] Kulins. -- Mr. Phillips, in a note to his excellent -translation of "Kopal Kundala," says:-- - -"Large sums are paid by fathers of girls for Kulin bridegrooms. A -Kulin Brahmin girl, to preserve her caste and social position -intact, must be married to a Kulin bridegroom. So it happens that -Kulin youths are sometimes married to ten or twenty different -wives. They can visit the houses of their numerous fathers-in-law, -and are not only well entertained when there, but expect a present -on coming away. There have been cases in which poor fathers of -Kulin girls have taken them and had them wedded to old men on -the point of death. They cannot afford to pay for a young and -suitable bridegroom, and it is an indelible disgrace for their -daughters to remain unmarried. On the other hand, Brahmins of -lower family have to pay for a bride. The state of things is -not so bad as it used to be. The feeling of the upper classes -of Hindoos is strongly in favour of monogamy, and a Kulin who -marries many wives is regarded with some contempt and aversion." - -[2] _Literally_-- "He has drank down Mother Saraswati at one gulp." - -[3] "When a Hindu boy is first initiated into school life, he -is presented with a piece of chalk, a tal leaf and a plantain -leaf"--Bose--"The Hindoos as they Are." - -[4] The bracelet on the right hand is one of the signs that a -woman is married, and that her husband is still living; another -sign is a mark on the forehead called the 'sindhoor.' - -[5] _Sakhishamvad_-- "Songs expressive of news conveyed to Krishna -by Brinda, one of the Gopis, of the pangs of separation felt by -the milkmaids of Brindabun"-- Bose--"The Hindoos as they Are." - -[6] _The Shalgram_.-- A flinty stone with the impression of an -ammonite, which Hindoos think represents Vishnu: it is worshipped -as Vishnu. Some Hindoos make large collections: one man was -reputed to possess a collection of nearly eighty thousand. - -[7] _Literally_-- "Has cut a fine canal, and brought all the -waters upon us." - -[8] The cat watching for a mouse, the heron and paddy birds for -fish, are all alike regarded as types of hypocritical saintliness, -and as such are largely used as figures in Sanscrit and Bengali -literature. - -[9] "A field of _beguns_" is a popular expression for a source of -continual profit, as 'a field of roots' is used for a temporary -source of profit. - -[10] _Literally_-- "He had a big heavy hand:" the opposite -phrase used of a generous man is -- "His hand is always turned -palm upward." - -[11] The veneration with which Hindoos regard Benares is expressed -in the Sanscrit _sloka_:-- "The heaps of your sins will all be -burnt to ashes if you only name the name of Kashi." All orthodox -Hindus in their inmost hearts, look forward to spending the -evening of their days, if possible, in "the Holy City," where, -after having passed the two periods of their lives in the world -as students and householders, they may pass the last as ascetics, -in reading and meditation. - -[12] Gambling has always been popular in the East, and was evidently -so amongst the ancient Aryans. In a translation of Kaegi's Rigveda, -by Arrowsmith, there is a song called "The Song of the Gambler." - -[13] The favourite expression of Bancharam, which occurs often -in this book, means literally: "Is this a cake in the hands of a -small child?" The idea being that a cake is easily snatched out -of the hand of a child. - -[14] _Literally_-- "Many undertakings getting as far as the 'h' -turn back when just short of the 'Ksha'." In some old grammars -Ksha, instead of being the first of the compound consonants, -as now, was put as the last of the simple consonants. - -[15] An old Aryan proverb corresponding to this is: "Even an ugly -man may be found beautiful, when he is rich." - -[16] The following vivid description of a nor'wester, as the -storms so common in Bengal in the hot season are called, occurs -in Mr. Vaughan's "The Trident, The Crescent, and The Cross": - -"For days, it may be for weeks, the sky has been burdened with -clouds charged with the needful watery stores. Millions of longing -eyes have watched their shifting course and changing forms. Ever -and anon it has seemed as if their refreshing streams were about -to descend, but, as if pent up, and restrained by an invisible -hand, the clouds have refused to pour down the desired blessing: -at length one point of the sky gathers darkness: a deep inky hue -spreads over one-half the heavens: the wild birds begin to shriek -and betake themselves to shelter: for a few moments an ominous -death-like calm seems to reign: Nature appears to be listening -in awful expectancy of the coming outburst: in another instant a -dazzling flash of lightning is seen, followed by terrific rolls of -thunder: a hurricane sweeps across the plains: sometimes uprooting -massive trees in its course, and darkening the air with clouds -of sand and dust: a deadly conflict seems to rage amongst the -elements: the lightning is more brilliant: the crashes of the -thunder more awful: yet the rain does not come. But the strife -does not last long. Now isolated big drops begin to fall: then -torrents of water pour down from the bursting clouds: driven along -the wings of the storm, the rain sometimes appears like drifting -cataracts, or oblique sheets of water. Speedily parched fields are -inundated, and empty rivers swollen. All this takes place in less -than an hour: then the storm abates, the darkness passes away, the -sun once more shines forth: the atmosphere is cooled and purified, -thirsty Nature is satisfied, and all creation seems to rejoice." - -[17] Before court-fee stamps came into use, attorneys were -personally liable for fees payable to the court, and in default -of payment they were punished with suspension. - -[18] The name given to a continuous supply of _Ghee_ dropping -through seven courses at certain of the Hindoo ceremonies, such -as a child's first eating rice, at investiture with the sacred -thread, and at marriage. - -[19] On one night in the month of Phalgun a lamp is kept burning -in all Hindoo households, and if it is extinguished misfortunes -are expected to happen. - -[20] The fear that a Hindoo feels lest he shall have no one to -offer the customary libations to his manes and those of his -ancestors is expressed in "Sakuntala." King Dushyanta says:-- - -"No son remains in King Dushyanta's place -To offer sacred homage to the dead -Of Purus' noble line: my ancestors -Must drink these glistening tears the last libation -A childless man can ever hope to make them." - Sir M. Monier-William's Translation. - -[21] A local name for Durga: most towns in Bengal have some local -deity representing Durga: at Krishnaghar the local deity is -Ananda Maye. - -[22] _Literally_-- "Were performing the _shraddha_ of Vedavyasa," -the reputed author of the Mahabharata. - -[23] It was no uncommon thing formerly at great men's houses for -uninvited guests to attend in some numbers, solely for the purpose -of creating a disturbance. - -[24] One of the preliminary ceremonies of a Hindoo marriage, -is for the bridegroom elect to put a thread on his right hand, -on the day preceding the night of the marriage (a Hindoo marriage -cannot take place before the evening twilight). - -[25] Kankan was the name of a Bengali poet: this name is assumed -for the nonce by the poetaster. - -[26] Prahlad is ever a favourite with Hindoos: his story is told -in the Vishnu Purana: there is a capital ballad on him in Miss -Toru Dutt's "Ballads of Hindustan." The story of Prahlad has -been supposed to point to the gradual absorption into the Hindu -system of the aboriginal tribes. The resistance long offered to -that absorption, is supposed to be hinted at in the treatment of -Prahlad by his Daitya parents. - -[27] Repetitions of the name of Hari, or Vishnu, made with the -beads of the Tulsi plant: the rosaries are of different lengths: -the common one consists of 108 beads: a pandit once told me he -had seen one of 100,000 beads. - -[29] _Literally_-- "They see all round them only the yellow -flower of the mustard plant" -- a man at the point of death -being supposed to see everything with a yellow tinge upon it. - -[30] _Literally_-- "To lose his drinking pot, and all for a -cowrie" -- the pot being either of block-tin, or of silver for -holding drinking water, and carried by every Mussulman, and -largely by Hindoos when moving about. - -[31] The _Kabiraj_ means that the sick man should be taken to the -banks of the Ganges, that he might die happily with his feet in -the water. People are often taken to the river bank when very -ill, and left in a small hut, which will be erected for them -there, where, if they are rich enough to afford it, a Pandit is -engaged to watch the pulse; and when the pulse becomes so feeble -as to show death to be at hand, the Brahmin in attendance takes -the sick person to the river and places the feet in the water: -the sick person will then die happy in the full assurance of -salvation. Death is often actually hastened by the zeal with -which the relatives of sick persons hurry them to the river-side, -or, if they are too far from a river, outside the house, for -it is regarded as an happy augury if the sick man dies being -able to think of the sacred waters or even speak of them with -his latest breath. Indeed the phrase; 'He died conscious' is -practically equivalent to, 'He died happy, in the full assurance -of salvation.' Benares is regarded as so holy a place to die in -that consciousness at death is not regarded as a _sine qua non_ -of a happy death: the mere fact of dying in Benares is of itself -sufficient to ensure the feeling of happiness and assurance. - -[31] An evil spirit is supposed to depart in a _sirish_ seed -thrown over the shoulder. - -[32] "He is utterly unscrupulous:" literally -- "His orthodoxy -is killing cows and making presents of shoes." - -[33] The wooden frame is here referred to in which the heads -of goats are put to be cut off with one stroke of the broad -sacrificial knife, with the eye of Kali on it, used for the -purpose; the literal word is "The Bone Cutter." - -[34] _Stri-Achar_.--The name given to certain ceremonies which are -gone through amongst the women of a household where a marriage is -being celebrated, the object being to promote conjugal felicity: -one of the ceremonies consists in the ladies of the family taking -_pán_ and betel in their hands and offering up prayers for the -welfare of the bridegroom. - -[35] Ram Prasad was a popular poet who flourished at the same -time as Bharat Chandra Raya, who was one of Maharajah Kishen -Chandra's "Five Jewels." Maharajah Kishen Chandra was Maharajah -of Nuddea at the time of Lord Clive: he was a Sanscrit scholar, -and a great patron of learning. - -[36] _Literally_-- "Before he had got as far as the initial -mystic salutation to Ganesh, the sacred Om." All business is -commenced with this mystic invocation: it is written at the top -of letters in the form of a crescent with a dot in the centre. - -[37] These questions were simply put to see if the patient was -still conscious-- see note 30. - -[38] To die conscious in the full possession of all his faculties -is regarded as of supreme importance with a Hindoo, and as ensuring -a happy hereafter; even though a Hindoo may not be dying in the -waters of the sacred Ganges, if he is able to ask the question as -he dies -- "Is this the Ganges that I am dying in?" 'tis enough: -the priest in attendance will reply: "It is the Ganges." - -[39] A place supposed to be famous for witchcraft. Some say it is -an old name for Assam. - -[40] One of the features of a _shraddha_ ceremony is the assembly -of Pandits, who engage in a dispute more or less factitious, in the -course of which a point arises when they all get so excited that -they almost come to actual fisticuffs; an arbitrator then steps -forward, and the excitement subsides as suddenly as it had arisen. - -[41] The point in the supposed argument is to create amusement -amongst the by-standers by the difference in pronunciation of -certain words by Pandits from different districts. The whole -sentence is a jumble of more or less nonsense, designed to -give the speakers credit with the audience for great learning. -The ordinary arguments for discussion amongst Pandits who are -adepts in the Nyaya Philosophy as taught in the Nuddea school are -on the difference between objects perceived by the Senses and -those perceived by the Intellect: it is Gnan versus Vidya. The -discussion here is a humorous travesty. - -[42] Tales from the _Mahabharat_ and the _Ramayan_ form almost -the entire mental food of Bengal children. - -[43] Jagat Sett was the famous banker of the Nawab Nazims of -Bengal. - -[44] The reference is to a story how each drop of blood as it -fell from the Demon Raktabij produced a new demon, and how Debi -and her companions put their tongues out and licked up the blood. - -[45] The reference is to an old story about a joint-family: -there were four sons-in-law in the family of whom Dhananjayas -was one. Efforts were constantly made to annoy them to get -them to leave, and three went because their feelings were -offended. Dhananjayas would not go until he was actually beaten. - -[46] It is a very common practice in India to give earnest-money -in advance, when making any arrangement with a small tradesman; -it is commonly asked for with the excuse of buying materials, -but the idea really is that of binding or closing a bargain. - -[47] This proverb practically means that gentlemen are doing -menial acts, while beggars are riding on horseback. - -[48] "Seven" seems a favourite number when reference is made to -wealth. "The Wealth of Seven Kings" is a favourite expression in -Bengali Fairy Tales. - -"Ten" in Bengali seems to be used for the whole world, as "Five" -in Sanskrit. Dash Jan -- "Ten people" in Bengali means everybody. - -[49] It is regarded as of evil omen to call a man back when he -has just started anywhere. - -[50] The indigenous village schools used to be noted for the -severity of discipline in vogue there: various stories are told of -the ingenuity of the village school-masters in devising ever-fresh -punishment. One punishment was adopted from the illustrations of -Bala Krishna, who is generally represented as kneeling on one knee -holding something in his right hand, and something on his head; -the poor boy who was to be punished was made to kneel on one knee, -and hold a brick in his upturned hand. - -[51] _Literally_-- "Day and night there were cries of 'Let us eat,' -'Let us eat' -- To-day we will eat the elephants out of the -elephant stables, and to-morrow the horses out of their stalls." - -The reference is to the popular stories current in Bengal about -the _Rakshashas_ and _Rakshashis_, the ogres and ogresses of our -English childhood. - -[52] _Literally_-- "Day and night are still with us." -- The idea -seems to be that the Universe is still in its place, and that there -is still justice in the earth; the popular tradition apparently being -that justice is gradually disappearing from the earth. - -[53] The reference is to a rich merchant, who, having on one of -his journeys seen Durga sitting in the form of a woman on a lotus, -in the sea off Ceylon, was punished with solitary confinement for -some time; he was at length released through his son's efforts -and returned home with all his wealth. - -[54] _Literally_-- "Their luck is a covering of leaves," -- -the idea being that as leaves are easily blown about, so any -slight circumstances may cause an Englishman's luck to turn: -he may be in bad luck at one moment, but he will be in good luck -the next moment. - -[55] There is a reference here to a popular belief that Ravan's -funeral pile is ever blazing and in Bengal people closing their -ears can imagine that they hear the sound of the blazing and -crackling, just as children in England imagine they can hear the -sound of the ocean waves that encircle the island, when they apply -a shell to the ear. - -[56] These are all signs of poverty in the East: oil has always -been regarded in the East as a sign of prosperity, and we find -it constantly referred to in the Hebrew Bible -- "It is like -the precious ointment upon the head." - -The absence of oil on the head is a distinct mark of poverty in the -East. A thin stomach would also be regarded as a sign of poverty in -a country like Bengal, especially where "The fair round belly" of -Shakespeare, and "The front like the front of Ganesh" of the -Bengali, is regarded as a mark of prosperity. A good story is told -of an Indian client who had full confidence in the English barrister -to whom he had entrusted his case because he was a very fat -individual. - -[57] "Don't talk to me of Khod-kast and Pai-kast: I will make -them all Ek-kast." - -The remark shows utter ignorance on the part of Matilall of terms -used in connection with landed property in Bengal. Khod-kast is a -cultivator who cultivates his own land: Pai-kast is one who -cultivates land for another: Ek-kast is simply a term invented -by Matilall, and would mean one who cultivates for one. - -[58] There is a reference here to a story, found in the Puranas, -a familiar child's tale in Bengal, of a sage who was disturbed in -his quiet meditation by seeing a cat pursuing a mouse: he turned -the mouse into a tiger that it might escape from the cat, but -he very speedily had to turn the tiger back into a mouse again, -as the beast was about to attack and kill him. - -[59] Many are the stories told of the wariness of the Indian crow. - -[60] There is a beautiful figure taken from a large tree in -Sakuntala; in reference to a king's responsibilities, it is -said:-- - -"Honour to him who labours day by day -"For the world's weal, forgetful of his own, -"Like some tall tree that with its stately head -"Endures the solar beam, while underneath -"It yields refreshing shelter to the weary." - Sir M. Monier-William's Translation. - -[61] The Harinbati was at one time the place where prisoners used -to pound soorkey, and the phrase "Go to the Harinbati" is still -used in Bengal as equivalent to "Go to jail." - -[62] It is a common tradition that if this expression is whispered -in the ear of any one snoring three times, the snoring will cease. - -[63] The reference is to the stories told of a brother of Ravan -who was famous as a great sleeper: he is said to have slept the -whole year, except on one day, when he would wake, and eat a -hearty meal of some thousand animals: his name is taken from the -tradition that his ears were as large as water jars. - -[64] The first salutation of a Brahman is in the form of a -blessing: his hands are held out before him, palms upward: his -second salutation is the ordinary one with hands folded together -against his forehead, the fingers upwards: this is after his -first salutation has been acknowledged. - -[65] The story of these two is found in the Bhagavadgita, which, -with the Chandi or Hymn to Durga, forms the favourite reading of -the class of Pundits. Many. Brahmins make a living as itinerary -readers of the Bhagavadgita, or Ramayana: they halt for weeks at -a time at various places, and erect a temporary booth, where they -read and explain to all who may come to hear them: at the end of -a course of reading they are presented with presents: one man in -Patna is reputed to make as much as five hundred rupees for one -course of reading the Ramayana which may take him about six weeks. - -[66] One of the verses I have referred to in note 12. "The Song -of the Gambler," runs:-- - -"The gambler hurries to the gaming table, -"To-day I'll win, he thinks in his excitement, -"The dice inflame his greed, his hopes mount higher, -"He leaves his winnings all with his opponent." - -[67] The reference seems to be to the last of the divisions of -the Mahabharat: the divisions are called Parbba. - -[68] _Literally_-- "He is sharp enough in the _buri_, but blind -in the _kahan_," -- a _buri_ is equal to 20 cowries: a _kahan_ -to 1,600 cowries. - -[69] It is a popular tradition that Valmiki, the author of the -Ramayana, wrote his famous epic before Ram was born: thus the -expression practically means: "It was a foregone conclusion." - -[70] There is a popular tradition about a small bird, called in -Bengal the Chátak, which sings in the hot weather months: the -tradition is that it drinks only rain-water, and that its song is -a cry to Heaven for rain: this is only one of the many traditions -pointing to the eagerness with which in India the annual rains -are expected. The bird is a small black-plumaged bird, and its -cry exactly resembles "Phatik Jal," which the people interpret as -"Sphatik Jal,": "Water clear as crystal." It is supposed to drink -with its beak raised in the air; a synonym for an anxious man is --- "He is like a Chátak." - -[71] Kankan, the name of the poet, the author of the Bengali -Version of the Chandi, or Hymn to Durga: in the poetical effusion -in the Tale the poetaster assumes the name of Kankan. Valmiki, -the reputed author of the Ramayana. Vyasa, the reputed author of -the Mahabharat. - -[72] A reference to the popular tradition how Hanuman won from -Ravan's wife the arrow presented by Brahma to Ravan, and how -Hanuman presented it to Ram for Ravan's destruction. - -[73] The wearing of charms is very common amongst all classes in -Bengal: it is still a matter of popular belief that sickness may be -cured, and harm averted, by their use. The actual charm is often a -piece of bark on which a sacred text is written: this is folded in -paper into a very small compass and is worn on a delicate silk -string round the neck, or round the arm. - -[74] The author had doubtless read the lines in "Hamlet":-- - -"Let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp, -"And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee, -"Where thrift may follow fawning." - -[75] In Hindu Philosophy, the name given to the third and lowest -of the inherent natural qualities of man, -- is Tamas -- Gloom -or Darkness. - -[76] The most profound salutation that a Hindu can make, and -one that denotes absolute devotion of a man's whole body to the -service of another, is one "with the eight members": the members -on which Hindus make religious marks, -- the two hands, the chest, -the forehead, the two eyes, the throat, and the middle of the back. - -[77] Women keep their money tied up in a corner of their _saris_: -the expression here means literally "the riches of your skirt;" men -keep their money in a small bag stitched into their waist cloths. - -[78] No orthodox Hindu will commence any undertaking of importance, -and some will not undertake even a short journey, without having -first ascertained whether the day will be an auspicious one or -not. The family Guru will be consulted; and even when an auspicious -day has been fixed, the ladies of the zenana will always insist -upon the observance of certain ceremonies. A gentleman of position, -when inviting a guest to visit him, will often send him by special -messenger a slip of paper with the auspicious days for his journey -written down by his Guru either in Sanskrit, or in the current -language of the district. - -[79] Shuka was the author of the Commentary on the Vedas, and has -sometimes been identified as Vishnu himself: he is said to have -been the only one amongst many hundred millions of Hindoos who -ever obtained perfect Nirvana: that is complete absorption into the -Deity: the full expression is "Nirvana Mukti," that is, Redemption, -a salvation which consists in perfect absorption into the Deity. - -[80] There are several plays upon words in this concluding passage -of the book: in this particular passage the word 'Pani' is used -both for "Hand" and for "Wife": it came to be used in the latter -secondary sense because one of the ceremonies, rendering a Hindu -marriage legitimate, is the ceremony in which the bridegroom takes -the bride by the hand. The use of words and phrases capable of -a double meaning, is very common in Sanskrit writings. - -[81] According to a not uncommon custom of ending stories in -Bengal, the author ends his story with the first lines of a song, -which in full is:-- - -"Thus my story endeth, -The Natiya thorn withereth: -Why, oh Natiya thorn, dost wither? -Why does thy cow on me browse? -Why, O cow, dost thou browse? -Why does thy neat herd not tend me? -Why, O neat herd does not tend the cow? -Why does thy daughter-in-law not give me rice? -Why, O daughter-in-law, dost not give rice? -Why does my child cry? -Why, O child, dost thou cry? -Why does the ant bite me? -Why, O ant, dost thou bite? - Koot, koot, koot." - - -GLOSSARY. - -_Amlah_.-- A. name for the whole establishment of an office; -sometimes simply for a clerk. - -_Arjuna_. -- His story is told in the Bhagavad Gita. - -_Ashar_.-- The month corresponding to the English June-July:-- -The first month of the rainy season. - -_Astrologer_.-- An important person in Hindu households, where -his chief duty is to cast horoscopes on the birth of children. - -_Bael_.-- A Egle Marmelos. The fruit of this tree has a very -hard rind, almost as hard as the cocoanut. - -_Baya_.-- A drum played with the left hand only. - -_Begun_.-- Brinjal/Egg-plant. - -_Bhagirathi_.-- A name given to that branch of the Ganges which -lower down becomes the Hooghly. Sometimes used for the Ganges -proper. - -_Bhima_.-- A great warrior of the Lunar Race, whose story is -told in the Sanscrit Epic--Mahabharata. - -_Bidri_.-- The name given to finely-chased metal ware, which -was originally made at Bidri in the Deccan. - -_Budgerow_.-- The name given to a large house-boat used on the -rivers of Bengal. - -_Champac_.-- Michelia Champaka. A flowering tree that flowers -in the rains: it bears large and yellow fragrant flowers, and is -a very popular tree. - -_Chowkidar_.-- A kind of rural policeman. - -_Durga Poojah_.-- The great Autumn festival in honour of the -goddess Durga, wife of Siva, during which all business is suspended -in Bengal for ten days: it affords an opportunity for a re-union -of families. - -_Dampati Baran_.-- A form of Shraddha. - -_Dan Sagar_.-- Literally "Ocean of Gifts." A form of funeral -ceremony where every guest receives some present. - -_Darogah_.-- An Inspector of Police. - -_Dewan_.-- A government official, minister, or ruler. - -_Druva_.-- A boy of four years old, who went in search of Vishnu -and received a sacred mantra of twelve letters from Narad. Upon -the repetition of this mystic mantra Vishnu appeared to the boy. - -_Durryodhan_.-- One of the heroes of the Mahabharat who was -obliged to hide in a Lake called the Dvaipana Lake, to avoid -capture; he was the eldest of the hundred sons of Dhritarastra. - -_Durwan_.-- A gate-keeper. - -_Eed_.-- A Mahomedan Festival. - -_Ghât_.-- The name given to a landing or bathing-place on the -bank of a river, also to a place for burning the dead. - -_Gosain_.-- A class of Hindu religious mendicants. - -_Gariwan_.-- Hackney coachman. - -_Guddee or Couch_.-- The principal seat at an assembly of -notables. "To attain the guddee" is a synonym for succeeding to -a title or to estates. - -_Golden Age_.-- The first of the four Hindu Ages. Literally--The -Age of Truth. - -_Ghee_.-- Melted butter specially prepared for household cooking -purposes. - -_Gomashtha_.-- A land agent, or steward, the headman of the -employees on an estate, or in a factory. - -_Hanuman_.-- The monkey-god, a great favourite with Hindus. His -story is told in the great epic--the Ramayana, which, in its -Hindi version by Tulsi Dass, is annually acted in Northern India. - -_Hom_.-- An offering of ghee, barley-meal, sandal and rice, -fried over a fire. - -_Hori Bol_.-- A cry to Vishnu, as "The Saviour." - -_Jelabhi_.-- A sweetmeat made in twists. - -_Jemadar_.-- Originally an armed official of a zemindar in charge -of fighting and conducting warfare, mostly against the rebellious -peasants and common people who lived on the zemindar's land. Later, -a rank in the Company's military forces. - -_Krishna_.-- The favourite Incarnation of Vishnu. - -_Kalidas_.-- The Author of the popular Sanscrit Drama, "Sakuntala." - -_Kodáli_.-- A kind of bread hoe, used for breaking up the ground. - -_Kabiraj_.-- A Hindu physician. - -_Kayasth_.-- man of the writer caste. - -_Lanka_.-- A name for Ceylon in the Ramayana. - -_Lakshmi_.-- Goddess of fortune and good luck. - -_Lathial_.-- One armed with a heavy stick, often employed by -landlords in disputes with neighbours. - -_Mohurrir_.-- A clerk. - -_Mantra_.-- A verse from the sacred hymns of the Vedas. - -_Mahadeva_.-- A name of Siva. - -_Mahajan_. -- A money-lender. - -_Machan_.-- A platform of bamboo, raised on piles above the -ground. - -_Mallika_. -- A species of Jessamine. - -_Muktar_. -- An agent, or broker. - -_Moulvi_. -- A Mahomedan title of respect meaning 'Learned.' - -_Nala Raja_.-- The hero of the Sanskrit Drama, "Nala and -Damayanti." - -_Naib_.-- An agent, or deputy of the landlord of an estate. - -_Pandit_.-- A learned Brahman, learned in Sanskrit -literature. Regular titles are conferred on Pandits according to -the extent of their knowledge, as tested from time to time by -an assembly of Pandits; one of these meets at the old Sanskrit -University of Nuddea, or Navadwip. - -_Phalgun_.-- The month corresponding from February to March. - -_Paik_.-- Originally "a runner":-- Men employed by landlords -as messengers. - -_Ryot_.-- A cultivator. - -_Radha_.-- The wife of Krishna. - -_Ramzan_.-- The name given to the Mahomedan Lenten Fast. - -_Shravan_.-- The month corresponding to July-August, the second -month of the rainy season, when the rainfall is heaviest. - -_Shástras_.-- The name given to some of the Hindu Sacred Books -especially to the Philosophical works. - -_Sari_.-- The usual dress of women, made of cotton, or silk, -or muslin. - -_Sati_.-- A woman who threw herself on her husband's funeral -pile was known as Sati, "The Chaste One." Sati was abolished -under Lord Bentinck. - -_Satya Pir_.-- A Hindu deity regarded by Mahomedans as one of -their saints. - -_Saraswati_.-- The Hindu goddess of learning. - -_Shorash_.-- A kind of funeral ceremony where sixteen different -kinds of presents are distributed, six kinds being of silver. - -_Sephalika_.-- Nyctantes Arbor Tristis, flowering only at night. - -_Shraddha_.-- The Hindu funeral ceremony; see Wilkins' "Modern -Hinduism." - -_Shal Fish_.-- A fish used in religious ceremonies; it is first -roasted. - -_Sheristadar_.-- The Head Clerk in charge of the records of -an office. - -_Tol_.-- The name of the indigenous Sanskrit schools. - -_Tulsi_.-- Ocymum Sanctum. The basil honoured by all Hindus. - -_Tauba_.-- The Mahomedan cry of grief meaning, "I repent me of -my sins." - -_Tabala_.-- The name for the drum that is played with the right -hand only. - -_Taluk_.-- A portion of an estate, consisting of several villages. - -_Udjog Parwa_.-- One of the cantos of the Mahabharat, giving -the preliminary incidents of the Kurukshetra Battle. - -_Veda_.-- The name given to the oldest sacred books of the Hindus -meaning "Revelation." - -_Vaishnava_.-- A follower of Vishnu; see Wilkins' "Modern -Hinduism." - -_Yudishthira_.-- Surnamed "The Incarnation of Virtue." One of -the heroes of the Mahabharat. - -_Yama_.-- The Hindu god of Death. - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SPOILT CHILD *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm -concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, -and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following -the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use -of the Project Gutenberg trademark. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: <span lang='fr' xml:lang='fr'>The Spoilt Child</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:0; margin-top:0; margin-bottom:1em;'><span lang='fr' xml:lang='fr'>A Tale of Hindu Domestic Life</span></p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Peary Chand Mitter</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Translator: G. D. Oswell</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: October 17, 2022 [eBook #69173]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: Anindya Sen (In memory of: Tapan Sen)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='fr' xml:lang='fr'>THE SPOILT CHILD</span> ***</div> - - -<p> </p> -<p> </p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width:60%;"> -<img src="images/spoilt_child_cover.jpg" style="width:100%;" alt="cover" /> -</div> - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> - -<h1>THE SPOILT CHILD</h1> -<p class="center"><b><i>A Tale of Hindu Domestic Life</i></b></p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> - -<h3><b>BY</b></h3> - - -<h2>PEARY CHAND MITTER<br /> <small>(TEK CHAND THAKUR.)</small> </h2> - -<p> </p> -<p class="center"><b>TRANSLATED BY</b></p> - -<h3>G. D. OSWELL, <small>M.A.,<br /> <i>Court of Wards, Bengal</i></small></h3> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> - -<p class="center"><b>Calcutta:</b></p> -<h3>THACKER, SPINK AND CO.<br /> -1893<br /> -[<small><i>All rights reserved.</i></small>] -</h3> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> - -<p class="center"><small>PRINTED BY THACKER, SPINK AND CO., CALCUTTA.</small></p> - - -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> - -<p class="center"><small>TO MY FATHER</small></p> <p> </p> -<p class="center">REV. HENRY LLOYD OSWELL, M.A.</p> <p> </p> -<p class="center"><small>WHO, AFTER 50 YEARS OF ACTIVE WORK</small></p> <p> </p> -<p class="center">IN THE CHURCH,</p> <p> </p> -<p class="center"><small>HAS SOUGHT A WELL-EARNED RETIREMENT</small></p> <p> </p> -<p class="center">THIS VOLUME</p> <p> </p> -<p class="center"><small>IS</small></p> <p> </p> -<p class="center"><small>AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED.</small></p> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p><p> </p> <p> </p> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p> -<h2>PREFACE</h2> - - <p> - The author of this novel, Babu Peary Chand Mitter, was born in the year - 1814. - </p> - - - <p> - He represented the well-educated, thoroughly earnest, and courteous - Bengali gentleman of the old school. - </p> - - - <p> - His life was devoted to the good of his fellow-countrymen, and he was - especially eager in the cause of female education. In the preface to - one of hisworks, written with that object in view, he writes:— - <q>I was born in the year 1814. While a pupil of the - Páthshálá at home, - I found my grandmother, mother, and aunts reading Bengali books. They - could write in Bengali and keep accounts. There were no female schools - then, nor were there suitable books for the females. My wife was very - fond of reading, and I could scarcely supply her with instructive books. - I was thus forced to think how female education could be promoted in a - substantial way. The conclusion I came to was that, unless womanhood - were placed on a spiritual basis, education would never be productive of - real good. For the furtherance of this end I have been humbly working. - </q> - </p> - - - <p> - Amongst the books he published with this end in view are the - ‘Ramaranjika,’ - the ‘Abhedi,’ - and the ‘Adhyátwiká.’ - The ‘Ramaranjika’ - deals with female education under different aspects, and gives examples - drawn from the lives of eminent Englishwomen, as well as biographical - sketches of distinguished Hindu women, drawn from history and tradition. - Of the ‘Abhedi’ the - author says:— - - <q>It is a spiritual novel in Bengali, in which the hero and heroine - have been described as earnest seekers after the knowledge of the soul, - and as obtaining spiritual light by the education of pain.</q> - - Of the ‘Adhyátwiká,’ the author tells us:— - - <q>It brings before its readers the conversation and manners of - different classes of people, in different circumstances, which have - been pourtrayed in different styles, and which may perhaps be useful to - foreigners wishing to acquire a colloquial knowledge of the Bengali - language.</q> - - </p> - - - <p> - Babu Peary Chand Mitter was a man who keenly felt the evils in society - around him, and he used his pen in the cause of temperance and the - purity of thedomestic circle as against drunkenness and debauchery; - amongst his writings having this object in view is the - ‘Mada Kháoya bara dáya,’ or - ‘The great evils of dram-drinking.’ - - It is a novel marked by great humour, and shows the author to have been - a satirist of no mean power. - </p> - - - <p> - Besides these novels he wrote - ‘The Life of David Hare’ - both in Bengali and in English. He also contributed essays to - <cite>The Calcutta Review</cite>, - and an American publication called - <cite>The Banner of Light</cite>, - besides writing articles for the Agri-Horticultural Society of India. - </p> - - - <p> - Babu Peary Chand Mitter died in 1883. - </p> - - - <p> - The novel ‘Alaler Gharer Dulál,’ or - ‘The Spoilt Darling of an Ill-regulated House,’ - was written more than forty years ago, and was - very well received, as the criticisms of the day show. - - <cite> The Calcutta Review </cite> of the day says:— - <q>We hail this book as the first novel in the Bengali language. Tek - Chand Thakur has written a tale the like of which is not to be found - within the entire range of Bengali literature. Our author’s quiet - humour reminds us of Goldsmith, while his livelier passages bring to our - recollection the treasures of Fielding’s wit. He seems to be - familiar with Defoe, Fielding, Scott, Dickens, Bulwer, Thackeray, and - other masters of fiction.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Other critics of the day compared him to a Moliére or a Dickens. - </p> - - - <p> - Mr. John Beames, in his ‘Modern Aryan Languages of India,’ - writes:— - - <q>Babu Peary Chand Mitter, who writes under the - <i lang="fr"> nom de plume</i> - of Tek Chand Thakur, has produced the best novel in the language - ‘Alaler Gharer Dulál.’ - - He has had many imitators, and certainly stands high as - a novelist. His story might fairly claim to be ranked with some of the - best comic novels in our own language for wit, spirit, and clever - touches of nature. He puts into the mouth of each of his characters the - appropriate method of talking, and thus exhibits to the full the - extensive range of vulgar idioms which his language possesses.</q> - </p> - - <p> - In an introductory essay on Bengali novels, in his translation of Babu - Bunkim Chandra Chatterjee’s novel - ‘Kopal Kundala,’ - Mr. Phillips writes:— - - <q>The position and character of Bengali literature is peculiar. A - backward people have, so to speak, rushed into civilization at one bound: - old customs and prejudices have been displaced, - <i lang="la">uno ictu</i>, - by a state of enlightenment and advanced ideas. The educated classes - have suddenly found themselves face to face with the richest gems of - Western learning and literature. The clash of widely divergent stages of - civilization, the juxtaposition of the most advanced thought with - comparative barbarism, has produced results which, though perhaps to be - expected, are somewhat curious. If one tries to close a box with more - than it can hold the lid may be unhinged,— new wine may burst - old bottles. The colliding forces of divergent stages of civilization - have produced a literature that for want of a better expression may be - called a hybrid compromise between Eastern and Western ideas. So we - find that the Bengali novel is to a great extent an exotic. It is a - hot-house plant which has been brought from a foreign soil; but even - crude imitations are better than the farragos of original nonsense, - lists of which appear from time to time in the pages of the <cite> - Calcutta Gazette</cite>.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The above remarks are merely general, and there exist of course, bright - and notable exceptions, among whom may be mentioned the names of Peary - Chand Mitter (the father of Bengali novelists), Bunkim Chandra - Chatterjea, Romesh Chandra Dutt, and Tarak Nath Ganguli. - </p> - - - <p> - The ‘Alaler Gharer Dulál’ - of Peary Chand Mitter may be called a truly indigenous novel, in which - some of the reigning vices and follies of the time are held up to scorn - and derision. A deep vein of moral earnestness runs through all the - writings of Peary Chand Mitter, and he takes the opportunity to - interweave with the incidents of his story disquisitions on virtue and - vice, truthfulness and deceit, charity and niggardliness, hypocrisy and - straight-forwardness. Not only general vices, such as drinking and - debauchery, but particular customs, such as a Kulin’s marrying a - dozen wives, and living at their expense, are condemned in no measured - terms. The book is written in a plain colloquial style, which, - combined with a quiet humour, procured for it a considerable degree of - popularity. - </p> - - - <p> - As further evidence, if such were wanting, of the popularity of this - novel, it may be mentioned that it has been dramatized, having been - published in the form of a - <i lang="bn">natak</i> - or play, by Babu Hira Lall Mitter. - </p> - - - <p> - The leading characteristics of the novel, as they have appeared to the - translator, are the humour, pathos, and satire that pervade almost every - page of it. - </p> - - - <p> - The humour, though it may occasionally be broad, can never be called - coarse, and much of it is the cultured humour that might be expected - from a writer well acquainted with his own ancient classics. If - Thackeray is the type of the cultured humorist of the West, Peary Chand - Mitter is the type of the cultured humorist of the East. - </p> - - - <p> - The pathos is especially noticeable in some of the scenes which the - author has pourtrayed for us with such vivid reality where the poor - are brought before us. We see the utter dependence of the poor upon - the generosity of the rich, a generosity that is rarely appealed to - in vain: there is pathos too in the scene that brings before us the - <i lang="bn">ryot</i> - and his landlord; and in the scenes in the - <i lang="bn">zenana</i> and the - bathing-<i lang="bn">ghât</i> - where we have an insight into the lives and the thoughts of both the - upper and lower classes of the women of the country. There is a deep - pathos in the scene that brings before us the old man at Benares, - spending the evening of his days in reading and meditation, in - <q>The Holy City:</q> it is a scene that gives us an insight into the - deeper religious side of the Hindu character. - </p> - - - <p> - The satire is only merciless where it is directed against the vices of - drinking and debauchery, or against the custom of the much marrying of - Kulins, or the marrying of old men to young girls, or solely for money. - In other cases it is not unkindly, especially where it is directed - against that not uncommon failing both in the West and the East, which - Shakespeare has immortalized as - ‘too much respect upon the world,’ - and which is largely exhibited in the East in the form of lavish - expenditure, regardless of debt, upon social and religious ceremonies. - </p> - - - <p> - Amongst other characteristics of this novel may be noted that deep vein - of moral earnestness, already referred to, which runs through the whole - book, and which is chiefly exhibited in the form of moral reflections, - such as are so common in many of the Sanscrit tales. - </p> - - <p> - Dramatic vividness is another noticeable feature of the book: a few - strokes of the pen suffice to bring before us, as living realities, - characters that are drawn from every class of life, and scenes that - deal with almost every incident of life in Bengal. In fact a far - more vivid picture of social life in Bengal, both in its inner and - outer aspects, is presented to us in the pages of this book, than - is presented in the pages of many books purporting to give us an - account of that life. - </p> - - <p> - And, with this dramatic vividness, there is a general faithfulness to - reality that will be appreciated by those who have lived for any time - amidst the scenes described; for, though the book describes life in - Bengal as it appeared to the eyes of an acute observer writing more than - forty years back, the picture, in its general outlines, is as true of - the life of the people now as it was then. - </p> - - <p> - Another noticeable feature of the book is the rhythmic flow which marks - its language. This is a feature which appears to characterize all books - written for the people in the language best understood of the people, no - matter what that language is. - </p> - - <p> - As regards the language in which Peary Chand Mitter wrote this novel, - the <cite>Calcutta Review</cite> - of the day writes:— - <q>Endowed, as he was, with strong common sense, as well as high - culture, he saw no reason why this idol of unmixed diction should - receive worship at his hands, and he set about writing - ‘Alaler Gharer Dulál’ - in a spirit at which the Sanscritists stood aghast, and shook their - heads. Going to the opposite extreme in point of style, he vigorously - excluded from his works, except on very rare occasions, every word and - phrase that had a learned appearance. His own works suffered from the - exclusion, but the movement was well-timed. He scattered to the winds - the time-honoured commonplaces, and drew upon nature and life for his - materials. His success was eminent and well-deserved.</q> - </p> - - <p> - One feature that has especially struck the translator in transferring - this novel from its original Bengali into English, is that he has found - it necessary to omit nothing, on the score of indelicacy, or bad - taste,— a remark which could not be made of every Bengali novel. - The author has written with the maxim of the old Roman satirist - ever before his eyes,— - <i lang="la">maxima debetur puero reverentia</i>. - </p> - - <p> - The translator has had three classes of readers before his eyes, in - making this translation. - </p> - - <p> - It seemed to him that so excellent a picture of social life in Bengal - could not but be interesting to those Englishmen and Englishwomen who - are interested in the lives of their fellow-subjects in India. - </p> - - <p> - It also occurred to him that as the rising generation of Bengalis no - longer read Bengali literature as of old, it might interest them to - see, in an English dress, a novel that has been so popular amongst - their older compatriots. - </p> - - <p> - English students of the Bengali language and its literature may also - find the translation of use, as it has been made literal as far as was - possible. - </p> - - <p> - The task of translation, though it has been a pleasant one, has not been - easy; owing to the many difficulties in the way of adequately rendering - into English, without the qualities of the original suffering in the - transfer, a book so essentially colloquial and idiomatic in style and - character. The fact that Professor Cowell at one time contemplated a - translation of this novel, but abandoned the idea owing to this very - difficulty, has made the translator still more diffident of success, - and he can only leave it to the indulgence of his Bengali readers to - decide how far he has succeeded in his translation, in doing justice - to the spirit of the original. - </p> - - <p> - The translator’s thanks are due to Babu Mohiny Mohun Chatterjea, - Solicitor, Calcutta, for his kindness in revising the translation for - him, and to Babu Amrita Lall Mitter, the Honorary Secretary to the - Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in Calcutta, and - son of the author, for allowing him to publish it. - </p> - -<p> </p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> </p> -<h2><a name="CONTENTS" id="CONTENTS"></a>CONTENTS.</h2> - -<div class="center"> -<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" summary="Contents"> -<tr><td align="left"> </td><td align="right"><i>Page.</i></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Preface</span></td><td align="right"><a href="#Page_i">i</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">I. <span class="smcap">Matilall At Home</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">II. <span class="smcap">Matilall’s English Education</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_8">8</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">III. <span class="smcap">Matilall at School</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_14">14</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">IV. <span class="smcap">Matilall in the Police Court</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_20">20</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">V. <span class="smcap">Baburam in Calcutta</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">VI. <span class="smcap">Matilall’s Mother and Sisters</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_39">39</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">VII. <span class="smcap">Trial of Matilall</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">VIII. <span class="smcap">Baburam Returns Home</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">IX. <span class="smcap">Matilall and His Friends</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">X. <span class="smcap">The Marriage Contract</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XI. <span class="smcap">The Poetaster</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XII. <span class="smcap">Barada Babu</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XIII. <span class="smcap">Barada Babu’s Pupil</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XIV. <span class="smcap">The False Charge</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_99">99</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XV. <span class="smcap">Trial of Barada Babu</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XVI. <span class="smcap">Thakchacha at Home</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_113">113</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XVII. <span class="smcap">Baburam’s Second Marriage</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XVIII. <span class="smcap">Mozoomdar on the Marriage</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_120">120</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XIX. <span class="smcap">Death of Baburam Babu</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_125">125</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XX. <span class="smcap">The Shraddha Ceremony</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXI. <span class="smcap">Matilall on the Guddee</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXII. <span class="smcap">Matilall in Business</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_144">144</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXIII. <span class="smcap">Matilall at Sonagaji</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_150">150</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXIV. <span class="smcap">Thakchacha Apprehended</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_158">158</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXV. <span class="smcap">Matilall in Jessore</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_166">166</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXVI. <span class="smcap">Thakchacha in Jail</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_174">174</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXVII. <span class="smcap">Trial at the High Court</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_181">181</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXVIII. <span class="smcap">A Philanthropist</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXIX. <span class="smcap">Bancharam in Possession</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_196">196</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left">XXX. <span class="smcap">Matilall at Benares: Home Again</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_201">201</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Notes</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_219">219</a></td></tr> -<tr><td align="left"><span class="smcap">Glossary</span></td><td align='right'><a href="#Page_223">223</a></td></tr> -</table></div> - - -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p class="center"></p> -<h2><a name="PRINCIPAL" id="PRINCIPAL"></a>PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS.</h2> -<div class="center"> -<table summary="Principal Characters"> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Baburam Babu</span></td> - <td><i>A Zemindar</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Matilall</span></td> - <td><i>His Eldest Son</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Ramlall</span></td> - <td><i>His Youngest Son</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Baburam’s First Wife</span></td> - <td><i>Mother of his Children</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">His Second Wife</span></td> - <td><i>A Young Girl</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Pramada</span></td> - <td><i>His Married Daughter</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mokshada</span></td> - <td><i>His Widowed Daughter</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Beni Babu</span></td> - <td><i>A friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Becharam Babu</span></td> - <td><i>A friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Barada Babu</span></td> - <td><i>Kayasth Reformer</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bancharam</span></td> - <td><i>A Lawyer’s Clerk</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Thakchacha</span></td> - <td><i>A Mahomedan Friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Bahulya</span></td> - <td><i>A Mahomedan</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Haladhar</span></td> - <td><i>Matilall’s friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Gadadhar</span></td> - <td><i>Matilall’s friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Dolgovinda</span></td> - <td><i>Matilall’s friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mangovinda</span></td> - <td><i>Matilall’s friend</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Matilall’s Wife</span></td> - <td>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mr. John</span></td> - <td><i>A Calcutta Merchant</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mr. Butler</span></td> - <td><i>A Solicitor</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Mr. Sherborn</span></td> - <td><i>A School-Master</i>.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td><span class="smcap">Premnarayan Mozoomdar</span></td> - <td><i>A House Clerk</i>.</td> - </tr> -</table> -</div> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> -<p> </p> -<h1>THE SPOILT CHILD.</h1> -<hr style="width: 20%;" /> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.<br /> -<small>MATILALL AT HOME.</small></h2> - - - <p> - BABURAM BABU, a resident of Vaidyabati, was a man of large experience in - business affairs: he was famous for his long service in the Revenue - and Criminal Courts. Now to walk uprightly without taking bribes when - engaged in the public service, is not a very long-established custom. - Baburam Babu’s procedure was in accordance with the old style, - and being skilful at his work, he had succeeded, by servility and - cringing, in imposing on his superior officers; as a consequence of - which he had acquired considerable wealth within a very short time. In - this country a man’s reputation keeps pace with the increase of - his riches or with his advancement: learning and character have not - anything like the same respect paid to them. There had been a time when - Baburam Babu’s position had been a very inferior one, and when - only a few individuals in his village had paid him any attention; but - later, as he came into the possession of fine buildings, gardens, - estates, and a good deal of influence in many ways, he found himself - with a host of friends as his followers and advisers. Whenever during - his intervals of leisure he went to his house, his reception-room would - be crowded with people. It is always the case that when a man has a - sudden accession of wealth there is a rush of people to him, just as - the shop of a sweetmeat seller will become full of flies as long as - there are sweetmeats to be had. At whatever time you might visit - Baburam Babu’s house you would always find people with him: rich - and poor, they would all sit round and flatter him, the more - intelligent among them in indirect fashion only, the lesser folk - outright and unblushingly, agreeing with everything he said. After - some time spent in the way we have described, Baburam Babu took his - pension, and remained at home occupied in the management of his - estates and in trade. - </p> - - - <p> - Now in this world, entire happiness is the lot of hardly any one, and it - is rare to find intelligence displayed in all the concerns of life. - Baburam Babu had turned his attention solely to amassing wealth: the - questions which had alone exercised his mind had been how to increase - his resources, how to make the whole village aware of his importance, so - that all might salute him properly, and how to celebrate his religious - festivals on a larger scale than those of his neighbours. He had a son - and two daughters: being himself a descendant of the great - Kulin<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>, - Balaram Thakur, he had, with a view to the preservation of his caste, - married the two girls at great expense almost immediately after their - birth; but their husbands, being Kulins, had taken to themselves wives - in a number of places, and would not so much as peep into the house of - their father-in-law of Vaidyabati, except on condition of receiving a - handsome remuneration for their trouble. - </p> - - - <p> - His son, Matilall, having been indulged in every possible way from his - boyhood, was exceedingly self-willed; at times, he would say to his - father: - <q>Father, I want to catch hold of the moon!</q> - <q>Father, I want to eat a cannon-ball!</q> - - Now and then he would roar and cry, so that all the neighbours would - say: <q>We cannot get any sleep owing to that dreadful boy.</q> - - Having been so spoilt by his parents, the boy would not tolerate the - bare idea of going to school, and thus it was that the duty of teaching - him devolved upon the house clerk. On his very first visit to his - teacher, Matilall howled aloud, and scratched and bit him. His tutor - therefore went to the master of the house and said to him: - <q>Sir, it is quite beyond my power to instruct your - son<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a>.</q> - - The master of the house replied: <q>Ah, he is my only darling, my - Krishna! use flattery and caresses if you will, only do teach him.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall was afterwards induced by means of many stratagems to attend - school; and when his teacher was leaning up against the wall, nodding - drowsily, with his legs crossed and a cane in his hand, - reiterating— - - <q>Write boys, write,</q> - - Matilall would rise from his seat, make contemptuous gestures, and - dance about the room. The teacher would go on snoring away, ignorant - of what his pupil was doing, and when he opened his eyes again, Matilall - would be seated near his writing materials of dry palm-leaves, drawing - figures of crows and cranes. When later in the afternoon he had - commenced the repetition lesson, Matilall, amid the confused babel of - tongues, would utter cries of - <i lang="bn">Hori Bol</i>, - and cleverly outwit his teacher by uttering the last letters only of - the words that were being recited. Occasionally when his teacher was - napping, he would tickle his nose or throw a live piece of charcoal - into his lap, and then dart away like an arrow. When the hour for - refreshment came, he would occasionally get some boy to give the master - lime and water to drink, pretending that it was buttermilk. The teacher - saw that the boy was a thorough good-for-nothing, who had made up his - mind to have nothing more to do with education; so he concluded that as - the boy had profited naught from all the canings he had had, but only - learnt the art of playing tricks upon his teacher, it was high time to - be released from the hands of such a pupil. The master of the house - however would not hear of it, so he had to have recourse to stratagem. - The occupation of clerk seemed to him to be better than that of teacher: - in the latter occupation his wages were two rupees a month besides - food and clothing, while his gains over and above that would be merely a - present of rice and a pair of cloths or so at the time of the - boy’s being first initiated into - school-life<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a>: - on the other hand, in the occupation of a clerk who superintended all - purchases in the market, there were constant pickings. Revolving such - thoughts in his mind, he went to the master of the house and told him - that Matilall’s education was complete so far as his writing was - concerned, and that he had also been thoroughly taught to keep - accounts, so far as estate-management was concerned. Baburam Babu - was overwhelmed with joy on receiving this intelligence, and all - his neighbours in conclave with him said: - - <q>Why should it not be so? Can a lion’s whelp ever become a - jackal?</q> - - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu now thought that he ought to have his son taught the - rudiments of Sanskrit grammar and a smattering of Persian. Having come - to this determination, he called the priest who was in charge of the - family worship, and said: - - <q>You sir! have you any knowledge of grammar?</q> - - This Brahman was the densest of blockheads, but he thought to himself: - <q>I am now getting only rice and plantains, quite insufficient for me: - here I see at length a means of making a living.</q> - - So he replied: <q>Yes, sir, I studied grammar for five years - continuously in the Sanskrit <i lang="bn">Tol</i> of Ishvar Chandra - Vedanta Vagishwar of Kunnimora. But I have been very unlucky: I have - gained nothing from all my learning: I am no more than your humble - servant in spite of it all, and my food is but coarse grain and - water.</q> - - Baburam Babu thereupon appointed him to teach his son the rudiments of - Sanskrit grammar from that day. The Brahman, inebriated with hope, - speedily got by heart a page or two of the - <i lang="bn">Mugdha Bodh</i> - Grammar, and set about teaching the boy. - </p> - - - <p> - Thought Matilall to himself:— - - <q> I have escaped from the hands of my old teacher; how am I to get - rid of this rice-and-plantain-eating old Brahman? I am my father - and mother’s darling, and whether I can write or not, they - will say nothing to me. The only object of learning after all is - to gain money, and my father has boundless wealth: what then is - the good of my learning? It is quite enough for me to be able to - sign my name; besides what will my intimate friends have left to - do if I take to learning? their occupation in ministering to my - pleasures will be gone! The present is the time for enjoyment: - has the pain of learning any attractions for me just now? surely - none! - </q> - - Having come to this determination, Matilall thus addressed his - preceptor:— <q>Old Brahman, if you come here any more to plague - me with this grammatical rubbish, I will throw away the family idol, - and with it your last hope of a livelihood; and if you go to my father - and tell him what I have said to you, I will just drop a brick onto you - from the roof: then your wife will soon become a widow, and have to - remove her bracelet from her - wrist<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a>.</q> - - The Brahman, distressed by such remarks about his teaching, thought to - himself: <q>For six months past I have been labouring at the peril of - my life, and I have not yet been paid anything: the whole occupation - is one that is most repugnant to my feelings, and I am in constant - danger of my life. Let me now only get clear of him and I care not what - happens to me afterwards.</q> - - As the Brahman was revolving all this in his mind, Matilall looked in - his face and said: <q>Well, what are you in such a brown study about? - Are you in want of money? Here, take this! But you must go to my - father, and tell him that I have learned every thing.</q> - - The Brahman accordingly went to the boy’s father and said to him: - <q>Sir, your Matilall is no common boy! he has a most extraordinary - memory; he will remember for ever what he may have heard only once.</q> - - There was an astrologer at the time with Baburam, who observed to the - Babu: <q>There is no necessity for you to give me an introduction to - Matilall: he is a boy whose birth was at an auspicious moment; if only - he lives he is bound to become a very great man</q>. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu next set about searching for a Munshi to teach his son - Persian. After a long search, the grandfather of Aladi the tailor, - Habibala Hoshan by name, was appointed to the post on a salary of one - rupee eight annas a month, together with oil and firewood. The Munshi - Saheb was a man with toothless gums, a grey beard, and a moustache like - tow: his eyes would get inflamed whenever he was teaching, and when he - bade his pupils repeat the letters after him, his face became hideously - distorted in pronouncing the guttural Persian letters - <i lang="fa">kaph, gaph, ain, ghain</i>. - The benefit that Matilall derived from learning Persian was pretty - much what might have been expected from his possessing no taste - whatever for the pursuit of knowledge, and having such a preceptor. As - the Munshi Saheb was one day stooping over his book, repeating the - maxims of Masnavi in a sing-song manner and keeping time with his hand, - Matilall seized the opportunity to drop a lighted match from behind - onto his beard. The poor Munshi’s beard at once flared up, - crackling as it blazed, upon which Matilall remarked: - - <q>How now, Mussulman? you will not teach me any more after this, I - expect.</q> - - The Munshi Saheb left speedily, shaking his head and exclaiming - <q><i lang="fa">Tauba! Tauba!</i></q> - - Then as the pain of the burn intensified, he shrieked: <q>Never, never - have I seen so mad and wicked a boy as this: of a surety field labour - in my own country were better than such slavery: it is cruel work - coming to a place like this! - <i lang="fa">Tauba! Tauba!</i></q> - </p> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span></p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.<br /> -<small>MATILALL’S ENGLISH EDUCATION.</small></h2> - - - <p> - WHEN Baburam heard of the evil plight of the Munshi Saheb, the only - remark he made was: <q>My boy, Matilall, is not a boy like that. What - can you expect from such a low fellow as that Mussulman?</q> - - He then considered that as Persian was going out of fashion, it might be - a good thing for the boy to learn English. Just as a madman has - occasional glimmerings of sense, so even a man lacking in intelligence - has occasional happy inspirations. When he had come to this decision, - it occurred to Baburam Babu that he was a very indifferent English - scholar himself: he only knew one or two English words: his - neighbours too, he reflected, knew about as much of it as he himself - did: he must consult with some man of learning and experience. As he - went over in his mind the list of his kinsmen and relatives, it struck - him that Beni Babu, of Bally, was a very competent person. Business - habits generate promptness of action, and he proceeded without delay - to the Vaidyabati Ghât, taking with him a servant and a messenger. - </p> - - - <p> - In the first two months of the rainy season, the months - <i lang="bn">Ashar</i> and - <i lang="bn">Shravan</i>, - most of the boatmen occupy themselves in catching - <i lang="bn">hilsa</i> - fish with circular nets, and at midday, are generally busy taking - their meals.Thus it came about that there was not a boat of any - description at the Vaidyabati Ghât. Baburam Babu, full-whiskered, - the sacred mark on his nose, dressed in fine lawn with coloured - borders, with smart shoes from Phulapukur, a front like the front - of Ganesh, a delicate muslin shawl neatly folded over his - shoulders, and his cheeks swollen with - <i lang="bn">pán</i>, - was walking impatiently up and down, calling out to his servant: - <q>Ho, there, Hari! I must get to Bally quick; you must hire a passing - boat for me for fourpice.</q> - - Rich men’s servants are often very disrespectful, and Hari made - answer: - - <q>Sir, that is just like you! I had only just sat down to take my food - and I have now had to throw it away and leave it in order to attend to - your repeated calls. If there had been any boat going down-stream, it - might have been hired for a small sum, but it is flood-tide just now, - and the boatmen will have to work hard rowing and steering. You might - get across for three or four pice if you would arrange to go with - others. I cannot possibly hire a passing boat for you for four pice; you - might as well ask me to make barley-meal cakes without water.</q> - - Baburam Babu scowled and said: <q>You are a very insolent fellow; if - you speak like that to me again, you get a sound smacking.</q> - - Now the lower orders of Bengalees tremble even if they make a slip, so - Hari endured the rebuke, and quaking all over said to his master: - <q>Sir, how can I possibly find a boat? I had no intention of being - insolent to you</q>. - </p> - - - <p> - While he was still speaking, a green boat that was being towed up the - river on its return journey, approached the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i> - where they were. After a long argument with the steersman of the boat - a bargain was struck, and he agreed to take them across for eight annas. - Baburam then got into the boat with his servant and his messenger. When - they had got some way on their journey, he began looking about him in - every direction, and said to his servant: <q>Hari, this is a fine boat - we have got! Hi, steersman! whose house is that over there? Ho! surely - that is a sugar factory. Ha! Now prepare me a pipe of tobacco, and - strike me a light.</q> - - Then he pulled away at the gurgling - <i lang="bn">hooka</i>, - now and again raising himself to look at the porpoises tumbling in the - water, and hummed a song of the loves of - Krishna<a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a>.:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>When late to Brindabun, O Krishna! - I came,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Your home there, alas! I found - only a name.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - As it was the ebb, the boat dropped quickly down-stream and the boatmen - had no occasion to exert themselves: one sat on the edge of the boat; - another, bearded like an old billy-goat, keeping his look-out on the top - of the cabin, sang in the Chittagong dialect the popular song which goes:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>E’en the earring of gold shall - loosen its hold,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>By the lute-string’s languishing - strain cajoled.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - The sun had not yet set when the boat reached its moorings at the - Deonagaji Ghât. Four boatmen, panting and puffing with their efforts, - lifted Baburam Babu, a mass of solid flesh, out of the boat, and set him - safe on land. - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu received his relative very courteously and begged him to be - seated, while his house servant, Ram, at once brought some tobacco he - had prepared for him. Baburam Babu was very fond of his pipe: after a - few pulls he remarked: <q>How is it that this - <i lang="bn">hooka</i> - is hissing?</q> - - A servant who is in constant attendance upon a man of intelligence soon - becomes intelligent himself: Ram, divining what was wrong, put a - clearing-rod in the - <i lang="bn">hooka</i>, - changed the water, supplied it with some fresh tobacco, sweet and - compact, and brought it back with a larger mouthpiece. Finding the - <i lang="bn">hooka</i> - placed by him, Baburam Babu took entire possession, as though he had - taken a permanent lease of it, and as he puffed away, emitting clouds of - smoke, chattered with Beni Babu. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Would you not like to get up now, sir, and take some light refreshment? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - It is already rather late: I don’t think I will just now. I am quite - at home, thank you; I would have called for it if I had wanted it. But - please just listen to what I have to say. My son Matilall has shown - that he possesses remarkable genius! You would be quite delighted to - see the boy. I am anxious to have him taught English; do you think you - can get me a master to teach him for some mere trifle? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - There are plenty of masters to be had, and a man of moderate ability - might be got for from twenty to twenty-five rupees a month. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - What, so much as that? Twenty-five rupees! Oh my dear friend, these - religious ceremonies you know are a constant source of expense in my - establishment: I have about a hundred people to feed every day; and - besides all this, I shall very soon have my son’s marriage to - arrange for. Why did I go to the expense of hiring a boat to come here - and see you, only to be asked for as much as that after all? - </p> - - - <p> - With this, he put his hands on Beni Babu’s shoulders, and laughed - immoderately. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Then put him at some school in Calcutta: the boy might live with some - relative, and his education need not in that case cost more than three - or four rupees a month. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - What, as much as that? Couldn’t one manage to get the prices - down with a little haggling? And is a school education any better than - a home one? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Home education is a very excellent thing if you can secure a really - first-rate teacher, but such a teacher is not to be had on a small - salary. School education has its good points and also its bad points. - A healthy spirit of emulation of course springs up amongst a number of - boys who are being educated together; but at the same time some of the - boys will always be in danger of being corrupted by bad company. - Besides when twenty-five or thirty boys are reading in one class, - there is a good deal of confusion, and equal attention cannot be paid - every day to all the boys alike: consequently all do not make similar - progress. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - Anyhow I will send Matilall to you; and when you have looked - about you, do try and make some cheap arrangement for me. None of the - English gentlemen for whom I once did business are here now: if they - had been, I might have got some of them to secure him schooling which - would have cost me nothing: it would only have needed a little - importunity. However it will be quite enough if my son obtains just a - smattering of learning: if he becomes a scholar, he may not remain in - the religion of his fathers. So kindly make it your business to see that - he becomes a man: I lay the whole responsibility upon you, my friend. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - If a boy is to grow into a man, every attention is necessary both when - he is at home and when he is away from home: the father must see - everything with his own eyes and enter thoroughly into all the - boy’s occupations. There is a good deal of business that may be - done through commission agencies, but the education of a boy is not - one of them. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - That is all very true: regard Matilall then as your son. I shall now - get some leisure for my ablutions in the Ganges, for reading the - Puranas, and for looking after my concerns; for at present I have no - time even for these: besides, all the English training that I possess - is training of the old school. Matilall is yours, my dear friend, he is - yours! I will rid myself of all anxiety by sending him to you. Adopt any - course you think fit, but my dear friend, do take care that the expense - is not heavy: you know my position as a man with a number of young - children to look after: you can understand that thoroughly, can you - not? - </p> - - - <p> - After this conversation with Beni Babu, Baburam Babu returned to his - home at Vaidyabati. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.<br /> -<small>MATILALL AT SCHOOL.</small></h2> - - <p> - MEN engaged in business all the week spend very lazy Sundays. They avail - themselves of any excuse to postpone their bath and their meals: after - they have bathed and eaten, some of them play chess and some cards: - some occupy themselves in fishing, some play on the - <i lang="bn">tomtom</i>, - and some on the - <i lang="bn">sitar</i>: - some lie down and sleep, some go for a walk, and others - read; but very little attention is paid to the improvement of the mind - by study or conversation of an improving character. A good deal of idle - talk is indulged in: perhaps somebody’s real or fancied - disregard of caste-rules may be discussed, and how Shambhu ate three - jack-fruit at a sitting. Such is the style of conversation with which - the time will be wiled away. Beni Babu’s intelligence was of a - different order. Most people in this country have a general notion that - when school-days are over, education itself is complete; but this is a - great error. However much may be the attention paid to the acquisition - of knowledge from birth to death, the further shore of learning is - never reached. Knowledge can only increase in proportion to the - attention that is paid to learning: Beni Babu understood this well and - acted accordingly. - </p> - - <p> - He had risen as usual one morning, and having first looked into his - household affairs, had taken up a book in order to prosecute his - studies, when suddenly a boy of fourteen, with a charm round his neck, a - ring in his ear, a bracelet on his wrist and an armlet on his arm, - appeared before him and saluted him. Beni Baba was engrossed in his - book, but was roused by the sound of approaching footsteps, and guessing - who the boy was, said to him: <q>Come here, Matilall, come here! is all - well at home?</q> - - <q>All is well,</q> replied the boy. - - Beni Babu bade Matilall stay with him for the night, and promised the - next morning to take him to Calcutta and put him to school. Some little - time after this, Matilall, having finished his meal, perceived that time - was likely to hang heavy on his hands, as it would not be dark for a - long time yet. Being naturally of a very restless disposition, it was - always a hard thing for him to sit long in one place; so he rose very - quietly from his seat, and proceeded to explore the house. First he - tried to work the mill for husking rice with his feet; then he tramped - about on the terraced roof of the house; then commenced throwing bricks - and tiles at the passers by, running away when he had done so as hard - as he could. Thus he made the circuit of Bally, tramping noisily about, - stealing fruit out of people’s gardens and plucking the flowers, - or else jumping about on the top of the village huts and breaking the - water-jars. The people, annoyed by such conduct as this, asked each - other: <q>Who is this boy? Surely our village will be ruined as Lanka - was by Hanuman the house-burner.</q> - - Some of them, when they heard the name of the boy’s father, - remarked: <q>Ah, he is the son of Baburam Babu! what then can you - expect? Is it not written: ‘Men’s virtues are reflected in - a son, in renown, and in water?’</q> - </p> - - <p> - As the evening drew on the village resounded with the cries of jackals - and the humming of innumerable insects. As many men of position reside - in Bally, and the - <i lang="bn">shalgram</i><a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a>. - is to be found in the houses of most of them, there was no lack of the - sound of handbells and conch shells. Beni Babu had just risen from his - reading and was stretching his limbs preparatory to a smoke, when a - great commotion suddenly arose. <q>Sir, the son of the - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i> - of Vaidyabati has been throwing bricks at us!</q> - <q>Sir, he has thrown away my basket!</q> - <q>He has been pushing me about!</q> - <q>He has grossly insulted me!</q> - <q>He has broken my pot of - <i lang="bn">ghee</i>!</q> - - Beni Babu, being very tender-hearted, gave each of the men a present, - and dismissed them; then he fell to musing on the kind of training this - boy must have been given to behave in such a fashion. <q>A fine bringing - up the lad must have had,</q> he said to himself, <q>in the short space - of three hours he has thrown the whole village into a state of panic: - it will be a great relief when he goes.</q> - - Presently some of the oldest and most respected of the inhabitants of - the place came to him and said: <q>Beni Babu, who is this boy? We were - taking our usual nap after our midday meal, when we were aroused by this - clamour: it is most unpleasant to have our rest broken in upon in this - way.</q> - - Beni Babu replied: <q>Please say no more; I have had a very heavy burden - imposed upon me: one of my relatives, a - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i>, - a man rather lacking in common sense if possessed of great wealth, has - sent his son to me to put to school for him; and meanwhile I am being - worn to a mere shadow with the annoyance. If I had to keep a boy like - this with me for three days, my house would become a ruin for doves to - come and roost in.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - As this conversation was proceeding, several boys approached, Matilall - in their rear, all singing at the top of their voices the refrain— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>To Shambhu’s son all honour pay,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Shambu, the lord of night and - day.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - <q>Ah!</q> said Beni Babu, <q>here he comes: keep quiet, perhaps he - may take it into his head to beat us: I shall not breathe freely till - I have got rid of the monkey.</q> Seeing Beni Babu, Matilall seemed - somewhat ashamed of himself, and looked a little disconcerted: to his - question however as to where he had been, he replied that he had merely - been trying to form some idea of the size of the place. When they had - entered the house, Matilall ordered Ram the servant to bring him some - tobacco, but it was no good giving him the ordinary make; he smoked - pipe after pipe of the very strongest, and Ram could not supply him - fast enough. It was <q>Ram bring this!</q> - <q>Ram, I do not want that!</q> - in fact, Ram could not attend to any other work, but had to be - constantly in attendance upon Matilall, keeping him supplied with - tobacco. - - Beni Babu was astounded at such behaviour, and kept turning his head - and glancing curiously in his direction. When the time for the evening - meal came, Beni Babu took Matilall with him into the - <i lang="bn">zenana</i> - side of the house and regaled him with - all sorts of luxuries; then having taken the usual betel by way of a - digestive, retired to rest. Matilall also retired to his sleeping - chamber and got into bed, when he had chewed - <i lang="bn">pán</i> - and smoked enough. For some time he tossed restlessly about, now on this - side, now on that; and every now and then he would get up and walk - about, singing snatches of the love songs of Nil Thakur, or the old - story of the separation of Radha and Krishna as told by Ram Basu. - At the noise he made, sleep fled from all in the house. - </p> - - - <p> - Ram and Pelaram, the gardener, an inhabitant of Kashijora, had been - asleep in the common thatched hall used for the family worship. After - the work of the day, sleep is a great relief, and to have it rudely - disturbed is naturally a source of much irritation. Both Ram and - Pelaram were roused from their rest by the noise of the singing. - Pelaram exclaimed: - - <q>Ah, Ram, my father! I can get no sleep while this bull is bellowing - in this way: I might just as well get up and sow some seeds in the - garden.</q> - - Ram, turning himself round, replied: <q>Ah, it is midnight! why get - up now? The master has done a fine thing in bringing this brat - here<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a>: - it means ruin to us all. The boy is a terrible nuisance: we shall - not breathe again till he goes.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Early next morning, Beni Babu took Matilall away with him to the house - of Becharam Banerjea of Bow Bazar. This gentleman was the son of Kenaram - Babu, and a man of very old family: he was a childlike, simple-minded - man, hair-lipped from his birth, and highly excitable on the smallest - provocation. Seeing Beni Babu, he called to him in his peculiar nasal - tone: <q>Come, tell me what is in your mind now?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Well, seeing that Baburam Babu has no relative like yourself in - Calcutta, I have come to request of you that his boy Matilall may live - in your house while he is attending school, going to Vaidyabati for - his Saturday holiday. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Well, there can be no possible objection to that. He is - perfectly welcome to come and stay in my house: this is as much his - home as his father’s house is. I have no children of my own, and only - two nephews; let Matilall then stay with me as long as he pleases. - </p> - - - <p> - On hearing Becharam Babu’s nasal twang, Matilall burst out laughing. - Beni Babu gave a sigh of disgust, thinking to himself that there would - be little peace here so long as such a boy as this was about. Becharam - noted the jeering laugh, and observed to Beni Babu, <q>Ah! friend Beni, - the youngster appears somewhat ill-mannered and boorish. I imagine - that he must have been constantly indulged from infancy.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu was a very shrewd man. His former history was known to all. He - too had led a wild life, but had remedied everything by his own good - qualities. He now told himself that if he were to express his real - opinion of Matilall, the boy might be ruined: there would be an end - to his remaining in Calcutta and to his school education, and it - was his own earnest wish that the boy should grow to man’s - estate with some sort of training at least. So after exchanging - ideas on many other topics, he took his leave of Becharam Babu - and went with Matilall to the school of one Mr. Sherborn. Owing - to the establishment of the Hindu College, this gentleman’s - school had somewhat diminished in numbers: it required all his - attention, and constant toil day and night, to keep it going. He - himself was a stout man with heavy and bushy eyebrows; was never seen - without - <i lang="bn">pán</i> - in his mouth and a cane in his hand; and would vary his - walks up and down his classes by occasionally sitting down and pulling - at a - <i lang="bn">hooka</i>. - Beni Babu having placed Matilall at his school, returned to Bally. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.<br /> -<small>MATILALL IN THE POLICE COURT.</small></h2> - - <p> - WHEN the British merchants first came to Calcutta, the Setts and - Baisakhs were the great traders, but none of the people of the city - knew English: all business communications with the foreigners - had to be carried on by means of signs. Man will always find a - way out of a difficulty if need be, and by means of these signs - a few English words get to be known. After the establishment of - the Supreme Court, increased attention was paid to English: - this was chiefly due to the influence of the law courts. By - that time Ram Ram Mistori and Ananda Ram Dass, who were - representative men in Calcutta, had learned many English - expressions: Ram Narayan Mistori, a pupil of Ram Ram Mistori, was - engaged as clerk to an attorney and used to write out petitions for a - great many people; he also kept a school, his pupils paying from - fourteen to sixteen rupees a month. Following his example, others, as - for instance Ram Lochan Napit and Krisha Mohun Basu, adopted the - profession of schoolmaster: their pupils used to read some English - book and learn the meaning of words by heart. At marriage ceremonies - and festivals, everybody would contemplate with awe and - astonishment, and loudly applaud, any boy who could utter a few - English expressions. Following the example set by others, Mr. - Sherborn had opened his school at a somewhat late period, and - the children of people belonging to the upper grades of society - were being educated at his establishment. - </p> - - <p> - Now boys with a real desire to learn may pick up something or other, by - dint of their own exertions, at any school they may be attending. All - schools have their good and bad points, and there are a large number of - lads so peculiarly constituted that they keep wandering about from - school to school, under pretence of being dissatisfied with each one - they go to, and think, by passing their time in this unsettled way, to - deceive their parents into the belief that they are learning something. - So Matilall, after attending Mr. Sherborn’s school for a few days, had - himself entered anew at the school of a Mr. Charles. - </p> - - <p> - The chief end in view in all education is the development of a good - disposition and a high character, the growth of a right understanding, - and the attainment of a thorough mastery of any work that may have to be - attended to in the practical business of life. If the education of - children is conducted on these lines, they may become in every way - respectable members of society, competent to understand and duly execute - all their business both at home and abroad. But to ensure that such a - training shall be given, both parents and teachers have need to exert - themselves. The young will naturally follow in the footsteps of their - elders. Goodness in the parents is a necessary condition of the growth - of goodness in the children. If a drunken father forbids his child - liquor, why should the child listen to him? If a father, himself - addicted to immorality, attempts to instruct a son in morals, he will at - once recall the mousing cat that professed - asceticism<a name="FNanchor_8_8" id="FNanchor_8_8"></a><a href="#Footnote_8_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a>, - and will only mock at his hypocrisy. The son whose father lives a - virtuous life has no great need of advice and counsel: mere observation - of his father will generate a good disposition. The mother too must keep - her attention constantly fixed on her child: there is nothing so potent - in its humanising effect on a child’s mind as a mother’s sweet - conversation, kindness and caresses. A child’s good behaviour is assured - when he distinctly realises that if he does certain things, his mother - will not take him into her lap and caress him. Again, it is the - teacher’s duty to guard against making a mere parrot of his pupil, when - he is teaching him by book. If a boy has to get all he reads by heart, - his faculty of memory may be strengthened, it is true; but if his - intelligence is not promoted, and he gets no practical knowledge, then - his education is all a sham. Whether the pupil be old or young, the - matter should be explained to him in such a way that his mind may grasp - what he is learning. By a good system of education, and judicious tact - in teaching, an intelligent comprehension of a subject may be effected - such as no amount of mere chiding will bring about. - </p> - - <p> - Matilall had learned nothing of morality or good conduct in his - Vaidyabati home, and now his residence in Bow Bazar proved a curse - rather than a blessing. Becharam Babu had two nephews, whose names were - Haladhar and Gadadhar. These boys had never known what it was to have a - father; and though they occasionally went to school out of fear of their - mother and uncle, it was more of a sham than anything else. They mostly - wandered at their pleasure, unchecked, about the streets, the river - <i lang="bn">ghâts</i>, - the terraced roofs of houses and the open common; and they - utterly refused to listen to anybody who tried to restrain them. When - their mother remonstrated, they would just retort: <q>If you do this we - will both of us run away;</q> so they were left to do pretty much as - they pleased. They found Matilall one of their own sort, and within a - very short time a close intimacy sprang up between them; they became - quite inseparable; would sit together, eat together, and sleep - together; would put their hands on each other’s shoulders and go - about both in doors and out of doors hand in hand, or with their arms - round each other’s necks. Whenever Becharam’s wife saw - them, she would say: - <q>They are three brothers, sons of one mother.</q> - </p> - - <p> - Neither children nor youths nor old men can remain for any length of - time passive or engaged in one kind of occupation: they must have some - way of dividing the twenty-four hours of the day and night between a - variety of occupations. In the case of children, special arrangements - will have to be made to ensure their having a combination of amusement - with instruction. Neither continuous play nor continuous work is a good - thing. The chief object of all recreation is to enable a man to pay - greater attention to his labour afterwards, his body refreshed by - relaxation. The mind only becomes enfeebled by unbroken exertion, and - anything learnt in that condition simply floats about on the surface - without sinking into it. But in all games there is this to be - considered, that those only are beneficial in which there is a certain - amount of bodily exertion; no benefit is to be derived from cards or - dice or any pastimes of that kind: the only effect of such amusements - is to increase the natural tendency to idleness, which is the source of - such a variety of evils. Just as there is no good to be derived from - unceasing work, so by continuous play the intelligence is apt to get - blunted, for thereby the body only is strengthened, the mind is not - disciplined at all; and as the latter must be engaged in something or - other, is it to be wondered at that in such a condition it should adopt - an evil rather than a good course? It is thus that many boys come to - grief. - </p> - - <p> - Matilall and his companions Haladhar and Gadadhar roamed about - everywhere like so many Brahmini bulls, doing just as they pleased and - paying no attention to any one. They were constantly amusing themselves - either with cards and dice or else with kites and pigeon-flying. They - could find no time either for regular meals or for sleep. If a servant - came to call them into the house, they would only abuse him, and refuse - to go in. If ever the maid came to tell them that her mistress could not - retire to rest until they had had their supper, they would abuse her in - a disgraceful manner. The maid-servant would sometimes retort: <q>What - courteous language you have learned!</q> All the most worthless boys of - the neighbourhood gradually collected together and formed a band. Noise - and confusion reigned supreme in the house all day and night, and people - in the reception-room could not hear each other’s voices: the - only sounds were those of uproarious merriment. So much tobacco and - <i lang="bn">ganja</i> - was consumed that the whole place was darkened with smoke: no one dared - pass by that way when this company was assembled, and there was not a - man who would venture to forbid such conduct. Becharam Babu indeed was - disgusted when the smell of the tobacco reached him, as it occasionally - did; but he would only give vent to his favourite exclamation of disgust - and impatience. - </p> - - <p> - Most terrible of all evils are the evils that spring from association - with others. Even where there is unremitting attention on the part of - parents and teachers, evil company may bring ruin; but where no such - effort is made, the extent of corruption that association with others - brings about cannot be estimated in language. Matilall’s - character, far from improving, was, by the aid of his present - associates, deteriorating day by day. He might attend school for one or - two days in the week, but would merely remain seated there like a - dummy, treating the whole thing as a supreme bore. He was continually - joking with the other boys or drawing on his slate; would scarce attend - for five minutes together to his lessons; and could think of nothing - but the fine time he would have with his companions out of school. - There are teachers possessed of sufficient skill and tact to draw to - the acquisition of knowledge the mind of even such a boy as Matilall: - being acquainted with various methods of imparting instruction, they - adopt that which is likely to prove most efficacious in each particular - case. Now the teaching in Mr. Charles school was as indifferent as the - teaching in Government schools often is at the present day. Equal - attention was not paid to all the classes and all the boys, and no - pains were taken to ascertain whether they thoroughly understood the - easy books they had to read before they proceeded to more difficult - ones. A good many people are firmly convinced that a school derives its - importance from the number of books prescribed, and the amount read. It - was considered quite sufficient for the boys to repeat their lessons by - heart: it was not supposed to be necessary to know whether they - understood or not; and it was never taken into consideration at all - whether the education they were receiving was one that would fit them - for the practical business of afterlife. Unless influences are very - strong in their favour, boys attending such schools have not much - chance of receiving any education at all. Take into account - Matilall’s father, the companions he had collected about him, - the place he was living in, the school he was attending, and some idea - may be formed of the extent of his intellectual training. - </p> - - <p> - Teachers vary as much as schools do. One man will take immense pains, - while another will simply trifle away his times, fidgetting about and - pulling his moustache. Mr. Charles’ factotum was Bakreswar Babu, - of Batalata; and he could do nothing without him. This man made it his - practice to visit his pupils’ rich parents, and say to them all - alike: - <q>Ah sir, I always pay special attention to your boy! he is the true - son of his father: he is no ordinary boy, that: he is a perfect model - of a boy.</q> - - Bakreswar Babu had charge of the education of the higher classes - in the school, but it was exceedingly doubtful whether he himself - understood what he taught. If this had got generally known he would have - been disgraced for life, so he kept very quiet on the subject. His sole - work was to make the boys read; and if any boy asked him for the meaning - of a word, he would bid him look in the dictionary. He was bound of - course to make a few corrections here and there in the translation - exercises the boys did for him; for if he were to pass them all as - correct, where would be his occupation as a school-master? So he would - make corrections, even when there was no necessity for doing so, and - when by doing so he actually made mistakes which did not exist before: - then if the boys asked him what he was about, he would tell them they - were very insolent and had no business to contradict him. He generally - paid most attention to rich men’s sons, and would question them at - length about the rents and value of their property. In a very short - time, Matilall became a great favourite with Bakreswar Babu: the boy - would bring him presents of flowers or fruit or books, or handkerchiefs. - Bakreswar Babu’s idea was that he ought not to let boys like - Matilall slip out of his hands, for when they reached man’s - estate, they might become as a <q>field of - <i lang="bn">beguns</i></q><a name="FNanchor_9_9" id="FNanchor_9_9"></a><a href="#Footnote_9_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> - to him,— a perpetual source of profit. What benefit too, he - thought, would he derive in the next world from looking after the - affairs of this school! - </p> - - <p> - The time of the great autumn festival, the Durga Pujah, had now arrived. - In the bazaars and everywhere there was a great stir, and the general - bustle and confusion gave additional zest to Matilall’s passion - for amusement. He suffered agonies so long as he had to remain in - school: his attention was perpetually distracted; at one moment - sitting at his desk, at the next playing on it; never still for a - single moment. One Saturday he had been attending school as usual, and - having got a half-holiday out of Bakreswar Babu, had left for home. On - his way he purchased some betel and - <i lang="bn">pán</i>, - and was proceeding merrily along, his whole attention fixed on the - pigeon and kite shops that lined the road, and taking no note of the - passers-by, when suddenly a sergeant of police and some constables came - up and caught him by the arm, the sergeant telling him that he held a - warrant for his arrest, and that he must go quietly along with him. - Matilall did his best to get his arm free, but the sergeant was a - powerful man and kept a firm grasp as he dragged him along. Matilall - next threw himself on the ground and, bruised all over and covered with - dust as he was, made repeated efforts to escape: the sergeant - thereupon hit him with his fist several times. At last, as he lay - overpowered on the ground, the thought of his father caused the boy to - burst into tears, and there rose forcibly in his mind the question: - <q>Why have I acted as I have done? Association with others has been my - ruin.</q> - - A crowd now began to collect in the road, and people asked each other - what was the matter. Some old women discussing the affair inquired: - <q>Whose child is this that they are beating so?— the child with - the moon-face? ah, it makes one’s heart bleed to hear him cry!</q> - - The sun had not set when Matilall was brought to the police-station: - there he found Haladhar, Gadadhar, Ramgovinda and Dolgovinda, with - other boys from his neighbourhood, all standing aside, looking - extremely woe-begone. Mr. Blaquiere was police magistrate at that - time, and it would have been his business to examine the prisoners; - but he had gone home, so they had to remain for the night in the - lock-up. - </p> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.<br /> -<small>BABURAM IN CALCUTTA.</small></h2> - - - <p> - SINGING snatches of a popular love-song:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>For my lost love’s sake I am dying:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>And my heart is faint with sighing.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - and varying his song with whistling, Meeah Jan, a cartman, was urging - his bullocks along the road, abusing them roundly for their slowness, - twisting their tails, and whacking them with his whip. A few clouds were - overhead, and a little rain was falling. The bullocks as they went - lumbering along, succeeded in overtaking the hired - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - in which Premnarayan Mozoomdar was travelling. It was swaying from side - to side in the wind: the two horses were wretched specimens of their - kind, and must surely have belonged to the far-famed race of the - <i lang="bn">Pakshiraj</i>, - king of birds. They were doing their best to get along, poor beasts, - but notwithstanding the blows that rained down on their backs from the - driver’s whip, their pace did not mend very considerably. Before - starting on his journey, Premnarayan had eaten a very hearty meal, and - at each jolt of the - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - his heart was in his mouth. His disgust however increased as the bullock - cart drew ahead of his vehicle. Premnarayan need not be blamed for - this. Every man has some self-respect which he does not care to lose. - The majority have a high opinion of themselves, and while some lose - their tempers if there is the slightest failing in the respect they - think due to them, others feel humiliated and depressed. - </p> - - - <p> - Premnarayan, in his passion, expressed his thoughts thus to - himself:— - <q>Ah! what a hateful thing is service. The servant is regarded as no - better than a dog! he must run to execute any order that is given. How - long has my soul been vexed by the rude behaviour of Haladhar, Gadadhar, - and the other boys! They would never let me eat or sleep in peace: they - have even composed songs in derision of me: their jests have been as - irritating to me as ant-bites; they have signalled to other boys in the - street to annoy me: they have gone so far as to clap their hands at me - behind my back. Can any one submit tamely to such treatment as this? It - is enough to drive a sane man out of his senses. I must have a good - stock of courage not to have run away from Calcutta long ago: it is due - to my good genius only that so far I have not lost my employment. At - last the scoundrels have met with their desserts: may they now rot in - jail, never to get out again! Yet after all these are idle words; is not - my journey being made with the express object of effecting their - release? has not this duty been imposed upon me by my employer? Alas, I - have no voice in the matter! if men are not to starve, they must do and - bear all this.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu of Vaidyabati was seated in all a Babu’s state; his - servant, Hari, was rubbing his master’s feet. Seated on one side - of him the pandits were discussing some trivial points relating to - certain observances enjoined by the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i>, - such as:— <q>Pumpkins may be eaten to-day, - <i lang="bn">beguns</i> - should not be eaten to-morrow; to take milk with salt is quite as bad - as eating the flesh of cows.</q> - - On the other side of him, some friends were engaged in a game of chess: - one of them was in deep thought, his head supported on his hand: - evidently his game was up, he was checkmated. Some musicians in the - room were mingling their harmonies, their instruments twanging noisily. - Near him were his - <i lang="bn">mohurrirs</i> - writing up their ledgers, and before him stood sundry creditors, tenants - of his, and tradesmen from the bazaar, some of whose accounts were - passed, and others refused. People kept thronging into the - reception-room. Certain of his tradespeople were explaining how they - had been supplying him for years with one-thing and another, and now - were in great distress, having hitherto received nothing by way of - payment; how, moreover, from their constant journeyings to and fro, - their business was being utterly neglected and ruined. Retail - shopkeepers too, such as oilmen, timber-merchants and sweetmeat-sellers, - were complaining bitterly that they were ruined, and that their lives - were not worth a pin’s head: if he continued to treat them as he - was doing, they could not possibly live: they had worn out the muscles - of their legs in their constant journeyings to and fro to get payment: - their shops were all shut, their wives and children starving. The - whole time of the Babu’s - <i lang="bn">dewan</i> - was taken up in answering these people. <q>Go away for the present,</q> - he was saying, <q>you will receive payment all right; why do you jabber - so much?</q> Did any of them venture to remonstrate, Baburam Babu would - scowl, abuse him roundly, and have him forcibly ejected from the room. - </p> - - - <p> - A great many of the wealthy Babus of Bengal take the goods of the simple - country-folk on credit: it would give them an attack of fever to have - to pay ready-money for anything. They have the cash in their chests, - but if they were not to keep putting their creditors off, how could - they keep their reception-rooms crowded? Whether a poor tradesman lives - or dies is no concern of theirs; only let them play the magnifico, and - their fathers’ and grandfathers’ names be kept before the - public! Many there are who thus make a false show of being rich; they - present a splendid figure before the outside world, while within they - are but men of straw after all. - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Out of doors you flaunt it bravely, - wealth is in your very air:</q></span> - <span class="i0"><q>In the house the rats are squealing, - and the cupboard’s mostly bare.</q></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - It would be death to them to be obliged to regulate their expenditure by - their income, for then they could not be the owners of gardens or live - the luxurious life of the rich Babu. By keeping up a fine exterior they - hope to throw dust in the eyes of their tradesmen. When they take money - or goods from others, they practically borrow twice over; for when - pressure is brought to bear upon them to make them pay, they borrow - from one man only to pay what they owe someone else; and when at last a - summons is issued against them, they register their property under - another person’s name, and are off somewhere out of the way for - the time being. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu was devoted to his money and very - close-fisted<a name="FNanchor_10_10" id="FNanchor_10_10"></a><a href="#Footnote_10_10" class="fnanchor">[10]</a>: - it was always a great grief to him to be obliged to take cash out of his - chest. He was engaged in wrangling with his tradespeople when - Premnarayan arrived, and whispered in his ear the news from - Calcutta. Baburam was thunderstruck for a time. When shortly after - he recovered himself, he had Mokajan Meeah summoned to his - presence. Now Mokajan was skilled in all matters of law. - <i lang="bn">zemindars</i>, - indigo planters, and others were continually going to him for advice; - for a man like this, gifted with such ability for making up cases, - for suborning witnesses, for getting police and other officers of - the court under his thumb, for disposing secretly of stolen - property, for collecting witnesses in cases of disputes, and - generally for making right appear wrong and wrong right, was not to - be found every day. Out of compliment to him, people all called him - <i lang="bn">Thakchacha.</i>: - this was a great gratification to him, and his thoughts often shaped - themselves thus: <q>Ah, my birth must have taken place at an auspicious - moment! my observances of the seasons of - <i lang="bn">Ramjan</i> and <i lang="bn">Eed</i>, - have answered well; and if I am only properly attentive to my patron - saint, I fancy my importance will increase still further.</q> - - Though engaged in his ablutions at the time that Baburam Babu’s - peremptory summons reached him, he came away at one and listened, in - private, to all Baburam had to say. After a few minutes’ - reflection, he said: <q>Why be alarmed, Babu? How many hundred cases - of a similar kind have I disposed of! Is there any great difficulty in - the way this time? I have some very clever fellows in my employ; I have - only to take them with me, and will win the case on their testimony: - you need be under no apprehension. I am going away just now, but I will - return the first thing in the morning.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam, though somewhat encouraged by these words, was still not at all - comfortable in his mind. He was much attached to his wife, and - everything she said was always, in his view, shrewdly to the point: - were she to say to him. <q>This is not water, it is milk,</q> with the - evidence of his own eyes against him, he would reply: <q>Ah, you are - quite right! this is not water, it is milk. If the mistress of the - house says so, it must be so.</q> - - Most men, whatever the affection they have for their wives are at least - able to exercise some discretion as to the matters in which those - ladies are to be consulted and to what extent they should be listened - to. Good men love their wives with heartfelt affection; but if they are - to accept everything their wives say they may just as well dress in - <i lang="bn">saris</i>, - and sit at home. Now Baburam Babu was entirely under his wife’s - thumb: if she bade him get up, he would get up; if she bade him sit - down, he would sit down. - </p> - - - <p> - Some months before this, she had presented her husband with a son, and - she was busy nursing the infant on her lap, her two daughters seated - by her. Their conversation was running on household affairs and - other matters, when suddenly the master of the house came into the - room and sitting down with a very sad countenance, said: <q>My dear - wife, I am most unlucky! The one idea of my life has been to hand - over the charge of all my property to Matilall on his reaching - man’s estate, and to go and live with you at - Benares<a name="FNanchor_11_11" id="FNanchor_11_11"></a><a href="#Footnote_11_11" class="fnanchor">[11]</a>; - but all my hopes have, I fear, been dashed to the ground.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">The Mistress of the House.—</span> - my dear husband, what is the matter? Quick, tell me! my breast is - heaving with emotion. Is all well with my darling Matilall? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">The Master.—</span> - yes, so far as his health goes he is well enough, but I have just - received news that the police have apprehended him and put him in jail. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">The Mistress.—</span> - What was that you said? They have dragged away Matilall to prison? And - why, O why, my husband, have they imprisoned him? Alas, alas! The poor - boy must be a mass of bruises! I expect, too, he has had nothing to eat - and not been able to get any sleep. O my husband, what is to be done? - Do bring my darling Matilall back to me again! - </p> - - - <p> - With this, the mistress of the house began to weep: her two daughters - wiped away the tears from her eyes, and tried their best to console - their mother. The infant too seeing its mother crying, began to howl - lustily. - </p> - - - <p> - In the course of his enquiries, made under pretence of conversation, her - husband got to know that Matilall had been in the habit, under one - pretext or another, of getting money out of her. She had not mentioned - the matter to her husband for fear of his displeasure: the boy had been - unfortunate, and she could not tell what might have happened if he had - got angry. Wives ought to tell all that concerns their children to their - husbands, for a disease that is concealed from the surgeon can never be - cured. After a long consultation with his wife, the master sent off a - letter by night, to arrange for some of his relatives to meet him in - Calcutta at his lodgings. - </p> - - - <p> - A night of happiness passes away in the twinkling of an eye, but how - slowly drag the hours when the mind is sunk in an abyss of painful - thought! It may be close to dawn, and the day may be every moment - drawing nearer, but yet it seems to tarry. Ways and means occupied the - whole of Baburam Babu’s thoughts throughout the night: he could no - longer remain quietly in the house, and long before the morning came was - in a boat with Thakchacha and his companions. As the tide was running - strong, the boat soon reached the Bagbazaar Ghât. - </p> - - - <p> - Night had nearly come to an end: oil-dealers were busy putting their - mills in order, ready to work: cartmen were leading their bullocks off - to their day’s toil: the washermen’s donkeys were - labouring with their loads upon the road: men were hurrying along at a - swing-trot with loads of fish and vegetables. The pandits of the place - were all off with their sacred vessels to the river for their morning - bathe; the women were collecting at the different - <i lang="bn">ghâts</i> - and exchanging confidences with each other. <q>I am suffering agonies - from my sister-in-law’s cruelty,</q> said one. - - <q>Ah, my spiteful mother-in-law!</q> exclaimed another. - - <q>Oh, my friends!</q> cried another, <q>I have no wish to live any - longer, my daughter-in-law tyrannises over me so, and my son says - nothing to her; in fact, she has made my son like a sheep with her - charms.</q> - - <q>Alas!</q> said another, <q>I have such a wretch of a sister-in-law! - she tyrannises over me day and night.</q> - - Another lamented, <q>My darling child is now ten years old; my life is - so uncertain, it is high time for me to think of getting him - married.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - There had been rain in the night, and patches of cloud were still to be - seen in the sky; the roads and the steps of the - <i lang="bn">ghâts</i> - were all slippery in consequence. Baburam Babu puffed away at his - <i lang="bn">hooka</i> - and looked out for a hired - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> or a - <i lang="bn">palki</i>, - but he would not agree to the fare demanded: it was a great deal too - much to his mind. When the boys who had collected in the road saw how - Baburam Babu was chaffering, some of them said to him: - - <q>Had you not better, sir, be carried in a coolie’s basket? The - charge for that will be only two pice.</q> - - As Baburam Babu ran after them and tried to hit them, roundly abusing - them the while, he fell heavily to the ground. The boys only laughed - at this and clapped their hands at him from a safe distance. Baburam - with a woe-begone countenance then got into a - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - with Thakchacha and his companions. The - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - went creaking along, and eventually pulled up at the house of Bancharam - Babu, of Outer Simla. - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam Babu was the principal agent of a Mr. Butler, an attorney - living inBoitakhana; he had had a good deal of experience in the - law-courts and in cases-at-law: though his pay was only fifty - rupees a month, there was no limit to his gains, and festivals were - always in full swing in his house. - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu of Bally, Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar, and Bakreswar Babu of - Batalata, were all seated in his sitting-room, waiting for Baburam - Babu. With the arrival of that worthy the business of the day - commenced. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Oh Baburam, what a venomous reptile have you been nourishing all this - time! You would never listen to me, though time after time I sent word - to you. Your boy Matilall has pretty well done for his chances in this - world and in the next: he drinks his fill, he - gambles<a name="FNanchor_12_12" id="FNanchor_12_12"></a><a href="#Footnote_12_12" class="fnanchor">[12]</a>, - he eats things forbidden: caught in the very act of gambling, he struck - a policeman: Haladhar, Gadadhar, and other boys were with him at the - time. Having no children of my own, I had fondly thought that Haladhar - and Gadadhar would be as sons to me, to offer the customary libation to - my spirit when I was no more, but my hopes are as - <i lang="bn">goor</i> - into which sand has fallen. I really have no words to express my - disgust at the boy’s behaviour. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - Which of them has corrupted the other it may be very difficult to say - with any certainty; but just now please tell me how I am to proceed - with reference to the investigation. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - So far as I am concerned, you may do exactly as you think fit. I have - been put to very great annoyance. The boys have been going into the - temple at night and drinking heavily there: they have made the beams - black with the smoke from tobacco and - <i lang="bn">ganja</i>: - they have stolen my gold and silver ornaments and sold them; and one day - they even went so far as to threaten to grind the holy - <i lang="bn">shalgram</i> - to powder and eat it with their betel in lieu of lime. Can you expect me - then to subscribe towards their release? Ugh! certainly not. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bakreswar.—</span> - Matilall is not so bad as all that: I have seen a good deal of him at - school: he has naturally a good disposition. He was no ordinary boy; he - was a perfect model of behaviour: how then he can have become what you - describe is beyond me. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - May I ask what need there is of all this irrelevant talk? We are not - likely to get our stomachs filled by simply chatting of oil and straw: - let a case be thoroughly well got up for the trial. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction"> Bancharam [highly delighted at the - prospect of making a good thing out of the case].— </span> - - Matters of business require a man of business. Thakchacha’s words - are shrewdly to the point: we must get a few good witnesses together - and have them thoroughly instructed in their role betimes; we must also - engage our friend Mr. Butler the attorney. If after all that we do not - win our case, I will take it up to the High Court. Then if the High - Court can do nothing, I will go up to the Council with the case; and if - the Council can do nothing, we must carry it to England for appeal. You - may put implicit confidence in me: I am not a man to be trifled - with<a name="FNanchor_13_13" id="FNanchor_13_13"></a><a href="#Footnote_13_13" class="fnanchor">[13]</a>. - But nothing can be done unless we secure the services of Mr. Butler. He - is a thoroughly practical man: knows all manner of contrivances for - upsetting cases, and trains his witnesses as carefully as a man trains - birds. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bakreswar.—</span> - A keen intelligence is needed in time of misfortune. A very careful - preparation for the trial is required: why be jeered at for want of it? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - So clever an attorney as Mr. Butler it has never fallen to my lot to - see. I have no language capable of expressing his astuteness: three - words will suffice for him to have all these cases dismissed. Come, - gentlemen, rise and let us go to him. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Pardon me, sir, I could not do what I know to be wrong, even were my - life at stake! I am prepared to follow your advice in most matters, but - I cannot risk my chances of happiness in the next world. It is best to - acknowledge a fault if one has really been committed: there is no - danger in truth, whereas to take refuge in a lie only intensifies an - evil. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - Ha! ha! what business have bookworms with law? The very mention of the - word sets them all atremble! If we take the course this gentleman - advises, we may as well at once prepare our graves! Sage counsels indeed - to listen to! - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - At this rate, gentlemen, it will be the case of the old proverb over - again,— - <q>The festival is over, and your preparations still progressing.</q> - I have no doubt that Beni Babu is a man of very solid parts; why, in the - <i lang="bn">Niti Shástras</i>, - he is a second Jagannath Tarkapanchanan! I shall have to go some day to - Bally to hold an argument with him, but we have no time for that just - now; we must be up and doing. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, Beni my friend, I am quite of your mind! I am getting an old man now: - already three periods of my life have passed away and one only is left - to me. I too will do no wrong, even if my life be at stake. Who are - these boys that I should do what is wrong for them? They have made my - life a perfect burden to me. Shall I be put to any expense for them? - Certainly not: they may go to jail for all I care, and then perhaps I - may contrive to live in peace. Why should I trouble myself any more - about them? The very sight of their faces makes my blood boil. Ugh! the - young wretches! - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VI" id="CHAPTER_VI"></a>CHAPTER VI.<br /> -<small>MATILALL’S MOTHER AND SISTERS.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE Vaidyabati house was all astir with preparations for a religious - ceremonial. The sun had not risen when Shridhar Bhattacharjea, Ram - Gopal Charamani and other Brahman priests, set to work repeating - <i lang="bn">mantras</i>. - All were employed upon something: one was offering the sacred basil to - the deity: some were busy picking the leaves of the jessamine: others - humming and beating time on their cheeks. One was remarking: - - <q>I am no Brahman if good fortune does not attend the sacrifices;</q> - and another, <q>If things turn out inauspiciously, I will abandon my - sacred thread.</q> - - The whole household was busily engaged, but not a member of it was happy - in mind. The mistress of the house was sitting at an open window and - calling in her distress upon her guardian deity: her infant boy lay - near her, playing with a toy and tossing his little limbs in the air. - Every now and again she glanced in the direction of the child, and - said to herself: - - <q>Ah my darling, I cannot say what kind of destiny awaits you! To be - childless is a single sorrow and anxiety: multiplied a hundred-fold - is the misery that comes with children. How is a mother’s mind - distracted if her child has the slightest complaint! she will cheerfully - sacrifice her life in order to get him well again: so long as her babe - is ill, all capacity for food and sleep deserts her: day and night to - her are alike. If a child who has caused her so much sorrow grows up - good, she feels her work accomplished; but if the contrary be the case, - a living death is hers: she takes no interest in anything in the world - and cares not to show herself in the neighbourhood. The haughty face - grows wan and pinched: in her inmost heart, like Sita, she gives - expression to this wish: - - ‘Oh, Earth, Earth, open, and let me hide myself within thy - bosom!’ - - The good God knows what trouble I have taken to make Matilall a - man: my young one has now learned to fly, and heavy is my chastisement. - How it grieves me to hear of such evil conduct: I am almost heartbroken - with sorrow and chagrin. I have not told my husband all: he might have - gone mad had he heard all. Away with these thoughts! I can endure them - no longer: I am but a weak woman. What will such laments avail me now? - what must be, must be.</q> -</p> - - - <p> - A maid-servant came in at that moment and took the child away, and the - mistress of the house engaged in her daily religious duties. - </p> - - - <p> - Man’s mind is so constituted that it cannot readily forget any - particular matter it may be absorbed in, to attend to other affairs in - hand. When therefore she tried to perform her usual devotions, she - found herself unable to do so. Again and again she set herself to - fix her attention on the - <i lang="bn">mantras</i> - she had to repeat, but her mind kept wandering: the thought of - Matilall surged up like a strong and irresistible flood. At one time - she fancied that the orders for his imprisonment had been passed, and - her imagination depicted him as already in fetters, and being led - off to jail: she even thought she saw his father standing near him, - his head bowed down in woe, weeping bitterly; and again she almost - fancied that her son was come to see her, and was saying to her: - - <q>Mother, forgive me: what is past cannot now be mended, but I will - never again cause you such trouble and sorrow.</q> - - She then began to dream of some great calamity as about to befall - Matilall,— that he would be transported perhaps for life. When - these phantoms of her imagination had left her, she began to say to - herself: - - <q>Why, it is now high noon! can I have been dreaming? No, surely this - is no dream! I must have seen a vision. I wish I could tell why my mind - is so distracted to-day!</q> - - With these words she laid herself silently down on the ground, and wept - bitterly. - </p> - - - <p> - Her two daughters, Mokshada and Pramada, were busy drying their hair on - the roof, and Mokshada was saying to her sister: <q>Why sister Pramada, - you have not half combed your hair, and how dry it is too! But it must - be so, for it is ages since a drop of oil fell upon it. It is just the - use of oil and water that keeps people in good health: to bathe once - a month, and without using oil, would be bad for any one. But why are - you so wrapped in thought? anxiety and trouble are making you as thin - as a string.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Pramada.—</span> - Ah, my sister, how can I help thinking? Cannot you - understand it all? Our father brought the son of a Kulin Brahmin here - when I was a mere child and married me to him. I only heard about this - when I was grown up. Considering the number of the different places - where he has contracted marriage, and considering his personal - character too, I have no wish to see his face: I would rather - not have a husband at all than such a one. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Mokshada.—</span> - Hush, my dear! you must not say that. It is an advantage to a woman to - have a husband alive, whether his character be bad or good. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Pramada.—</span> - Listen then to what I have to tell you. Last year, when I was suffering - from intermittent fever and had been lying long days and nights on my - bed, too weak to rise, my husband came one day to the house. From the - time of my earliest impressions, I had never seen what a husband was - like: my idea was that there was no treasure a woman could possess like - a husband, and I thought that if he only came and sat with me for a few - moments and spoke to me, my pain would be alleviated. But, my sister you - will not believe me when I say it! he came to my bedside, and said: - - <q>You are my lawful wife, I married you sixteen years ago: I have come - to see you now because I am in need of money, and will go away again - directly: I have told your father that he has cheated me: come, give - me that bracelet off your wrist!</q> I told him that I would first ask - my mother, and would do what she bade me. Thereupon he pulled the - bracelet off my wrist by brute force; and when I struggled to prevent - his doing so, he gave me a kick and left me. I fainted away, and did not - recover till mother came and fanned me. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Mokshada.—</span> - Oh my dear sister Pramada, your story brings tears into my eyes. But - consider, you still have a husband living: I have not even that. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Pramada.—</span> - A fine husband indeed, my sister! Happily for me, I once spent some time - with my uncle, and learned to read and write and to do a little fancy - work with my needle; so by constant work during the day and by a little - occasional reading, writing or sewing, I keep my trouble hidden. If I - sit idle for any time, and begin to think, my heart burns with - indignation. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Mokshada.—</span> - What else can it do? Ah, it is because of the many sins committed by us - in previous births that we are suffering as we are! It is by plenty of - hard work that our bodies and minds retain their vigour: idleness only - causes evil thoughts and evil imaginations and even disease to get a - stronger hold upon us: it was uncle that told me that. I have done all - I can to soften the pains of widowhood. I always reflect that everything - is in God’s hands: reliance upon Him is the real secret of life. - My dear sister, if you so constantly ponder on your grief, you will be - overwhelmed in the ocean of anxiety: it is an ocean that has no shore. - What good can possibly result from so much brooding? Just do all your - religious and secular duties as well as you can: honour our father and - mother in everything: attend to the welfare of our two brothers: - nourish and cherish any children they may have, and they will be as your - own. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Pramada.—</span> - Ah my sister, what you say is indeed true, but then our elder brother - has gone altogether astray. He is given over to vicious ways and vicious - companions; and as his disposition has changed for the worse, so his - affection for his parents and for us has lessened. Ah, the affection - that brothers have for their sisters is not one-hundredth part of the - affection that sisters have for their brothers! In their devotion to - their brothers, sisters will even risk their lives; but brothers always - think that they will get on much better if they can only be rid of - their sisters! We are Matilall’s elder sisters: if he comes near - us at all, he may perhaps make himself agreeable for a short time, and - we may congratulate ourselves upon it; but then have no any influence - whatever upon his conduct? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Mokshada.—</span> - All brothers are not like that. There are brothers who - regard their elder sisters as they would their mother, and their - younger sisters as they would a daughter. I am speaking the truth: - there are brothers who look upon their sisters in the same - light as they do their brothers: they are unhappy unless they - are free to converse with them; and if they fall into any - danger, they risk their lives to save them. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Pramada.—</span> - That is very true, but it is our lot to have a brother just in keeping - with our unhappy destiny. Alas, there is no such thing as happiness in - this world! - </p> - - - <p> - At this moment, a maid-servant came to tell them her mistress was crying: - the two sisters rushed downstairs as soon as they heard it. - </p> - - - <p> - It was a fine moonlight evening, the moon shedding her radiance over the - breadth of the Ganges. A gentle breeze was diffusing the sweet fragrance - of the wild jungle flowers; the waves danced merrily in the moonlight: - the birds in a neighbouring grove were calling to each other in their - varied notes. Beni Babu was seated at the Deonagaji Ghât, looking about - him and singing snatches of some up-country song on the loves of Krishna - and Radha. He was completely absorbed in his music and was beating time - to it, when suddenly he heard somebody behind him calling his name and - echoing his song. Turning round, he saw Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar: - he at once rose, and invited his guest to take a seat. - </p> - - - <p> - Becharam opened the conversation. <q>Ah! Beni, my friend! those were - home truths you told Baburam Babu to-day. I have been invited to your - village: and as I was so pleased with what I saw of you the other day, - I wanted to come and call on you just once before leaving.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Ah, my friend Becharam, we are poor sort of folk here! We have - to work for our living: we prefer to visit places where the secrets of - knowledge or virtue are investigated. We have a good many rich relatives - and acquaintances, but we feel embarrassed in their presence; we visit - them very occasionally, when we have fallen into any trouble, or have - any very particular business on hand. It is never a pleasure to call on - upon them, and when we do go we derive no intellectual benefit from the - visit; for whatever respect rich men may show to other rich men, they - have not much to say to us; they just remark - - <q>It is very hot to-day. How is your business getting on? Is it - flourishing? Have a smoke?</q> - - If only they speak cheerfully and pleasantly to us, we are fully - satisfied. Ah, learning and worth have nothing like the respect shown - to them that is shown to wealth! Paying court to rich men is a very - dangerous thing: there is a popular saying:— - - <q>The friendship of the rich is an embankment made of sand.</q> - - Their moods are capricious: a trifle will offend them just as a trifle - will please them. People do not consider this: wealth has such magic - in it that they will put up with any humiliation, any indignity from a - rich man; they will even submit to a thrashing, and say to the rich man - after it:— - - <q>It is your honour’s good pleasure.</q> - - However this be, it is a hard thing to live with the rich and not - forfeit one’s chances of happiness in the next world. In that - affair of to-day, for instance, we had a hard struggle for the right. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - From observation of Baburam Babu’s general behaviour, I am - inclined to think that his affairs are not prospering. Alas, alas, what - counsellors he has got! That wretched Mahomedan, Thakchacha, a prince of - rogues! there is an evil magic in him. Then Bancharam, the - attorney’s clerk! he is like a fine mango, fair outside but rotten - at the core. Well-practised in all the arts of chicanery, like a cat - treading stealthily along in the wet, he simulates innocence while all - the while exercising his wiles to entrap his prey. Anybody falling under - the influence of that sorcery would be utterly, and for ever, ruined. - Then there is Bakreswar the schoolmaster, a teacher of ethics forsooth! - A passed master indeed in the art of cajolery, a very prince of - flatterers! Ugh! But tell me, is it your English education that has - given you this high moral standard? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Have I this high moral standard you attribute to me? It is only - your kindness to say so. The slight acquaintance I have with morality is - entirely due to the kind favour of Barada Babu, of Badaragan: I lived - with him for some time, and he very kindly gave me some excellent - advice. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Who is this Barada Babu? Please tell me some particulars - about him. It is always a pleasure to me to hear anything of this kind. - - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Barada Babu’s home is in Eastern Bengal, in Pergunnah Etai - Kagamari. On the death of his father he moved to Calcutta, and found - great difficulty at first in providing himself with food and clothing: - he had not even the wherewithal to buy his daily meal. But from - his boyhood he had always engaged in meditation upon divine things, - and so it was that when trouble befell him it did not affect him so - much. At this time he used to live in a common tiled hut, his only means - of subsistence being the two rupees a month which he received from a - younger brother of his father’s. He was on terms of intimacy with - a few good men and would associate with none but these: he was very - independent, and refused to be under obligations to anybody. Not having - the means to keep either a man-servant or a maid-servant, he did all his - own marketing, cooking for himself as well; and he did not neglect his - studies even when he was cooking. Morning noon and night, he calmly - and peacefully meditated on God. The clothes in which he attended school - were torn and dirty, and excited the derision of rich men’s sons: - he pretended not to hear them when they laughed and jeered at him, and - eventually succeeded by his pleasant and courteous address in winning - them completely over. With very many, pride is the only result of - English learning: they scorn the very earth they live on. This however - found no place in the mind of Barada Babu: his disposition was too calm - and mild. When he had completed his education he left school, and at - once obtained employment as a teacher, on thirty rupees a month. He then - took his mother, his wife and his two nephews to live with him, and did - his very utmost to make them comfortable. He would also look after the - wants of the many poor people living in his immediate neighbourhood, - helping them, as far as his means allowed, with money, visiting them - when they were sick, and supplying them with medicine. As none of these - poor people could afford to send their children to school, he held a - class for them himself every morning. One of his cousins who had fallen - dangerously ill after his father’s death, recovered entirely, - thanks to the unremitting attention of Barada Babu, who sat by his - bedside for days and nights together. He was deeply devoted to his aunt, - and regarded her quite as a mother. Some men appear to have a contempt - for the things of this world in comparison with things of eternity, like - the contempt for death that is characteristic of those who are in - constant attendance at - burning-<i lang="bn">ghâts</i>. - Does death or calamity befall any of their friends or kinsfolk, the - world, they feel, is nothing, and God all. This idea is constantly - present to the mind of Barada Babu: conversation with him and - observation of his conduct soon make it apparent; but he never parades - his opinions before the world. He is in no sense ostentatious: he - never does anything for mere appearance sake. All his good deeds are - done in secret: numbers of people meet with kindness from him, but only - the person actually benefited by him is aware of it; and he is much - annoyed if others get any inkling of it. Though a man of varied - accomplishments, he is without a particle of vanity. It is the man who - has only a smattering of learning who is puffed up with pride and - self-importance. - - <q>Aha!</q> says such a one to himself, <q>what a very learned man I am! - Who can write as I do? Who is so erudite as I? How I always do speak to - the point!</q> - - Barada Babu is a different sort of man altogether: though his learning - is so profound, he never treats the thoughts of others as beneath his - attention. It does not annoy him to hear an opinion expressed opposite - to his own: on the contrary, he listens with pleasure, and reviews - his own beliefs. To describe in detail all his good qualities would be - a long affair, but they may be summed up in the remark that so gentle - and god-fearing a man has rarely been seen: he could not do wrong even - if his life were at stake. Yes, the amount of instruction to be had - from personal intercourse with Barada Babu far exceeds any to be got - from books! - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, how it charms one to hear of a man like that! But now, as it is - getting very late, and I have to cross the river, I will, with your - permission, return home. Let me see you for a moment at the police - court to-morrow. - </p> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VII" id="CHAPTER_VII"></a>CHAPTER VII.<br /> -<small>THE TRIAL OF MATILALL.</small></h2> - - - <p> - VERY strange is this world’s course, and past man’s - comprehension. How hard it is to determine the causes of things! When - we remember for instance the account of the origin of Calcutta, it will - appear almost miraculous; for even in a dream none could have imagined - that Calcutta as it was could ever have become Calcutta as it is. The - East India Company first had a factory at Hooghly, their factor being - Mr. Job Charnock. On one occasion he quarrelled with the leading police - official of the place; and as the East India Company did not in those days - possess the power and dignity which they afterwards acquired, their - agent was maltreated and forced to have recourse to flight. Job Charnock - had a house and a bazaar of his own at Barrackpur, which in consequence - has been known as Chanak, even down to the present time. He had married - a woman whom he had rescued from the funeral pile just as she was about - to become a <i lang="bn">suttee</i>; - but whether the marriage contributed to the mutual - happiness of each, there is no evidence to show. Job Charnock was - constantly journeying to and fro between Barrackpur and Uluberia, where - he was building a new factory: it was the wish of his heart to have a - factory there, but how many undertakings fall just short of - completion<a name="FNanchor_14_14" id="FNanchor_14_14"></a><a href="#Footnote_14_14" class="fnanchor">[14]</a>! - As he journeyed to and fro, he used often to pass by Boitakhana, and - would halt for a rest and a smoke under a large tree there. This tree - was the favourite resort of many men of business, and Job Charnock was - so enamoured of the shade of it that he decided upon building his - factory there. The three villages of Sutanati, Govindpur and Calcutta, - which he had purchased, soon filled up, and it was not long before - people of all classes took up their abode there for trade, and so - Calcutta soon became a city, and populous. The first beginnings of - Calcutta as a city date from the year 1689 of the Christian era. Job - Charnock died some three years after that. In those days the great plain - where the Fort and Chowringhee now are was all jungle. The Fort itself - formerly stood where the Custom House now stands, and Clive Street was - the chief business quarter of the city. So fatal to health was Calcutta - at one time considered, that the English gentlemen who had escaped with - their lives during the year, would annually meet together on the 15th of - November and offer their congratulations to each other. One prominent - characteristic of Englishmen is to have everything about them - scrupulously clean, and disease gradually diminished as sanitary - precautions came more and more into vogue. But the people of Bengal do - not take this lesson to heart: to the present day there are tanks near - the houses of our wealthiest citizens, which smell so bad that one can - hardly approach them. - </p> - - - <p> - In former days the duties connected with the Revenue and Criminal Courts - and the Police Administration of Calcutta devolved upon a single - Englishman: he had a Bengali official as his subordinate, and he - himself was called the - <i lang="bn">jemadar</i>. - Later on, there came to be other Courts; and with the view of checking - the high-handedness of the English in the country, the Supreme Court was - established. The administration of the Police was made an independent - charge, and was very ably conducted. In the year 1798 of the Christian - era, Sir John Richardson and others were employed as Justices of the - Peace; and afterwards, in the year 1800, Mr. Blaquiere and others were - appointed to hold this office. The jurisdiction of the Justices extended - to every part of the country. When it became necessary for the - jurisdiction of those who were simply Magistrates to extend beyond their - head districts, the assistance of the Judge’s Court of the - particular district had to be sought, and consequently many Magistrates - in the Mofussil have now been made Justices of the Peace. Mr. Blaquiere - has been dead some four years; it was currently reported that his father - was an Englishman and his mother a Brahman woman, and that he had - received his earliest education in India, but had afterwards gone to - England and been well educated there. During his tenure of office as - head of the Police Department, Calcutta trembled at his stern severity, - and all were afraid of him. After some time he gave up the detective - part of his work and the apprehension of criminals, to confine his - attention to the trial of prisoners brought before him. He made an - excellent judge, being well versed in the language of the country, its - customs, manners, and all the inner details of the life of the people. - He had the Criminal Law too at his fingers’ ends; and having for - some time acted as interpreter to the Supreme Court, was thoroughly well - acquainted with the proper method of conducting trials. - </p> - - - <p> - Time and water run apace. Monday came. Ten o’clock had just struck by - the church clock: the police court was crowded with police officers, - sergeants, constables, - <i lang="bn">darogahs</i>, - <i lang="bn">naibs</i>, - sub-inspectors, - <i lang="bn">chowkidars</i>, - and with all sorts and conditions of people. Some of these were keepers - of low lodging-houses and women of loose character, who sat about the - Court chewing betel and - <i lang="bn">pán</i>: - some, as their bloodstained clothes sufficiently showed were victims - of assaults: some were thieves, who sat apart dejected and sad: some, - conspicuous by their turbans, were engaged in writing out petitions in - English. Some were complainants in the different cases, who tramped - noisily about the court; others, who were to be witnesses, were busily - whispering to each other: the men who make it their business to provide - bail were sitting about as thick as crows at a - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>. - Here were pleaders’ touts, using all their arts to get clients for - theirmasters: there were pleaders engaged in coaching their witnesses: - and here the - <i lang="bn">amlahs</i> - were writing out cases that had been sent up by the Police. The - sergeants of police looked very important as they marched up and down - with proud and pompous port. The chief clerks were discussing different - English magistrates: this one was declared to be a great fool, that one - a very cunning man, a third too mild and easily imposed upon, a fourth - too harsh and rough; they pronounced also an unfavourable criticism on - the orders passed the previous day in a particular case. The police - court was so crowded, indeed, that it seemed the very Hall of Yama, - and all looked forward with fear and trembling to their fate. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu came bustling up to the court, accompanied by his pleader, - his counsellor Thakchacha, and some of his relatives. Thakchacha was - wearing a conical cap, fine muslin clothes, and the peculiar turned-up - shoes of his class. His crystal beads in hand, he was invoking the names - of his special guardian genius and his Prophet, and muttering his - prayers with repeated shakings of the head; but this was all mere - ostentation. A man so full of tricks as Thakchacha is not met with every - day. At the police court he spun about hither and thither, for all the - world like a peg-top. At one moment he was coaching his witnesses in a - whisper; the next, walking about hand in hand with Baburam Babu; the - next, consulting with Mr. Butler: in this way he attracted - everybody’s attention. Now it is a failing with many people to - imagine their fathers and grandfathers (who may have been great rogues - in reality) to have been celebrated people, well known to all; and the - consequence is that when they have to introduce themselves to others - they will do so, saying: - - <q>I am the son of so-and-so, and the grandson of so-and-so.</q> - - To anybody who came up to converse with Thakchacha, he would introduce - himself as the son of Abdul Rahman Gul, and the grandson of Ampak - Ghulam Hosain. - - A <i lang="bn">sircar</i> - in the court, who was fond of his joke, remarked to him: - - <q>Come, tell me what is your special business? A few low-class - Mahomedans in your own neighbourhood may perhaps know the names of your - father and grandfather, but who is likely to know them in this city of - Calcutta? perhaps however they carried on the profession of - <i lang="bn">syces</i>.</q> - - Thakchacha, his eyes inflamed with passion, replied: <q>I can say - nothing here, as this is the police court: in any other place, I would - fall upon you and tear you to pieces.</q> - - As he said this, he grasped Baburam Babu’s hand in his, to make - the <i lang="bn">sircar</i> - imagine him a man of much importance, held in high honour. - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile there was a stir near the steps of the police court: a - carriage had just driven up: the door was opened, and a withered old - gentleman alighted from it. The sergeants of police raised their hats in - salute, and called out, <q>Mr. Blaquiere has arrived.</q> - - The magistrate, having taken his seat on the bench, disposed first of - some cases of assault. Matilall’s case was then called: The - complainants, Kale Khan and Phate Khan, took up their position on one - side, while on the other side stood Baburam Babu of Vaidyabati, Beni - Babu of Bally, Bakreswar Babu of Batalata, Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar, - and Mr. Butler of Boitakhana. Baburam Babu was wearing a fine shawl, and - had a gorgeous turban on his head: his sacred caste mark, with the sign - of the <i lang="bn">Hom</i> - offering over it, was conspicuous on his forehead. With tears in his - eyes, and his hands folded humbly in supplication, he gazed at the - magistrate, who, he fondly imagined, would be sure to commiserate him if - he saw his tears. Matilall, Haladhar, Gadadhar, and the other accused, - were brought before the magistrate: Matilall stood there, with his head - bowed low in shame. When Baburam Babu saw the boy’s face pinched from - want of food, his heart was pierced. The complainants charged the - accused with gambling in a place of ill-fame, and with having effected - their escape when arrested by grievously assaulting them; and they - stripped and showed the marks of the assault upon their persons. Mr. - Butler cross-examined the complainants and their witness at some length, - and conclusively showed that there was no case made out against - Matilall. This was not at all surprising, considering that for one thing - he had all a pleader’s art exercised in his favour, and for another - that there was collusion between the complainants and the counsel of the - accused. What will not money do? An old - proverb<a name="FNanchor_15_15" id="FNanchor_15_15"></a><a href="#Footnote_15_15" class="fnanchor">[15]</a> - runs:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Gold for the dotard a fair bride will - win.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - Mr. Butler afterwards produced his witnesses, who all declared that on - the day the assault was said to have been committed, Matilall was at - home at Vaidyabati; but on cross-examination by Mr. Blaquiere, they were - not so clear. Thakchacha saw that things were not going well: a slight - slip might ruin everything. Most people, reduced to the necessity of - having recourse to law, give up all ideas of right and wrong: they - sever themselves from all connection with truth, once they have to enter - the Law Courts: their sole idea must be to win their case somehow or - other. Thakchacha then went forward himself, and gave evidence that on - the day and at the time mentioned by the prosecution he was engaged - teaching Matilall Persian at his home in Vaidyabati. Though the - magistrate subjected him to severe cross-examination, Thakchacha was not - a man to be easily confused: he was well up in law-suits, and his - original evidence was not shaken in any way. Then Mr. Butler addressed - the Court, and after some deliberation the magistrate passed orders that - Matilall should be released, but that the other accused should be - imprisoned for one calendar month, and pay a fine of thirty rupees each. - </p> - - - <p> - Loud were the cries of - <i lang="bn">Hori Bol</i> - on the passing of this order, and Baburam Babu shouted: - - <q>Oh Incarnation of Justice, most acute is your judgment! soon may you - be made Governor of the land!</q> - </p> - - - <p> - When they were all in the courtyard of the police court, Haladhar and - Gadadhar caught sight of Premnaryan Mozoomdar, and at once commenced - singing in his ear with the intention of annoying him;— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Hasten homeward, hasten homeward, - Premnarayan Mozoomdar,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Hop into your native jungle, - black-faced monkey that you are!</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - Premnarayan only replied: <q>What wicked boys you are! Here you are - going to jail, but you cannot cease your tricks.</q> - - While he was still speaking, they were led away to jail. When Beni - Babu, who was a very worthy god-fearing man, saw virtue thus defeated - and vice triumphant, he was perfectly astounded. Thakchacha, shaking - his head and smiling sardonically, said to him: - - <q>How now, sir, what does the man of books say now? Why, if we had - acted in accordance with your suggestions, it would have been all up - with us.</q> - - At this moment Bancharam Babu came running up in haste, gesticulating - and saying: <q>Ha! ha! see what comes of trusting me! I told you I - was no fool.</q> - - Bakreswar too had his say. <q>Ah, he is no ordinary boy is Matilall! - he is a very model of what a boy should be.</q> - - <q>Ugh!</q> exclaimed Becharam Babu: <q>It was not I that wished this - wrong done: I didn’t want to see this case won, far from it.</q> - - Saying this, he took Beni Babu’s hand and went off with him. - Baburam Babu having made his offerings at Kali’s shrine at - Kalighat, embarked on a boat to return home. - </p> - - - <p> - Though the Bengalees have always great pride of caste, it may sometimes - fall out that even a Mahomedan may be regarded as worthy of equal - honour with the ancestral deity, and Baburam Babu began now to - regard Thakchacha as a veritable Bhishma Deva: he put his arms - round his neck and forgot everything else in the joy of victory: - food and devotions were alike neglected. Again and again they - repeated that Mr. Butler had no equal, that there was no one - like Bancharam Babu that Becharam Babu and Beni Babu were utter - idiots. Matilall gazed all about him, at one moment standing on - the edge of the boat, at another pulling an oar, at another - sitting on the roof of the cabin or hard at work with the rudder. - <q>What are you doing, boy?</q> said Baburam to him, <q>Do sit quiet - for a moment, if you can.</q> - - One of Baburam Babu’s gardeners, Shankur Mali, of Kashijora, - prepared the Babu’s tobacco for him: his heart expanded with joy, - when he saw his master looking so happy, and he asked him: - <q>Will you have many nautches at the Durga Pujah this year, sir? - Isn’t that a cotton factory over there? How many cotton factories - have these unbelievers set up?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Change is the order of things in this world. Anger cannot long remain - latent in the mind, but must reveal itself sooner or later; and so - with a storm in nature, when there is great heat, and a calm - atmosphere, a - squall<a name="FNanchor_16_16" id="FNanchor_16_16"></a><a href="#Footnote_16_16" class="fnanchor">[16]</a> - may suddenly rise. The sun was just setting, the evening coming on, when - suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye, a small black cloud rose in the - west: in a few minutes deep darkness had overspread the sky, and then - with a rushing roar of wind the storm was on them. No one could see his - neighbour: the boatmen shouted to each other to look out: the lightning - flashed, and all were terrified at the loud and repeated thunder claps: - down came the rain like a waterspout, and they were driven to take - shelter in the cabin. The waters rose and dashed against the boats, - several of which were swamped. Seeing this, the men in the remaining - boats struggled hard to get to shore, but the violence of the wind - drove them in the opposite direction. Thakchacha’s chattering - ceased: frightened out of his senses, and clasping his bead chaplet in - his hands, he gabbled aloud his prayers, calling on his Prophet and - Patron,— Saint Mahomed Ali, and Satya Pir. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu too was in great anxiety. It seemed to be the beginning of - the punishment of his misdeeds: who can remain calm in mind when he is - conscious of wrong? Cunning and craft may suffice to conceal a crime - from the eye of the world, but nothing can escape the conscience. The - sinner is ever at the mercy of its sting: he is always in a state of - alarm and dread, never at ease: he may occasionally indulge in - laughter, but it is unnatural and forced. Baburam Babu wept from sheer - fright, and said to Thakchacha: - - <q>Oh, Thakchacha, what is going to happen? I seem to see an untimely - death before me! surely this is Nemesis. Alas, alas! to have just - effected the release of my son, and yet to be unable to get him safe - home and deliver him to his mother: my wife will die of grief if I - perish. Ah, now I call to mind the words of my friend Beni Babu: all - would have been well had I not turned aside out of the path of - rectitude.</q> - - Thakchacha too was in a high state of alarm, but the old sinner was a - great boaster, and so he answered: <q>Why be so alarmed, Babu? Even if - the boat is swamped, I will take you to shore on my shoulders: it is - misfortune that shows what a brave man really is.</q> - - The storm increased in violence, and the boat was soon in a sinking - condition: all were in an extremity of terror, shouting for help, and - Thakchacha’s only thought was his own safety. - </p> - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_VIII" id="CHAPTER_VIII"></a>CHAPTER VIII.<br /> -<small>BABURAM AND MATILALL RETURN HOME.</small></h2> - - - <p> - MR. Butler had just arrived at his office and was overhauling his books - to see what business was doing during the current month: his dog was - asleep near him. Every now and again the Saheb would whistle, and take - a pinch of snuff; then he would examine his account hook or stand up and - stretch his legs. He thought anxiously of the large sums he would have - to pay as fees in the different offices of the - Court<a name="FNanchor_17_17" id="FNanchor_17_17"></a><a href="#Footnote_17_17" class="fnanchor">[17]</a>: - though by no means possessed of large resources, he knew very well that - business would be at a standstill if he did not pay his money down - before Term opened. He was thus engaged when the - <i lang="bn">sircar</i> - of Mr. Howard, another attorney, entered his office, and put two papers - into his hand. The Saheb’s face beamed with delight, and he called - out to Bancharam to come to him at once. Bancharam, throwing his shawl - over a chair and sticking his pen behind his ear, attended at once to - the summons. - - <q>Ha, Bancharam!</q> said Mr. Butler, <q>I am in luck indeed: there - are two cases against Baburam Babu— an action in ejectment for - non-payment of revenue, and a suit in equity. Mr. Howard has served me - with a notice, and a - <i lang="la">subpœna</i> - to attend.</q> - - On hearing this news Bancharam clapped his elbows against his sides - with delight and said: <q>Aha, Saheb, see what a fine headman I am! - all sorts of good things will come to us by my introduction of Baburam. - Give me the two papers quick and let me go in person to Vaidyabati. - These are not matters to be entrusted to another: I shall have to - employ a good deal of coaxing and wheedling, and all my arts of - persuasion will have to be called into requisition. If I can only once - climb to the top of the Tree of Fortune, I will simply shower rupees - down: just now we are very short of cash, and we cannot afford that in - a business like ours; by a sudden dash like this we may safely reckon on - getting something.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile in the Vaidyabati house, propitiatory sacrifices were being - offered: musical instruments of all kinds were braying and jangling. - The crash of drums, the blare of brass trumpets, the clashing of - cymbals, astonished the dawn. In the great hall of worship offerings for - Matilall’s welfare were in progress. The Brahmans were variously - occupied in reciting the hymn to Durga, working up Ganges clay into - representations of Siva, or offering leaves of the sacred basil to the - holy <i lang="bn">shalgram</i> - in the centre of the hall. Others, deep in thought, their heads resting - on their hands, were saying to each other: - - <q>How about our divine Brahmanhood now? so far from having saved - Matilall, our master too must now have perished with him. If he was - aboard yesterday, the boat must have been lost in the storm last night: - there can be no doubt about that. Anyhow the family are ruined: the - young Babu will now be proclaimed master, and what kind of man he is - likely to turn out no one can say: our prospects of gain appear now to - be very remote.</q> - - One of the Brahmans present said very quietly: <q>Why are you so - anxious? nobody is depriving us of our gains. Apply to our own case - the simile of the saw cutting the shell. The saw will cut chips off - the shell whether it moves forward or whether it moves backwards: even - if the master be no more, there will have to be a gorgeous - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>. - The master is not a young man, and if the old lady objects to spending - much on his - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>, - everybody will abuse her.</q> - - Another remarked: <q>Ah, my friend, that may be all very true, but in - case of his death our gains will become very precarious: I prefer the - supply to be as constant as the - Vasudhara<a name="FNanchor_18_18" id="FNanchor_18_18"></a><a href="#Footnote_18_18" class="fnanchor">[18]</a>: - let us be ever getting, ever eating, say I: one shower will not suffice - a long-continued thirst.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu’s wife was a most devoted partner: ever since her - lord’s departure she had been very restless and had neglected her - daily food. She had been sitting all night at one of the windows of the - house from which the Ganges was visible. As the wind blew in strong - gusts every now and again, she shuddered with fright: she kept gazing - out into the storm, but her heart trembled as she looked: the continual - rumbling of the thunder made her anxious, and she called upon the - Almighty in her distress. Time went by: hardly a boat passed up or down - the Ganges: whenever she heard a sound she would get up and look: - occasionally she saw a light glimmering faintly in the distance and at - once concluded it came from some vessel. At last a boat did come in - sight, and she waited for it to come and tie up at the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>; - but when it passed on, only skirting the shore without coming to land, - the agony of despair pierced her heart like a dart. - </p> - - - <p> - The night had almost come to an end and the storm had gradually lulled. - How beautiful is the calm of creation that succeeds tumult and - confusion! The stars again shone in the sky: the moon’s light seemed to - dance sportively on the waters of the river: so still had the earth - become that even the rustle of the leaves could be heard. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu’s wife, as she anxiously gazed about her, exclaimed - in her impatience: <q>Oh Lord of Creation! to my knowledge I have done - no wrong to any one: I have committed no sin that I am aware of. Must I - now after so long a time endure all the pangs of widowhood? Wealth I - care nothing for: ornaments I have no use for: to be poor would be no - hardship to me, I should not grieve: but this one boon I pray for, that - I may be able to look upon the faces of my husband and my son when I - die.</q> - - Indeed her mental anguish was extreme, but being a cautious woman, as - well as naturally reserved, she restrained herself lest her tears should - distress her daughters. So the night passed away, and music in the house - ushered in the dawn. The sound of melody, ordinarily so attractive, in - the case of one afflicted in mind only serves to open the floodgates of - grief; and the sorrow of the mistress of the house was but - intensified by the sweet sounds. - </p> - - - <p> - Just then a fisherman came to the Vaidyabati house to sell fish: in - answer to their enquiries, he said: <q>During the storm there was a - boat in a more or less sinking condition on the sandbank known as the - Bansberia Chur: I rather think it must have been swamped: there was a - stout gentleman in it, a Mahomedan, a young gentleman, and others.</q> - - This news was as if a thunderbolt had fallen amongst them: the music - at once ceased, and all the members of the household lifted up their - voices and wept. - </p> - - - <p> - Later in the day, towards evening, Bancharam Babu arrived with his usual - bustle at the reception-room of the Vaidyabati house, and enquired for - the master: on hearing the news from one of the servants, he fell into - deep thought, resting his head on his hand, and then exclaimed: - <q>Alas, alas, a great man has departed!</q> - - Having given way for some time to loud lamentation, he finally called - for a pipe of tobacco, and thus reflected, as he puffed away:— - <q>Ah! Baburam Babu is now dead, would that I also were so! Where now - are all those hopes with which I came? They have vanished, and here - am I with the great Durga Festival coming off at home, the image not - yet decorated, or even coloured, and without the wherewithal to pay - for it: I am quite at a loss to know what to do. A few rupees just - now would have been exceedingly serviceable, no matter how they might - have been got. I could have given some to my master, some I would have - kept for myself: it would have been a very simple thing to cook the - accounts by making a false entry or two. Who could have anticipated - that the heavens would have burst asunder and fallen upon my head like - this?</q> - - Then, just for the look of the thing, he shed a few tears before the - servants, weeping really for the loss of his dear rupees. The - officiating Brahmans, seeing him there, came and sat down by him. The - wearers of the sacred thread are, as a rule, a very astute sort of - people: it is hard to get at their thoughts. Some began to recount the - good qualities of Baburam Babu: others complained that they were now - orphans, bereft of their father: others, unable to restrain their greed - of gain, remarked: - - <q>There is no time now for mourning: we must bestir ourselves to - ensure Baburam Babu’s happiness in the next world: he was a man - of no ordinary importance.</q> - - Without paying much attention to what they were saying, Bancharam Babu - smoked away, and nodded his head: he knew the old proverb: - - <q>What advantage does the crow get, even if the - <i lang="bn">bael</i> is ripe?</q> - - It seemed as if he had got to the end of all things, so thoroughly - broken-hearted was he: he could only sigh as he listened to what was - being said: he had no plans, nor, alas, could he think of anybody to - fleece! The idea once occurred to him that he might make something by - informing the family that some fine portions of their property might be - lost to them unless they held a very careful enquiry, but then he - considered that his words would be only wasted if he spoke when their - grief was so fresh. While he was thus musing, a sudden stir arose at the - door, where a messenger had just arrived with a letter: the address was - in the handwriting of Baburam Babu, but the messenger could give no - particulars. The mistress of the house snatched at the letter, carried - it into the house, opened it hurriedly, and devoured its contents. The - letter was as follows:— - </p> - - - <p> - <q>Last night I was in terrible danger: the boat I was in was carried - away in the darkness, at the mercy of the storm, and the boatmen lost - all control over it: finally, it capsized with the violence of the - waves. I was in extreme terror as it was sinking, but at the next moment - I remembered you: I imagined you standing near me and saying: - - ‘Be not afraid in the time of adversity: call on the Almighty - with body, mind, and soul: He is merciful, and will rescue you out of - your danger.’ - - I acted accordingly, and when I fell into the water I found myself upon - a sandbank, where the water was only knee deep. The boat was soon dashed - to pieces by the violence of the storm. I remained on the sandbank the - entire night and reached Bansberia next morning. Matilall fell ill from - exposure, but he has been under medical treatment and is now again - convalescent. I expect to reach home by nightfall.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The moment that she had read the letter, the heat of her grief was - extinguished: she pondered long, and then exclaimed: <q>Can such a - joyful destiny indeed befall so sorrowful a wretch as myself?</q> - - Even while she spoke, Baburam Babu arrived with his son and Thakchacha. - Everywhere there was a great stir. The minds of all the members of the - household had been shrouded in a mist of grief, and now the sun of joy - had risen. As she gazed upon her husband and her son, holding her two - daughters by the hand, the mistress of the house wept tears of joy. She - had been intending to upbraid Matilall for his conduct, but now all was - forgotten: the two girls, holding their brother’s hands, fell at - their father’s feet and wept. Then the infant boy saw his father, - it was as though he had found a treasure: he kept his arms tight round - his neck, and for long refused to slacken his embrace: the women of the - household too offered loud prayers for the welfare of their master, as - though with - <i lang="bn">pán</i> - and betel in hand, they were praying for the welfare of a bridegroom. - Baburam Babu was for some time like a man in a trance, unable to utter - a word. Matilall reflected to himself: <q>The sinking of the boat has - been a piece of good luck for me: it has saved me from a good - scolding from my mother.</q> - - As soon as the Brahmans in the outer apartments of the house saw - Baburam Babu, they greeted him with vociferous blessings, saying in the - Sanskrit tongue:— <q>Supreme over all is the might of the - gods,</q> and adding: <q>How could any calamity befall you, sir, with - your own merits on the one hand, and on the other the divine rites that - have been performed on your behalf? If such can befall, then are we no - Brahmans.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha rose up in great wrath when he heard this language, and said: - <q>Sir, if it is by the influence of these men that calamity has been - averted from you, is all my trouble on your behalf to go for nothing? do - my prayers count for nothing?</q> - - The Brahmans at once humbly acquiesced saying: <q>Ah sir, just as the - divine Krishna was once Arjuna’s charioteer, so you have been the - master’s! all has happened by the might of your intelligence: you are - a special incarnation: calamity flies far away from anyplace where - you are, as from any place where we are.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam Babu had been all this time like a serpent with its - crest-jewel lost, depressed and sad. He shed a few sham tears, to show - off before Baburam Baba (his eyes were always rather watery), and his - breast heaved with emotion. Fish would fall to his bait, he was firmly - persuaded, if now he only threw in sufficient. When he heard the - Brahmans’ talk, he came up to them and with his favourite gesture, - said: <q>I am no fool I can tell you: calamity could not possibly befall - the master with me. Am I merely a Calcutta grasscutter that I could not - have helped him?</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IX" id="CHAPTER_IX"></a>CHAPTER IX.<br /> -<small>MATILALL AND HIS FRIENDS.</small></h2> - - <p> - WHEN a child is once corrupted, it is hard to effect any improvement. - Every means should be tried to instil good principles into the mind from - childhood: the character may then ripen for good and the mind become - more strongly bent towards the right than towards evil; but if a boy - gets hold of bad companions or receives ill advice in his early boyhood, - then, such is the unsteadiness natural to his age, all will probably go - wrong with him thereafter. So long then as he remains still a boy, with - the mind of a boy, he must be assiduously employed in a variety of good - pursuits. If boys were to receive an education like this up to the age - of twenty-five, there would be no probability of their following evil - courses: their minds would by that time have become so elevated that - the mere mention of evil would excite anger and loathing. But it is very - difficult for children in this country to receive such a training, - owing, in the first place, to the lack of good teachers, and in the - second to the lack of good books. There is urgent need of works that - will promote the growth of high principles and of sound judgment, but - ordinary people are persuaded that a solid education consists in - teaching the meaning of a number of sounds: then again, very few people - seem to have any idea of the methods whereby good principles are - implanted in the mind; and finally the nature of the home surroundings - of children in this country is strongly against the implanting of such - principles. One boy may have a drunkard or a gambler as his father, - another may have as his uncles men of immoral life; the mother herself - too, being unable to read or write, may not exert herself for her - children’s education. A great deal of evil moreover is learnt from - association with the different members of the household, the men and - women servants; it may be also that from consorting with all kinds of - boys in the village or at the village-school, children get to learn - their evil ways and vicious habits, and so are ruined for life. Even - where but one of the causes mentioned exists, the obstacle in the way of - good education is grievous enough, but where they all exist in - combination, there the drawbacks are simply terrible. It is like setting - fire to straw: let a man only pour - <i lang="bn">ghee</i> - where the fire is beginning to blaze, and within a very short space the - flame is everywhere, and reduces to ashes whatever it finds in its way. - </p> - - - <p> - Many people thought that Matilall would have reformed after the affair - of the police court; but the boy who is devoid of good qualities and - high principles, and without any regard for honour or dishonour, has no - particular feeling of abhorrence for punishments. Evil thoughts and good - thoughts alike have their origin in the mind, and are therefore - intimately bound up with the character: a mere physical affliction or - trouble then cannot be expected to change the wind’s direction. - Doubtless, when the sergeant of police was dragging Matilall along - through the streets, he may have thought it at the actual time a trouble - and a disgrace, but the feeling was only momentary: once in the - guard-room, he seemed to have lost ail anxiety or fear or sense of - dishonour and he was such a nuisance all that night and the whole of the - next day to his neighbours, as he sang and imitated the cries of dogs - and jackals, that they put their hands to their ears, and exclaiming - <q>Ram, Ram!</q> said to each other: <q>Why, we are far worse off with - this boy in our neighbourhood than if he were in prison.</q> - - When he stood before the magistrate next day, he kept his head bent down - like Shishu Pal, of - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i> - renown, but it was done to deceive his father. In reality he recked - little whether he went to jail and was put in fetters, or what - happened to him. - </p> - - - <p> - Boys absolutely devoid of respect, of fear, and of shame, and addicted - to purely evil courses, are afflicted with no ordinary disease: their - complaint is really mental, and if only the proper remedies are applied, - a cure may in process of time be effected. But Baburam Babu had no ideas - on the subject at all: he was firmly convinced that Matilall was a very - good boy, and used at first to wax very wrath if he heard him abused. - Though all sorts of people were continually telling him about his son, - he was as one who heard not; and if afterwards from his own observations - a doubt did arise in his mind, he kept his misgivings to himself, and - for fear of being mortified before others, refrained from expressing - them, but simply gave secret orders to the door-keeper not to let - Matilall leave the house. This was no remedy: the disease had obtained - too strong a hold upon the boy, and no possible good could result from - simply keeping him a prisoner and constantly in his sight. You may put a - bar of iron on a mind once corrupted, without making any impression: on - the contrary, mere repression may only have the effect of intensifying - the evil in the mind. At first Matilall used to get out of the house by - jumping over the walk. On the release of his old companions of Bow Bazar - from jail, they came to live at Vaidyabati, and some of the boys of the - place having joined them, they formed themselves into a band. Matilall’s - sense of respect and fear was soon destroyed altogether by his - association with these young scamps, and he ended by paying no attention - at all to his father. - </p> - - - <p> - Boys who have not been accustomed from their childhood to innocent and - harmless amusements, are apt to take to diversions of a low kind. The - children of Englishmen are instructed by their parents in a variety of - innocent pastimes, in order that they may have sound minds and sound - bodies: some draw and paint: some cultivate a taste for botany: some - learn music: some devote themselves to sport and gymnastics: each - takes up the form of harmless enjoyment most congenial to him. Boys in - this country follow the example that is set them: their one wish is to - be dressed in gorgeous attire, with a profusion of gold embroidery and - jewels: to make up picnic parties of their chums and gay companions, - and to live luxuriously in all a Babu’s style. Fondness for display and - extravagance naturally characterizes the season of youth: if care is - not very early exercised in this matter, the desire grows in intensity, - and a variety of evils result, by which eventually body and mind alike - may be irretrievably ruined. - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall gradually threw off all restraint: he became so depraved that - continuing to throw dust in his father’s eyes, he now openly spoke of - him in the most unfilial and atrocious manner. The constant burden of - his talks with his companions was: - - <q>Ah, if my old father would but die, I could then enjoy myself to my - heart’s content!</q> - - Any money he demanded from his parents they gave him: if there was any - hesitation on their part, he would at once say: <q>Very well, then, I - will go hang myself, or else take poison.</q> - - His parents in their alarm thought: <q>Ah, what must be, must! Our life - is bound up with the boy’s life, he is our - <i lang="bn">Shivratri</i><a name="FNanchor_19_19" id="FNanchor_19_19"></a><a href="#Footnote_19_19" class="fnanchor">[19]</a> - lamp: let him live and we shall have our libations when we are - gone<a name="FNanchor_20_20" id="FNanchor_20_20"></a><a href="#Footnote_20_20" class="fnanchor">[20]</a>.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall spent his whole time in riotous living: he hardly spent a - minute of his day at home: at one time he would be engaged at a picnic, - taking part in a theatrical entertainment, or making one of a party of - amateur musicians: at another, he would be running about getting up a - procession in honour of some local deity, or else absorbed in - contemplating a nautch: or again, he would be creating a disturbance, - and making unprovoked assaults upon other people. His appetite for - stimulants, whether it were - <i lang="bn">ganja</i>, - opium or even wine, never failed him, and tobacco of course was in - constant demand. - </p> - - - <p> - They carried foppery to an extreme, these young Babus, wearing their - hair in curls and using powder for their teeth. Their dress was of fine - Dacca muslin embroidered with gold lace: on their heads they wore - embroidered caps; carried in their hands silk handkerchiefs perfumed - with attar of roses, and light canes; and smart English dress shoes with - silver buckles adorned their feet. As, moreover, they had no spare time - for their regular meals, they carried about with them all sorts of - dainty sweetmeats. - </p> - - - <p> - Unless an evil disposition is checked at the very outset, it grows worse - every day, and in time becomes quite brute-like in its nature: just as - when a man has once become enslaved to opium, the quantity he takes - tends constantly to increase, so when a man has become addicted to evil - habits, the craving for still more grievous courses comes naturally of - itself. Matilall and his companions soon began to think the amusements - they had hitherto been indulging in too tame: they no longer gave them - any special pleasure; so they set to work to devise means for more solid - pleasures. They now started sallying forth in a band late in the - evenings, setting fire to and plundering houses, setting the thatch of - poor people’s huts alight, visiting the houses of loose women and - creating a disturbance, pulling their hair about, burning their mosquito - curtains, and plundering their dresses and ornaments. Sometimes, they - would even insult a respectable girl. The people of the place were - terribly annoyed at all this, but the young men only snapped their - fingers at them in derision, and consigned them all to perdition. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu had been for some time in Calcutta on business. One day - towards evening, a - <i lang="bn">zenana</i> - <i lang="bn">palki</i> - was passing the Vaidyabati house. As soon as the young scoundrels saw - it, they at once ran out, surrounded it, and commenced beating the - <i lang="bn">palki</i>-bearers, who thereupon set the - <i lang="bn">palki</i> - down and ran for their lives. Opening the - <i lang="bn">palki</i>, - they saw a beautiful young girl inside. Matilall ran forward, seized the - girl’s hand, and dragged her out of the - <i lang="bn">palki</i> - trembling all over with confusion and fear. In vain she looked around - her for help: she saw only pitiless dark space. Then weeping bitterly - she called on the Almighty: <q>Oh Lord, protect the helpless young - orphan! I am content to die, only grant that I may not lose my honour.</q> - - As the young Babus were all struggling together to get possession of - her, she fell to the ground; they then tried to drag her by main force - into the house. Matilall’s mother hastened outside in some - trepidation when she heard the sound of the girl’s weeping, and - the miscreants thereupon took to their heels. Seeing the mistress of the - house, the young girl fell at her feet and said in her distress: - - <q>Oh dear lady, protect my honour! You must be a devoted wife yourself.</q> - - None but a faithful and virtuous wife can understand the danger of a - virtuous woman. Baburam Babu’s wife at once lifted the girl off the - ground and wiped away her tears with the border of her - <i lang="bn">sari</i>, - saying as she did so: <q>My dear child, do not weep, you have no - further cause for fear; I will cherish you as my own dear child: the - Lord Almighty always protects the honour of the woman who is faithful - to her vows.</q> - - With these words she dispelled the girl’s fears, and when she had - soothed and consoled her, accompanied her to her home, and left her - there. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_X" id="CHAPTER_X"></a>CHAPTER X.<br /> -<small>THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE waving of lamps and the loud clanging of bells showed the worship of - the goddess Nistarini<a name="FNanchor_21_21" id="FNanchor_21_21"></a><a href="#Footnote_21_21" class="fnanchor">[21]</a> - to be in full swing in Sheoraphuli. Becharam Babu - looked into the shrine of the goddess as he went by on foot: lining - both sides of the road were shops: in some of them heaps of potatoes, - grown at Bandipore and Gopalpore, were exposed for sale: in others, the - shopkeepers were hard at work selling parched rice and sweetmeats, grain - and <i lang="bn">dál</i>. - Here in one part were oil-merchants sitting near their mills, (which - were simply the hollowed out trunks of trees,) and reading the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i> - in the vulgar tongue: now and then they would urge on their cattle, as - they went circling round, with a click of the tongue, and when the - circle was completed, would shriek out the passage: - - <q>Oh Ram! we are monkeys, Ram, we are monkeys!</q> - - Women were busily engaged in cutting up fish for sale by the light of - their lamps, and calling out: <q>Buy our fish, buy our fish!</q> while - cloth merchants, reciting some passage from - the <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i> - were murdering its unhappy - author<a name="FNanchor_22_22" id="FNanchor_22_22"></a><a href="#Footnote_22_22" class="fnanchor">[22]</a>. - All this, as he passed through the Bazaar,Becharam Babu was closely - observing. When a man is taking a solitary walk, anything that has - recently occupied his attention keeps recurring to his mind. Now, - Becharam Babu was very fond in those days of processional singing; and - as he went along an unfrequented path, after leaving his dwelling, one - of his favourite songs came into his mind. The night was dark and there - was hardly a soul about: only a few bullock-carts, their wheels - creaking as they lumbered along, were on their way home: dogs were - barking here and there. So Becharam Babu began to put all his lung-power - into the song he was chanting in the monotone peculiar to processional - music. The village women hearing his nasal twang, screamed aloud in - their terror, for it is the rooted conviction of the country folk that - only ghosts adopt this peculiar vocal style. Hearing the commotion - Becharam was somewhat disconcerted, so he took to his heels and soon - reached the Vaidyabati house. - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu had a big gathering. Beni Babu of Bally, Bakreswar Babu of - Batalata, Bancharam Babu of Outer Simla and many others were present. - Thakchacha sat on a chair near the master. Several pandits were there - discussing the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i>; - some had taken up passages of the treatises - concerning logic and metaphysics for discussion: others were hotly - discussing the dates that would be auspicious or otherwise for the - annual festivals: others were giving their interpretation of the - <i lang="bn">slokas</i> - out of a particular portion of the - <i lang="bn">Bhagavad Gita</i>: - others were holding a great argument on grammatical niceties. One of the - pandits, a man with an Assamese designation and a resident of Kamikhya, - who was sitting near the master, said to him as he pulled away at his - pipe: <q>You are a very fortunate man, sir, to possess two sons and two - daughters. This year is a somewhat unpropitious one, but if you offer up - a sacrifice, the stars may all be favourable again, and you can use - their influence on your behalf.</q> - - In the midst of the discussion Becharam Babu arrived, and the whole - company rose to their feet as he entered, and welcomed him most - cordially. The visitor had been more or less in a bad temper since the - affair of the police court, but a courteous and kind address has a - great effect in turning a man’s wrath away; and Becharam Babu, - mollified by the courteous welcome so unanimously accorded him, sat down - with a smile close to Beni Babu. Baburam Babu thereupon said to him: - - <q>Sir, the seat you have taken is not a good one: come and sit with me - on my couch.</q> - - Men after each other’s hearts are as inseparable as cranes, and - notwithstanding the pressing invitation of Baburam Babu, Becharam Babu - would not give up his seat near Beni Babu. - </p> - - - <p> - After some time spent in conversation on different topics, Becharam Babu - asked: <q>What about Matilall’s marriage contract? Where has it been - arranged?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - A good many proposals for a contract of marriage have come in: Haridas - Babu of Guptipara, Shyma Charan Babu of Nakashipur, Ram Hari Babu of - Kanchrapara, and many others belonging to different districts have - sent in proposals. These have all been passed over, and a marriage has - been arranged with the daughter of Madhav Babu of Manirampur. He is a - man possessed of considerable property; we shall, moreover, make a good - deal out of the connection. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Beni, my friend, what do you think about this? Come, tell me plainly - and openly your opinion. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Becharam, my dear friend, it is no easy matter to tell you plainly: - you know the proverb: <q>A dumb man makes no enemies.</q> Besides what - is the use of discussing, a thing that has been settled? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Oh, but you must tell me: I like to know the ins and outs of every - marriage. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Listen then: Madhav Babu of Manirampur is a very quarrelsome sort of - person,— has not even the manners of a gentleman. He has a - reputation amongst Brahmans for orthodoxy, only gained by making - presents to them, but he is an utterly unscrupulous man. True, he may be - able to make handsome presents of money and other things on the occasion - of his daughter’s marriage; but is money the only thing worth - taking into consideration when a marriage is in question? Surely the - first requisite is a respectable family, and the next a good girl; and - then if there is wealth as well, so much the better, but it does not - very much matter. Now Ram Hari Babu of Kanchrapara is a very excellent - person: he lives cheerfully and contentedly on the income he derives - from his own exertions, and never casts a longing eye on another - man’s wealth. He may not be in very good circumstances, I allow, - but he has always been very careful to have his children well educated, - and the one object of his thoughts has been the happiness and moral - well-being of his family. To be connected with such a man as this - would be a source of entire happiness. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Baburam Babu, who is the intelligent person who has recommended this - match to you? Avarice will be your ruin yet. But what right have I to - speak? It is after all our social system that is at fault: whenever - the topic of marriage comes to the front, people always say: <q>How - sir! will you give me a pot of silver? will you give me a necklace of - pearls?</q> - - It is only an idiot who would think of saying; <q>Look first to see - whether your proposed relation be respectable or not: enquire - whether the girl be a good girl or otherwise.</q> This is a mere trifle: - if only wealth is to be got, that is everything. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - We want family, we want beauty, and we want wealth as well: how can a - family possibly get on if it professes to despise wealth? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bakreswar.—</span> - True enough: we must keep up a proper respect for wealth. What do we - get by intercourse with a poor man? Are our stomachs filled by it? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha - [bending down from his chair].—</span> - All this talk is a reflection upon me: it was I that counselled this - match. I would have been ashamed to show my face in the world if I had - not succeeded in getting a girl of noble parentage. I took immense pains - to ascertain that Madhav Babu of Manirampur was a good man. Why, he is a - man at whose name the tiger and cow might drink at the same pool - together! besides, look at the advantage of being able to get his - <i lang="bn">lathials</i>, - whenever we need them in cases of dispute. Then too everybody connected - with the Law-Courts is under his thumb: there are a thousand ways in - which he can be of assistance to us in any strait. Ram Hari Babu of - Kanchrapara on the other hand, is a feeble sort of person: he makes a - very precarious living: what would have been the good of an arrangement - with him? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - A fine counsellor you have got Baburam! If you listen to all such a - counsellor has to advise, you are bound to get to heaven, body and all. - And what a son, too, you have! And so he is actually about to be - married? What do you think about it all, Beni Babu! - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - I think that the man who will first thoroughly educate his son, and who - will take special pains that he shall grow up thoroughly moral, will be - best able to be of assistance to his son when the time comes that he - should marry. Many evils are likely to arise if a boy is married at an - unreasonable age. - </p> - - - <p> - On hearing all this, Baburam Babu rose in much irritation and hurriedly - retreated into the inner apartments of the house, where his wife was - engaged in discussing the match with some of the women of the village. - Going up to her, he informed her of all that had been said outside, and - as he stood there in some perplexity, inquired: <q>Cannot we put off - Matilall’s marriage for a few days?</q> His wife replied: <q>What is - this that you are saying? Plague take our enemies! By divine favour - Matilall is now sixteen: would it look well not to marry him now? If - you upset the arrangements now, the proper season for marriage will slip - away. You surely do not know what you are doing: is the caste of a - good man to be destroyed in this way? Go at once, and take the - bridegroom off with you.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - At this advice from his wife, all the master’s indecision - disappeared. He at once went outside and gave the order for the lamps - to be lit: the musical instruments all struck up at the same time, and - the English bands began to play. Baburam lifted the bridegroom into his - palanquin, and taking Thakchacha by the hand, walked by the side, with - heavy gait, accompanied by his kinsmen and near friends. From the roof - of the house the boy’s mother gazed down upon her son’s - face, and the women of the household called out, - <q>Ah, mother of Mati! Ah, how beautiful is your child!</q> - The friends of the bridegroom were all with him: they amused themselves - by taking torches to the rear of the crowd and setting people alight, - and by letting off squibs and fireworks near the houses and in the - thick of the crowd. None of the poor people ventured to remonstrate, - though they were sadly annoyed. - </p> - - - <p> - The bridegroom soon reached Manirampur, and got down from the palanquin. - Both sides of the road were crowded with people gazing at the - bridegroom. The women chattered away to each other about him. <q>The boy - has a certain amount of beauty,</q> said one, <q>but if his nose were a - bit straighter, he would look better.</q> - - Another remarked, <q>His complexion, fair as it is, would look better - even fairer.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The marriage was to take place at a late hour, but it had not struck ten - when Madhav Babu, taking a - <i lang="bn">durwan</i> - with a lantern, came out to meet the bridegroom and his guests. After he - had joined the marriage procession in the street, nearly half an hour - was wasted in the exchange of compliments, each man wishing to give - precedence to the other. While one said: <q>Pray sir! precede me!</q> - the other politely declined: <q>Nay sir! do you please go first.</q> - - At last, Beni Babu of Bally went forward and said: <q>Please one of you - gentlemen go on ahead. I cannot stand here in the street and catch cold.</q> - - An amicable arrangement being at last come to, the whole company arrived - at the house of the bride’s father and entered. - </p> - - - <p> - The bridegroom took his seat in the assembly. Numbers of roughs were - standing about, ripe for mischief. The distribution of money to the - village, and other subjects, then came up for discussion. Thakchacha was - doing his best, but apparently without avail, to effect some arrangement - for his own profit. A rough blustering sort of fellow came up to him and - said: <q>Who is this low Mahomedan? Get out of this! what has a - Mahomedan to do with Hindu concerns?</q> - - Thakchacha was furious, and shaking his head fiercely, his eyes inflamed - with passion, abused the man roundly. - </p> - - - <p> - This was the very opportunity Matilall’s young friends, Haladhar, - Gadadhar, and the other young Babus, had been longing for. They saw from - the clouds that were gathering that a storm was imminent. One set to - work to tear the carpet into pieces, another to extinguish the lamps: - some set the chandeliers clashing and jingling, while others threw - missiles among the assembled - company<a name="FNanchor_23_23" id="FNanchor_23_23"></a><a href="#Footnote_23_23" class="fnanchor">[23]</a>. - Some of the people of the bride’s father, seeing the confusion they - were creating, began to abuse them and strike them with their fists, - and Matilall seeing the quarrel in progress; thought to himself: - - <q>I fancy I am not destined to get married. I may have to return home - after all, with the thread only on my - wrist<a name="FNanchor_24_24" id="FNanchor_24_24"></a><a href="#Footnote_24_24" class="fnanchor">[24]</a>.</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XI" id="CHAPTER_XI"></a>CHAPTER XI.<br /> -<small>THE POETASTER.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE pandits of Agarpara were enjoying their usual evening lounge beneath - their favourite tree: they were all either taking snuff or smoking, - coughing and sneezing, chaffing each other and joking. One of them asked: - - <q>How is Vidyaratna? The good Brahman, in his zeal for gain, has lamed - himself going to Manirampur in response to an invitation. I was - concerned to see him leaping on a stick yesterday as he went to bathe.</q> - - Vidyabhushan replied: <q>Oh! Vidyaratna is all right again: the pain - in his foot has been considerably alleviated, what with warm lime and - turmeric, and dry fomentations. Come, gentlemen, listen to the poetry - which our friend the great poet - Kankan<a name="FNanchor_25_25" id="FNanchor_25_25"></a><a href="#Footnote_25_25" class="fnanchor">[25]</a> - has composed with special reference to the Manirampur entertainment.</q> - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0">Let the drum beat in triumph, uplift the glad - song,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">For the guests are assembled, a glittering - throng;<br/></span> - <span class="i0">In the gay halls of Madhub, as radiantly - bright,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">As the heaven of Indra, entrancing the - sight.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">How dazzling the glow that illuminates - all,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">How brilliant the flowers that engarland the - wall!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">See, apart sit the friends of the bridegroom - and bride,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Retainers in scarlet on every side.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">What ravishing melody floats on the air<br/></span> - <span class="i0">With perfume of blossoms surpassingly - rare!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Be sure, so celestial a scene to - array<br/></span> - <span class="i0">In Hymen’s sweet honour, took many a - day.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But the ground is just soaking here under the - tent<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Where the rain is descending through many a - rent.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And these up-country <i lang="bn">durwan</i>, - offensively loud,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">What business have they to be hustling the - crowd?<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Discordant the noises that deafen the - ear,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And the shouts and the hubbub are awful to - hear. <br/></span> - <span class="i0">Yet in view of the sweets and the dainties in - store, <br/></span> - <span class="i0">You’d put up with annoyances double or - more.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">See those figures in paste on the walls - stuck about!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">How the pedigree-poets their rhapsodies - shout!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Now list to these verses, and publish the - fame<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Of Kankan,— the paragon verse-maker’s - name!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The bridegroom is coming! A silence profound<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Is felt for a moment, and plaudits - resound.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But the juvenile Babus are eager for - fun,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And lo! in a minute the row has begun.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">His schemes are miscarrying, Thakchacha - fears,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">As he listens aghast to the shouts and the - jeers.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">We too are astounded;— this banging and - crashing!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">This rending of carpets and clanging and - clashing!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Why, the glass chandeliers they are wantonly - smashing!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">We’d better be off, we are in for a - thrashing!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">In wonder sits Mati, revolving the - thought,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>It seems my investiture’s profiting - nought!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The scoundrel Bakreshwar!</q> uprises a - shout,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Give him a caning and hustle him - out!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">And Bancharam also, the schemer - profound,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Is wriggling in torture and howls on the - ground.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Says Becharam hastily, <q>Here, come - aside;</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Things do not look promising: where shall we - hide?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">And carries off Beni, bereft of - resource.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">While ever the tumult increases in - force.<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Help, help!</q> holloas Baburam, much in - alarm,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">For support round a pillar entwining his - arm.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Ho, speed to the rescue Thakchacha the - brave!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But to keep a whole skin’s the one thought of - the knave!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Whom, with head muffled up as he gingerly - goes,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">They arrest as chief culprit, and hurl on his - nose,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And roll in the dust till his eyes are of sand - full,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And tear out the hair of his head by the - handful.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Hear <q><i lang="fa"> Tauba!</i></q> and - <q><i lang="fa"> Tauba!</i></q> the Mussulman yell!<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of my sins I repent, on the border of - hell!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>But I’d nothing whatever to do with it, - no!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>An innocent Moslem,— why badger him - so?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Bismillah! alack! To appear on the - scene</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Such an outrage to suffer, was folly I - ween!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Among the mild Hindus I guilelessly - came</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>From the parent of motives; and this is their - game!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Ah fool! the advice of thy friends to - despise,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>At the cost of thy beauty, thy beard, and - thine eyes!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">Now enter the <i lang="bn">durwans</i> athirst - for the fray,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And round them their <i lang="bn">lathis</i> - impartially lay;<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Then howls of excitement and terror and - pain,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The crack of the truncheon and swish of the - cane!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The friends of the bridegroom and those of the - bride<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Are scuttling in terror on every side:<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Within flies the bridegroom, the company’s - scattered,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And all the gay trappings of Hymen are - shattered.<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Thakchacha still here!</q> some enthusiast - shouts,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Pour mud on his turban and tear off his - clouts!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">In dishonour poor Baburam slinks from the - hall<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And all his brave show goes for nothing at - all.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">His costume’s in tatters within and - without,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And shawlless and shoeless he stumbles - about,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Distractedly moaning:— <q>How hard is - my case</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Whom death from exposure now stares in the - face!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The oncoming tempest I hear from - afar:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>’Tis the progress triumphal of Death on - his car!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Thus helpless and sole, not a creature to - aid,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Can his dire visitation be longer - delayed?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>I am bruised and exhausted, and breath I - have none:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The Fates are against me! O what have - I done?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>And my pitiful lot, if it reaches the - ear</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of the wife of my bosom, will kill her, - I fear.</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Did the marriage come off I’m unable to - tell!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>From a blow on the cranium unconscious I - fell.</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>These schemes matrimonial dictated by - vanity</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Have landed me here on the verge of - insanity!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">Thus loudly bewailing, a cottage he - spies.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Where no cruel warder an access - denies.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And there in a corner, alone, on a - mat,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Monumental in misery,— Thakchacha - sat!<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Ah traitor and craven, ’twas cruelly - done,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Thy comrade deserting, thou treacherous - one!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>O frailty of mortals! how falleth the - best,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>When the touchstone of peril puts love - to the test!"</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Hush, check your emotion!</q> his champion - replies,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>For where are we safe from our enemies - spies?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>You’ll own, when you’ve heard me,— - my confident trust is—</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>You’ve done your protector a grievous - injustice</q>!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">’Tis daybreak, as homeward they ruefully - wend,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And Kankan his epic thus brings to an - end.<br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - On hearing this lampoon upon Baburam Babu, Tarkavagish was furious, and - exclaimed: - - <q>Ha, ha! this is poetry indeed! Saraswati in the flesh! Kalidas come - to life again! What profound learning too has the great poet Kankan - displayed! So precocious a boy cannot possibly live long. The metre - too,— astounding,— never heard anything like it,— - it runs like a nursery rhyme! Now a man who is a Brahman and a pandit to - boot will always speak good of a rich man: there is nothing gentlemanly - in mere abuse.</q> - - With these words, he got up in a rage, and would have left the place, - but the assembled pandits expressed their full approval of his words, - and urging him to stop and be calm, got him at last by sheer force to - sit down again. Another pandit then skilfully introduced other topics, - and ignoring what had passed began to sing the praises of Baburam Babu - and Madhab Babu. A Brahman, being generally rather dense, cannot easily - see when a joke is intended: through constant study of the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i>, - his mind moves solely in the region of the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i> - and has no practice in worldly matters. Tarkavagish however was soon - mollified and amused himself with the subject in hand. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XII" id="CHAPTER_XII"></a>CHAPTER XII.<br /> -<small>BARADA BABU.</small></h2> - - - <p> - BECHARAM BABU of Bow Bazar was sitting in his reception-hall, and with - him were a few persons singing snatches of songs. The Babu was himself - selecting the different subjects, and his selection was a sufficiently - varied one: the verses were being sung to the most popular tunes. Many - people in the exuberance of their enthusiasm would have rolled about on - the floor on hearing such ravishing strains, but Becharam Babu sat there - as stolid as a painted marionette. Beni Babu of Bally arrived while the - music was still in progress, and Becharam Babu at once stopped it, and - said to his guest: - - <q>Ah! Beni, my friend! what, are you still alive? Baburam is still - nursing his wrath; it is like fire smouldering amid burnt rags. He - absolutely refuses to bid pacified. Some unpleasantness was bound to - arise out of the affair of Manirampur: it has been an experience for - us. It is commonly reported that the family has a bitter enemy, and - that he went as one of the bridegroom’s party.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Speak to me no more on the subject of Baburam Babu: the whole affair - has annoyed me extremely. I should like to get away altogether and give - up my house at Bally: the old Sanscrit saying occurs to me, - - <q>What else may not destiny have in store for me?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Well, such is the way things are going with Baburam: what else can you - expect from such a man, with such a counsellor, such companions, and - such a son? Yet his younger son is a good boy: how is that? He is the - lotus flower on the dung-heap. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - You may well ask that: it is indeed extraordinary, but there is a - reason for it. You may perhaps remember my having told you some time - back about Babu Barada Prosad Biswas. Well, for some time past that - gentleman has been living at Vaidyabati. I had been thinking a good deal - on the subject, and I saw that if Baburam Babu’s youngest son, - Ramlall, grew up like Matilall, the family would very soon become - extinct, but that here was an excellent opportunity for the boy to learn - to grow up a good man. I considered the matter well, and went to the - gentleman I have mentioned, taking Ramlall with me. The boy has ever - since then exhibited such an extraordinary affection for Biswas Babu - that he is constantly at his side: he is very rarely at home, for he - regards Biswas Babu as a father. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - You did, it is true, once relate to me all the virtues of this Biswas - Babu, but, to tell you the truth, I have never heard of a single - individual possessed of so many virtues before: how is it, that now he - has attained to so good a position, he is so modest, and unpretending? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - It is generally very difficult for a man to be humble and unassuming who - has been accustomed to wealth from his boyhood, and who has never - encountered adversity, but gone on steadily piling up riches. A man like - this has, as a rule, no perception of the feelings of others: I mean by - that, he has no idea what is pleasing or what is distasteful to others, - for his thoughts are centred in himself: he considers himself a great - man, and his people all encourage him in the idea by extolling his - magnificence. Under these conditions pride reaches a fearful height: - modesty and kindliness can never take firm root in such soil. It is on - this account that in Calcutta the sons of rich men so rarely turn out - well. Puffed up by their father’s wealth on the one hand or their - own position on the other, they swagger through life, treating all men - with contempt and derision. It is calamity and misfortune that alone - avail to strengthen man’s mind. The first requisite of man is - humility: that quality absent, a man has no chance of either discerning - aright or correcting his faults, and without humility he cannot advance - in virtue and in worth. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - How was it that Barada Babu became so good? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Barada Babu fell into trouble in his earliest boyhood, and from that - time he used to meditate unceasingly on the Almighty: the result of - this constant meditation was that he became firmly convinced that it - was his bounden duty to do everything that was pleasing to God, and to - avoid what was displeasing to Him even though life were at stake: this - conviction he proceeded to carry into practice. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - How did he settle with himself what was pleasing and what displeasing - to the Almighty? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - There are two ways of attaining to knowledge, on this subject. First, - the mind must be brought under control: to effect this, constant - meditation and the steady growth of good principles are necessary. A - searching self-examination, a course of severe and steady meditation, - may develop the faculty of discrimination between right tad wrong; and - in proportion as that faculty is developed, a man will become averse to - conduct that is displeasing to the Almighty, and attached to a course - that is pleasing to Him. In the second place that faculty may be - steadily exercised by reading and reflecting on what good men have - written. Barada Babu has left nothing undone that can help to make him - good. He has never wandered aimlessly about like ordinary people. When - he rises in the morning, he always offers up his prayers to God, and the - tears in his eyes show the feelings that rise up in his mind at the - time. He then calmly examines his conduct most searchingly, to see - whether it has been good or bad. He never prides himself upon his good - qualities, but is exceedingly distressed if he detects the very - slightest fault in himself. He takes great delight in hearing of the - good qualities of others, but he only expresses his sorrow after - brotherly manner when he hears of their faults. By such assiduous - practice it is that his mind has become pure and serene. Is there - anything astonishing in the fact that a man should thus grow in virtue - who so subdues his mind? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, Beni my friend, it is most refreshing to hear of such people as - Barada Babu! I must have an interview with a man like this, if only - for once. How does he spend his days? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - He is engaged in business most of the day, but he is not like other - people. Most men who are engaged in business think solely of position or - wealth: he does not think so much of these things: he knows well that - wealth and position are but as a drop of water: they may be pleasant to - see, pleasant to hear of, but they do not accompany a man beyond the - grave: nay, unless a man walks with great circumspection, they may - both generate in him an evil disposition. His chief object in engaging - in business is to get the means of exercising and putting to the test - his own virtues. In a business career, bad qualities such as avarice, - ill-will, and want of principle, are brought into prominence, and it is - by the onslaught of such enemies that men are ruined. On the other hand, - the truly virtuous man is the man who proceeds with circumspection. To - talk of virtue in the abstract is an easy thing enough, but unless a man - gives an illustration of it in, his own conduct, his words are a sham. - Barada Babu is always saying that the world resembles a school. Genuine - virtue is the outcome of a thorough discipline of the mind in the - business of life. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Surely Barada Babu does not regard wealth as a thing of no account? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - No, not at all; he by no means considers wealth despicable, but - virtue comes first in his estimation. Wealth is only of secondary - importance; that is to say, in the acquisition of wealth, due regard - must be paid to the maintenance of virtue. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - What does Barada Babu do with himself in the evenings? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - When once the evening has set in, he spends his time in profitable - conversation with his family, and in reading or listening to their talk. - The members of his family all try to follow his example, observing the - excellence of his character. He is so attached to his family that the - heartfelt prayer of his wife is that she may have such another husband - in all her births: if they lose sight of him even for a moment, his - children fret with impatience. Barada Babu’s daughters are as good - as his sons. While in many homes brothers and sisters are continually - grumbling and quarrelling with each other, Barada Babu’s children - never exchange high words: always, whether at their lessons, or at their - meals, they converse affectionately together; and they are very unhappy - if their parents are at all ailing. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - I have heard that Barada Babu is always about in the village. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - That is quite true. Whenever he hears of any one being in trouble, or in - misfortune, or sick, he cannot remain quiet at home. He assists many of - his neighbours in manifold ways, but he never even hints it to any one: - when lie has done a kindness to another, he considers himself the - person benefited. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, friend Beni, my eyes have never looked on such a man, much less have - I ever heard him with my ears! Why, association with such a character - would make even an old man good, much more help a young boy to grow up - virtuous. Ah, my friend! it will indeed be a gratifying thing if the - younger son of Baburam manages to grow up a good man. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIII" id="CHAPTER_XIII"></a>CHAPTER XIII.<br /> -<small>BARADA BABU’S PUPIL.</small></h2> - - - <p> - BARADA Babu had an extraordinary and unusual knowledge of educational - methods. He had special acquaintance with all the different faculties - and emotions of the mind, and with the methods whereby men may become - intelligent and virtuous by the proper exercise of them. A teacher’s - work is no light one: there are many who have but a mere smattering of - knowledge, and take up teaching just from want of other occupation; good - instruction cannot be expected from men of this type. To be a genuine - teacher, a man must be thoroughly acquainted with the whole tendency of - the mind and all its energies; and he must by calm and patient - observation discover and learn the best way to become a really practical - guide of youth. To teach in a haphazard fashion, without doing something - of this kind, is like striking a stone with a - <i lang="bn">kodàli</i>; - it may fall on the stone a hundred times, but not a handful of soil will - it cut. Now Barada Babu was a man of great acuteness and shrewd - observation: he had so long paid special attention to the subject of - education that he was well versed in the best methods of instruction: - and the learning that was imparted according his system was really - solid. As education is now in Government schools, its real end is not - attained, for the reason that nothing is done for the harmonious - development of the faculties of the mind and the emotions. The scholars - learn everything by heart, and consequently memory alone is awakened: - the faculty of thought and reflection generally lies dormant, and the - idea of bringing the different activities of the mind into play seems - not to exist. The chief end of education being to develop the mental - powers and qualities harmoniously with the gradual growth of the - scholar, one faculty should not be abnormally exerted at the expense of - another. Just as the body gets compact and grows well-knit by an - harmonious exercise of all the limbs, so the mind is strengthened and - the intelligence developed by an harmonious exercise of the sum total of - their energies. All the moral qualities likewise should be - simultaneously elicited: because one may be brought into play it does - not follow that all will be. Reverence for truth, for instance, may be - developed, without a single particle of kindliness: a man may have a - large element of kindliness in his nature, but no practical knowledge of - the business of life. Again, he may be perfectly honest in his business - relations, and yet display indifference or absolute want of affection - for his father, mother, wife and children; or he may be all that is - proper in his domestic relations, but wanting in uprightness in his - business affairs. Barada Babu was well aware in fact, that faith in - God was the foundation of the due development and exercise of the - qualities of the mind, and that they could only be duly developed in - proportion as that faith increased; for otherwise the task was as - futile as trying to write on water. - </p> - - - <p> - Most fortunately for him, Ramlall had become Barada Babu’s pupil, and - all his faculties were being harmoniously developed and exercised. - Association with a good man is a far more potent factor in developing - moral qualities than mere instruction; indeed by such intercourse a mind - may be as completely transformed as a branch of the wild plum grafted on - to a mango tree. So great is the majesty of a really noble character - that even its shadow falling on one that is base and corrupt raises it - in time to its own image. By association with Barada Babu the mind of - Ramlail became almost a complete reflection of his. With the object of - making himself strong, as soon as he rose in the morning, he would take - a stroll in the open air; for strength of mind he knew could not exist - without strength of body: after his walk, he would return home and - engage in prayer and meditation. The only books he read were those the - perusal of which promoted the growth of intelligence and good character, - and the only persons he conversed with were those whose conversation had - the same effect. On merely hearing the name of any good person, he would - go and visit him, making no enquiries about his caste or condition in - life. So keen was his intelligence that in conversation with anyone he - would speak only on matters of real moment: he had no taste for gossip. - If anybody spoke on subjects of but trifling importance, he succeeded by - force of his intelligence in extracting the pith of the matter, as a - fruit-extractor the pulp of the fruit. The steady growth of faith in - God, of morality, and of a good understanding formed the burden of his - meditations. By such consistent conduct as this, his disposition, his - character and his whole conduct became more and more worthy of - commendation. - </p> - - - <p> - Goodness can never be hid. The people in the village would say to each - other: <q>Ah, Ramlall is the Prahlad of a family of - Daityas<a name="FNanchor_26_26" id="FNanchor_26_26"></a><a href="#Footnote_26_26" class="fnanchor">[26]</a>.</q> - In all their griefs and misfortunes he was ever to the front with his - help. He did all he could think of to assist any in need of help, by his - personal exertions on their behalf, whether with his purse or with his - understanding. Old and young, they were all known to Ramlail, and were - all his friends. If they heard him abused, it was as though a dart had - pierced their ears; if they heard him praised, great was the rejoicing. - The old women of the village would say to each other: <q>If we had such - a child we should never let him out of our sight. Oh, what a store of - merit must his mother have laid up to have got a son like this!</q> - - The young women, observing Ramlall’s beauty and good qualities, - exclaimed in their hearts: <q>God grant that such a husband may fall to - our lot!</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Ramlall’s good disposition and character were manifested in manifold - ways, both at home and abroad. He never failed in any single particular - of his duty towards each member of his home circle. His father, - observing him, thought to himself;— <q>Ah, my younger son is becoming - lax in his observances of Hindu religious customs! he does not keep the - sacred mark on his forehead, nor use the customary vessels at his - prayers, nor even the beads for the repetition of the sacred name of - <i lang="bn">Hori</i><a name="FNanchor_27_27" id="FNanchor_27_27"></a><a href="#Footnote_27_27" class="fnanchor">[27]</a>: - and yet he does perform his devotions after his own manner, and - is not addicted to vice. We may tell any number of lies: the boy, on - the contrary, knows nothing but the truth. He is most devoted to his - parents, yet never consents to what he thinks wrong, even at our urgent - request. Now I find a good deal of duplicity necessary in my business: - both truth and falsehood are requisite. How otherwise could I keep up - the great festivals that I have constantly to be celebrating in my - house, the Dol Jatra, the Durga Pujah and others? Now Matilall may be a - wicked boy, but he keeps up his Hindu observances; besides, after all, I - do not think he is so very bad; he is young yet, he must sow his wild - oats.</q> - - Ramlall’s mother and sisters were deeply affected by his many good - qualities: they rejoiced with the joy of those who out of dense - darkness see light. Matilall’s evil behaviour had had a most - distressing effect upon them: bowed down as they had been in shame at - the evil reports they heard of him, they had known little ease of mind. - Now again there was in their hearts, because of Ramlall’s good - qualities, and their faces were lighted up with joy. At one time all the - men-servants and maid-servants of the house, getting only abuse or blows - from Matilall, had been in terror of their lives: now, softened by - Ramlall’s gentle address and kind treatment, they paid all the - greater attention to their work. - </p> - - - <p> - When Matilall and his companions, Haladhar and Gadadhar, saw this - behaviour of Ramlall, they remarked to each other that the boy had gone - silly,— must be cracked,— and said to the master of the - house: - - <q>This brat should certainly be sent to a lunatic asylum: he is a mere - child, yet his sole talk day and night is of virtue: it is disgusting - to hear an old man’s words in the mouth of a child.</q> - - Others of Matilall’s companions would occasionally say:— - - <q>Mati Babu, you are in luck’s way: things don’t look - promising for Ramlall: he will soon come to grief if he makes a parade - of virtue like this: you will then get all the property, and there will - be no obstacle to your complete enjoyment. Even if he does live, he will - be little better than an idiot. But what can you expect? what says the - proverb? - - ‘As the teacher so the taught.’ - - Could he find no other master in this wide world that he must get hold - of some <i lang="bn">mantras</i> - from an Eastern Bengalee, and go wandering about parading his - virtue before the world? If he does this much more, we will send him - and his teacher about their business. The canting humbug! he goes about - saying: - - ‘Ah, how happy I should be if my elder brother were to give up the - society of his evil companions!’ - - ‘Ah, if my elder brother were only to frequent the society of - Barada Babu, what a good thing it should be!’ - - Ha ha! Barada Babu indeed,— the dismal old blockhead, a very - prince of prigs. Look out, Mati Babu: take care that you do not after - all get under his influence and go to him? What, are we to go to school - again? If he wishes, let him come to us and be taught: we are very - hard up for a little amusement.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha was always hearing about Ramlall, and he began to think the - matter over: the one aim of his life was to find a favourable - opportunity for making a successful swoop or two on Baburam Babu’s - property. So far, most of the suits-at-law had ended disastrously, and - he had had no opportunity for such a stroke: yet he never failed to - keep on baiting his ground before casting his nets. Ramlall however - having become what he was, he could not expect any fish to fall into his - net, for however skilfully it might be cast the boy would advise his - father not to enter it. Thakchacha saw then that a great obstacle had - presented itself in his way and he thus reflected: - - <q>The moon of hope must have sunk behind a cloud of despair, for it is - no longer visible.</q> - - After profound deliberation, he observed one day to his employer;— - - <q>Babu Saheb, your youngest son’s behaviour has made me very - anxious: I do not think he can be quite right in his mind. He is always - angry with me and tells everybody that I have corrupted you: my heart - is wounded when I hear this. Ah, Babu Saheb! this is not as it should be: - if he speaks like this to me, he may one day speak harshly to you. The - boy will doubtless become good and gentle in time, but now he is boorish - and rude, and must be corrected; besides, so far as I can judge, you may - lose all your property if this course is allowed.</q> - - A casual remark may very easily disturb the mind of a man who is - naturally rather dense. As a boat in the hands of an unskilful steersman - is tossed about in a storm, unable to make the shore, so a dull-gritted - man is in almost constant perplexity, seeing only chaos around him: he - can himself come to no decision on the merits of any subject. For one - thing, poor Baburam Babu was naturally rather thick-headed, and for - another, Thakchacha’s words were to him as the sacred Vedas: so - he stood stupidly gazing about like a man in a maze, and after a while - asked Thakchacha what plan he could suggest. That astute individual - replied: - - <q>Your boy, sir, is not a wicked boy: it is Barada Babu that is the - origin of all the mischief. Only get him out of the way, and the boy - will be all right. Ah, Babu Saheb! the son of a Hindu should observe - all the ordinances of his religion as a Hindu. A man has need of both - good and bad qualities if he is to engage in the business of this life: - the world is not all honest: what use would it be to me if I were the - only upright man in it?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Men always regard with approval, as the opinion of a really great mind, - language that is in keeping with their own convictions. Thakchacha was - well aware that he had only to talk about the observance of Hindu - ceremonial, and the preservation of property, and his aim would be - accomplished; and, as a matter of fact, it was by such talk that he - achieved his end. When Baburam heard the advice Thakchacha gave, he - acquiesced at once in it, remarking: <q>If this is your opinion, finish - the matter off at once: I will supply you with any money you may want, - but you must work out the plan yourself.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - There was a good deal of discussion of this kind about Ramlall. <q>Many - sages, many saws,</q> says the proverb. - - Some said: <q>The boy is good in this respect:</q> others would reply: - <q>But not good in this.</q> - - One critic complained: <q>He is deficient in one important quality, - which makes all his other excellences go for nothing, just as when a - speck of cow-dung has fallen into a vessel of milk, the whole is - tainted.</q> - - Another retorted: <q>The boy is perfect.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Thus time went on. At last it chanced that Baburam Babu’s eldest - daughter fell dangerously ill. Her parents called in a number of - physicians to see her. Matilall, needless to say, never once came near - his sister, but went about saying that a speedy death was preferable to - the life of a widow in a rich man’s house; and during the time of - her illness, he only indulged himself the more. Ramlall on the other - hand was unremitting in his attention: foregoing both food and sleep, - and full of anxious thought, he exerted himself to the utmost for the - girl’s recovery. But she did not recover, and as she was dying - she put her hand on her younger brother’s head, saying: - <q>Ah, brother Ram! if I die, and am born a girl in my next birth, God - grant that I may have a brother like you. I cannot tell you what you - have done for me. God make you as happy as you wish.</q> - - With these words, his sister breathed her last. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIV" id="CHAPTER_XIV"></a>CHAPTER XIV.<br /> -<small>THE FALSE CHARGE.</small></h2> - - - <p> - BOYS who are at all wild are not to be satisfied with ordinary - amusements: they constantly require new and fresh sources of pleasure, - and if they do not find what they want abroad, they will return and sit - in melancholy brooding at home. Those that have uncles at home perhaps - recover their lost spirits, for they can chaff and joke with them to - their heart’s content: they will at least go so far as to jest about - making arrangements for their last journey to the Ganges, on the ground - that they are a burden to the family. But when such is not the case, - they are bored to death, and regard the world with the eyes of a man who - is sick of life<a name="FNanchor_28_28" id="FNanchor_28_28"></a><a href="#Footnote_28_28" class="fnanchor">[28]</a>. - Passionately devoted as they were to practical joking of all kinds, - Matilall and his companions invented ever new pranks, and it was hard - to foretell what would be their next. Their thirst for some form of - amusement became more intense every day: one kind might occupy them for - a day or two, but it soon palled upon them, and they suffered torments - of <i lang="fr">ennui</i> - if nothing else turned up. Such was the way in which Matilall and his - companions spent their days. In course of time, it became incumbent on - each of them in turn to devise something new in the way of amusement. - </p> - - - <p> - So one day Haladhar wrapped Dolgovinda up in a quilt and, after - instructing all his chums in their different parts, repaired to the - house of Brojonath, the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>. - It was thick with smoke from the preparation of drugs: different - operations were in progress: powders were being prepared, made up of a - number of different ingredients; essential oils were being refined, and - gold ground into powder. The - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - himself was just on the point of leaving his house, with a box of his - drugs in one hand and a bottle of oil in the other, when Haladhar - arrived and said to him: <q>Oh, sir, please come as quick as you can: - a boy is very ill of fever in the house of a - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i>, - and he seems to be in a very critical state: his life and your fame, - you see, are both at stake: you will get undying honour if you restore - him to health again. It is thought that he may get all right by the - administration of some very powerful drug: if you can succeed in curing - him, you will be richly rewarded.</q> Upon this, the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - made all haste, and was soon at the bedside of the patient. - </p> - - - <p> - The young Babus, who were all present, called out: <q>Welcome, welcome, - sir <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>, - may you revive us all! Dolgovinda has been lying on his bed some fifteen - days with this fever: his temperature is very high, and he puffers from - terrible thirst: he gets no sleep at night, only tosses restlessly - about. Please examine his pulse carefully, sir, and meanwhile refresh - yourself by having a smoke.</q> - - Brojonath was a very old man, without much education: he was not very - skilful even at his own trade, had no opinions of his own, and could - do nothing on his own responsibility. In person he was emaciated, with - no teeth, a harsh voice, and a heavy grey moustache, of which he was so - enamoured that he was always stroking it. He sighed as he looked at the - patient’s hand, and sat perfectly motionless. Haladhar then said - to him: <q>Honoured sir, have you nothing to say?</q> - - The <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - without replying gazed intently on the face of the patient, who was - glaring wildly about him, lolling his tongue out, and grinding his - teeth. He also gave a tug at the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj’s</i> - moustache: and as he moved away a little, the boy rolled about and - straggled to get hold of the bottle of oil in his hand. The Babus then - said: - - <q>Come tell us, sir, what is the matter?</q> - - The <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - replied: <q>The attack is a very severe one: there seems to be high - fever and delirium. If I had only had news a little earlier, I might - have managed to cure him: as it is, it would be impossible even for - Shiva to do so.</q> - - As he spoke, the patient got hold of his bottle of oil, and rubbed a - good handful of it over his body. - The <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - seeing the visit was likely to cost him - dear<a name="FNanchor_29_29" id="FNanchor_29_29"></a><a href="#Footnote_29_29" class="fnanchor">[29]</a>, - hurriedly took the bottle away, corked it well, and got up to go. - - <q>Where are you going, sir?</q> - - They all cried. The <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> replied: - - <q>The delirium is gradually increasing: I do not think there - is any further necessity for keeping the patient in the house: you - should now exert yourselves to make his end a happy one by taking him - to the Ganges to - die<a name="FNanchor_30_30" id="FNanchor_30_30"></a><a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a>.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - As soon as he heard this, the patient jumped up, and the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - started back at the sight. The young Babus of Vaidyabati ran after him, - and as the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>, - who had gone on a short distance, stopped dumbfounded and amazed, they - began to hustle him, with shouts of - <i lang="bn"><q>Hori Bol: Hori Bol:</q></i>, - and one of them threw him over his shoulders, and started for the - Ganges. Dolgovinda then came up to him, and said: - - <q>Aha my dear sir, you gave orders to have the patient taken to the - Ganges: the doctor himself it is who is now being carried thither! I - will myself perform the ceremony of putting you into the water, and of - then throwing you on to the funeral pyre.</q> - - The views of the fickle are ever changing, and so a little later he said: - <q>Will you send me to the Ganges again? Go, my dear friend! go to - your home, and to your children, but before you go, you must give me - that bottle of oil</q>. - - With these words, he snatched the bottle from the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>, - and all the young lunatics, smearing themselves over with the oil, - leaped into the Ganges. The - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - became as one bereft of his senses when he saw all this, and thinking - that he might breathe again if he could only get away, he increased his - pace. Thereupon Haladhar, as he was swimming about, screamed out: - - <q>Ho there, respected - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>! - I am getting more and more bilious every day: you must give me some - of your powders to take: do not run away: if you do, your wife will - have to remove her bracelet and be a widow.</q> - - The <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - threw down his box of drugs, and hurried home crying, - <q>Alas! alas!</q> - </p> - - - <p> - In the month of Phalgun, as spring comes in, all the trees are coming - out in new leaf, and the sweet odour of flowers is diffused around. - Barada Babu’s dwelling-house was on the banks of the Ganges: some - little distance in front of it was his favourite garden-house, and all - round it a garden. Barada Babu used to sit every evening in the - garden-house, to enjoy the fresh air and his own meditations, or to - converse with any friends who might visit him there. Ramlall was always - with him, and was made the confidant of his most secret thoughts, - whereby he obtained much good advice. At every opportunity, he would - question his preceptor minutely on the means of attaining to a knowledge - of the Supreme Being, and to perfect purity of mind. - </p> - - - <p> - One day Ramlall remarked to Barada Babu: - - <q>Sir, I have a great longing to travel: staying here, it is a - constant grief to me to listen to the bad language of my elder brother - and the evil counsel of Thakchacha, but my love for my parents and for - my sister makes me disinclined to stir from home. I cannot decide what - to do.</q> - - Barada Babu replied;— - - <q>Much benefit is to be derived from travel: breadth of vision is not - to be had without it: the mind is enlarged by the sight of different - countries, and different people. Much knowledge too is acquired by a - minute enquiry into the different customs of the people of different - countries, into their habits, and the causes determining their - condition, whether good or bad. Association moreover with all sorts of - people, causes bitter prejudices to disappear and induces good feeling. - If a man is educated only at home, his knowledge is derived from books - only. Now education, association with good men, practical employment, - and intercourse with all sorts of people, are all necessary to a man: - it is by agencies such as this that the understanding becomes clear, - and an impetus is given towards the moulding of a good character. - But before he sets out on his travels, it is all important that a man - should know the different matters he will require to investigate, for - without this, travel will prove a mere aimless wandering about, like - the circling round and round of an ox when threshing out the grain. I - do not go so far as to say that no benefit is to be had from such - travelling, that is not my meaning: some benefit or other there must - be. But when a man on his travels is ignorant of the kind of enquiries - he ought to make, and cannot make them, he does not derive the full - benefit of his labour. Many Bengalees are fond of travelling about, but - if you ask them for facts about the places they visit, how many of them - can give you a sensible answer? This is not altogether their own fault, - it is the result of their bringing-up. A good understanding is not to be - had all at once from the sky, without some training in the art of - observation, enquiry and reflection. In the education of children it is - requisite that an opportunity should be given them of seeing models of a - great variety of objects: as they look at all the pictures, they will - compare one with another: that is to say, they will see that one object - has a hand, another has no foot, that one has a peculiar mouth, another - no tail; and by such comparison the faculties of observation and - reflection will be brought into play and developed. After a time such - comparisons will come easy to them; they will be able to reflect on the - causes for the peculiarities of different objects, and will have no - difficulty in perceiving the various classes into which they naturally - fall. By instruction of this kind, assiduity in research is encouraged - and the faculty of reasoning exercised. But in our country an education - like this is hardly ever given, and as a natural consequence, our wits - are muddled and run to waste: we have no instinctive perception of the - essential and unessential features of any enquiry. When a question is - under consideration, many of us have not even the requisite intelligence - to know what kind of enquiries should be made in order that a conclusion - may be arrived at; and it is no falsehood to say that the travels of a - good many people are but idle and profitless. But considering the - education you have had, I should imagine that travel would be of great - advantage to you.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>Now if I do go abroad</q> said Ramlall, <q>I shall have to stay for - some time in places where there is society: and with what classes, and - with what kinds of people, should I chiefly associate?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>That is no easy question,</q> Barada Babu replied: <q>I must - contrive though to give you some kind of an answer. In every rank in - life there are people good and bad: any good people you may come - across you may associate with; but you know by now how to recognise - such: I need not tell you again. Association with Englishmen may make - a man courageous, for they worship courage, and any Englishman - committing a cowardly act is not admitted into good society. But it - does not at all follow that a man is therefore virtuous because he - happens to be courageous. Courage is very essential to everybody, I - admit; but real courage is that which is the outcome of virtue. I have - told you already and now tell you again, that you must always meditate - on the Supreme Being, otherwise all that you see, or hear, or learn, - will only have the effect of increasing your pride. One thing more: - men often wish to do what they see others doing; the Bengalees - especially, from association with Englishmen, have acquired a false - superficial kind of Anglicism, and are filled with self-conceit in - consequence; pride is the motive force in all they do. It will do you - no harm to remember this.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - They were conversing together in this way when suddenly some - police-officers rushed in from the west side of the garden and - surrounded Barada Babu. He looked at them sharply, and asked them who - they were and what their business with him was. They replied: - - <q>We are officers connected with the police: there is a warrant out - against you on the charge of illegal confinement and assault, and you - will have to appear before the Court of the English Magistrate of - Hooghly; we shall have moreover to search your premises for proofs of - the charge.</q> - - Ramlall rose up at these words, and when he had read the warrant, - he shook with rage at the falsity of the charge, Barada Babu - took his hand and made him sit down again, saying: - - <q>Do not put yourself out: let the matter be thoroughly well sifted. - All sorts of strange accidents befall us on earth, but there is no - need to be disturbed in mind at all when calamity comes: to be - agitated in the presence of misfortune is the mark of an ignorant mind. - Besides, I am conscious of my entire innocence of the crime I am accused - of: what cause then have for fear? Still the order of the court must be - attended to, so I shall put in an immediate appearance. Let the officers - search my house, and see with their own eyes that there is no one - concealed there.</q> - - The police-officers having received this order, searched everywhere but - found nothing. Barada Babu then had a boat fetched, and made all his - arrangements for his journey to Hooghly. Meanwhile by some good chance - Beni Babu arrived at his house, so he set out on his journey to Hooghly, - taking Beni and Ramlall with him. Both were somewhat anxious, but by his - cheerful conversation on a variety of topics, he soon put them at their - ease. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XV" id="CHAPTER_XV"></a>CHAPTER XV.<br /> -<small>TRIAL OF BARADA BABU.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE court of the magistrate of Hooghly was crowded. The defendants in - the different suits pending, the complainants, witnesses, prisoners, - pleaders and officers were all present. The majority were restless and - impatient, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the magistrate, but he was - not yet even in sight. Barada Babu, taking Beni Babu and Ramlall with - him, spread a blanket underneath a tree, and sat down. Some of the - clerks of the court who were near, came up to him and began to talk - significantly about coming to an arrangement, but Barada Babu refused to - pay any heed to them. Then, with the view of exciting his fears, they - observed: <q>The magistrate’s orders are very severe; but - everything is left to us, and we can do exactly what we think fit: it - is our business to draw up the depositions, so we can upset everything - by a mere stroke of the pen; but we must have money. An investigation - will have to be made, and this is the time it should be done: our best - efforts, will be useless when the orders in the case have once been - passed.</q> Ramlall on hearing all this was a little alarmed, but - Barada Babu replied quite fearlessly: <q>Gentlemen, you must do - whatever is your duty. I will never consent to give a bribe. I am - perfectly innocent and have no fears.</q> The clerks of the court went - off to their places in high wrath. - </p> - - - <p> - Presently some pleaders came up and said to him: <q>We perceive, sir, - that you are a very respectable man, and have evidently fallen into some - trouble; but you must take care that your case is not lost for want of - proper investigation. If you wish to have witnesses prepared, we can - supply you with some on the spot: we have every facility for doing so - at a trifling expense. The magistrate will be here directly, so seize - this opportunity to do what is necessary.</q> - - Barada Babu answered: <q>Gentlemen, you are extremely kind; but even - should I have to wear fetters, I will wear them. I shall not be much - troubled in mind at that: it will be a disgrace, I know,— I am - ready to acknowledge it as such; but I will not walk in the way of - falsehood even to save my life.</q> - - <q>Good heavens!</q> they exclaimed ironically, <q>here is a man - belonging to the Golden Age. Surely King Yudhishthira come to life - again!</q> and they went away laughing quietly to themselves. - </p> - - - <p> - It was now past two o’clock and still there was no sign of the - magistrate: all were looking out for him as intently as crows on a - sacred <i lang="bn">ghât</i>. - Some among them said to a Brahman astrologer who was present: <q>Pray - sir, calculate for us whether the magistrate will come to-day or - not.</q> - - The astrologer at once replied: <q>Come, tell me the name of some - flower.</q> Somebody mentioned an hibiscus. The astrologer, calculating - on his fingers, said, <q>No, the magistrate will not come to-day: he - has business at home.</q> - - Believing the charlatan’s words implicitly, they all made - preparations to tie up their bundles of records, and got up, saying to - each other: - <q>Ah, <i lang="bn">Ram, Ram!</i> - now we breathe freely again, let us go home and sleep.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha had been sitting with four others within the court enclosure, - with a bundle of papers under his arm and a cloth over his face: he was - now walking about, his eyes blinking restlessly, his beard waving in the - breeze and his head bent low. Just then Ramlall’s gaze fell on him - and he remarked to Barada Babu and Beni Babu: - - <q>See, see! Thakchacha is here! I fancy he is at the bottom of all - this, otherwise why should he turn away his head when he saw me?</q> - - Barada Babu, raising his head, saw him and said, <q>I think so too; he - is looking sideways in our direction, and moreover whenever his gaze - falls on my face he turns and says something to his companions: it - seems to me that Thakchacha is our evil genius; as the proverb has it, - ‘he is the spirit in the <i lang="bn">sirish</i> - seed<a name="FNanchor_31_31" id="FNanchor_31_31"></a><a href="#Footnote_31_31" class="fnanchor">[31]</a>.’</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu was never seen without a smile on his face: his pleasantry - was of great service to him in his search for information. He could not - refrain from shouting out the name of Thakchacha, but none of his shouts - were attended to. Thakchacha had drawn a paper from under his arm and - was to all appearance busily examining it: he pretended not to hear and - did not even raise his head. Thereupon Beni Babu went up to him, and - with his characteristic gesture said to him: <q>Hallo, what is the - matter? What has brought you here?</q> - - Thakchacha said nothing, only examined his paper minutely; indeed he - seemed to be seized with a sudden fit of modesty. But as he must, he - thought, put Beni Babu off somehow or other without answering his - question, he replied: - - <q>Ha, Babu! The river has risen a good deal to-day, how will you get - back? I might as well ask you too why you are here, and why you keep on - asking me the same thing. I have a good deal of business on hand just - now and my time is short: I will speak with you later on: I will - return directly.</q> - - With these words, Thakchacha slipped away, and was soon apparently - engrossed in some trifling conversation with his companions. - </p> - - - <p> - Three o’clock struck: everybody was walking about impatiently. - There is no chance of getting business promptly attended to in the - Mofussil, and people get utterly weary of hanging about the courts. They - were just breaking up when suddenly the magistrate’s carriage was - heard approaching. Shouts were at once raised: - - <q>The Saheb is coming! The Saheb is coming!</q> - - The astrologer looked utterly crestfallen, and people began to say to - him: <q>Your honour’s calculations are somewhat amazing.</q> - - <q>Ah!</q> replied he, <q>it must be owing to something pungent that I - have eaten to-day that my calculations have been so upset.</q> - - The clerks of the court were all standing in their places, and directly - the magistrate entered they all bent their heads low to the ground and - salaamed to him. - </p> - - - <p> - The magistrate took his seat on the bench whistling casually. His - <i lang="bn">hooka</i> - bearer brought him his - <i lang="bn">hooka</i>: - he put his feet up on the table, and lying back in his chair, pulled - away contentedly, now and then drawing out his handkerchief, which was - scented with lavender-water, to mop his face. The office of the court - interpreter was crowded. Men were hard at work writing out depositions, - but as the old proverb has it: <q>He wins who pays.</q> - - The head clerk of the court, the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i>, - with a shawl over his shoulders and a fine turban on his head, took a - number of records of cases and read them out in a sing-song before the - magistrate, who all the while was glancing at a newspaper, or writing - some of his own private letters: as each case was read out he asked: - <q>Well, what is all this about?</q> - - The <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i> - gave him the information that suited his own wishes on the subject, and - the opinion of the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i> - was practically the opinion of the magistrate. - </p> - - - <p> - Barada Babu was standing on one side with Beni Babu and Ramlall, and was - perfectly amazed when he heard the kind of judgments that were being - delivered. Considering the depositions that had been made in his own - case, he began to think that there was very little chance of matters - turning out auspiciously for him. That the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i> - would show him any favour was in the highest degree improbable, but he - knew the old proverb: <q>Destiny is the friend of the helpless.</q> - - As he thus reflected, his case was called on for hearing. Thakchacha - had been sitting inside the court: he at once took his witnesses with - him, and stood before the magistrate, proud and confident. When the - papers in the case had been read, the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i> - said: <q>My lord, this is a clear case of illegal confinement and - assault.</q> - - Thakchacha thereupon ceased stroking his moustache and glared at Barada - Babu, thinking that at last his end was achieved. In the other cases no - questions had been put to the defendants when the records had been read: - they had been treated as summarily as goats for the sacrifice; but - the magistrate’s glance, as luck would have it, falling upon - Barada Babu before he passed his orders, the latter respectfully - explained to him in English, all the circumstances of the case, - saying: <q>I have never even seen the person who has been put forward - as having been confined and assaulted by me, nor did the - police-officers when they searched my premises find anybody there. Beni - Babu and Ramlall were with me at the time; if you will be good enough to - take their evidence, my declaration will be substantiated.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Remarking the gentlemanly appearance of Barada Babu and the good - judgment that had distinguished his language, the magistrate was anxious - to make an enquiry. Thakchacha gave many significant hints to the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i>, - and he for his own part, seeing the turn things were taking, reflected - that he might after all have to disgorge the rupees he had taken, so - laying aside all his fears before the magistrate, he said: <q>My lord, - there is really no necessity for hearing this case over again.</q> - - Upon this the magistrate pursed his lips in some perplexity and turned - the matter over in his mind, cutting his nails the while. Barada Babu - seeing his opportunity again explained to him, quietly and in detail, - the real facts of the case. As soon as the magistrate had heard him, he - took the evidence of Beni Babu and Ramlall, and the charge appearing - upon their statements to be manifestly a false one, was dismissed. - </p> - - - <p> - The final orders had not been passed before Thakchacha was off as hard - as he could run. Barada Babu saluted the magistrate respectfully and - went out. When the court was closed, everybody began to compliment him: - he paid little heed however to them and manifested no particular - pleasure at winning his case, but quietly got into his boat, accompanied - by Beni Babu and Ramlall. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span><br/> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVI" id="CHAPTER_XVI"></a>CHAPTER XVI.<br /> -<small>THAKCHACHA AT HOME.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THAKCHACHA’s house was on the outskirts of the city: on either - side of it were filthy tanks, and in front the shrine of some guardian - saint. Inside the enclosure was a storehouse for grain, and ducks and - fowls were running about the yard. Rogues of every description were in - the habit of assembling at the house early every morning. - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha could assume many characters in the conduct of his business: - he could be gentle or passionate: he could laugh or frown: he could - make a parade of virtue or a show of force, with equal - facility<a name="FNanchor_32_32" id="FNanchor_32_32"></a><a href="#Footnote_32_32" class="fnanchor">[32]</a>. - When the business of the day was over, he would take his bath and his - food, and then sit by his wife and smoke: and as he smoked the tobacco - would gurgle and hiss in its well-chased bowl of - <i lang="bn">Bidri</i> ware. - Their conversation was generally on their mutual joys and sorrows. - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha’s wife was held in great repute amongst the women of - the district. They were firmly convinced that she was well versed in - religious ritual and incantations, in the art of making bad qualities - good, in mesmerising, in causing even death or timely disappearances, - in magic and sorcery, and in fact in every variety of the black - art. For this reason women of all classes of life came - constantly to her to hold secret converse. An old proverb has - it: <q>As the god, so the goddess,</q> and Thakchacha and his wife - were a well-matched pair: the husband got his living by his - wits, and the wife by her reputed learning. - </p> - - - <p> - A woman who earns her own living is apt to become somewhat imperious, - and her husband rarely receives from her unfeigned respect and - attention. Thakchacha had consequently to put up occasionally with his - wife’s reproaches. She was now sitting upon a low cane stool, - saying to her husband: - - <q>You are always roaming about everywhere but at home. What good does - it all do to me or the children? You are always saying that you have - such a lot of business on hand; is our hunger appeased by such talk as - that? Now it is the desire of my heart to dress well and to mix in the - society of women of good position, but I never get a glimpse of any - money. You go wandering about like a lunatic; do remain quietly at home - for a change.</q> - - Thakchacha replied somewhat testily: <q>How can I possibly tell you - all the trouble I have had to undergo. Look at my great anxieties, look - at all the artifices, intrigues and trickery I have to employ: I have - no language to express it all. Then just as the game is on the point of - falling into my hands, off it flies again. Never mind, sooner or later - it will be caught.</q> - - Just at this moment, a servant came to tell them that a messenger was - arrived from Baburam Babu’s house to summon Thakchacha, who - thereupon looked at his wife and said: <q>You see, the Babu is - continually sending for me: he will do nothing without consulting me. - I will strike when the hour is come.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu was seated in his reception-hall: with him were Bancharam - Babu of Outer Simla, Beni Babu of Bally, and Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar: - they were all chatting hard. Thakchacha sat down among them as a - monkey chief might sit amidst his subjects. Baburam at once greeted him: - <q>Ha, Thakchacha, your arrival is most opportune: my difficulties - are as great as ever: I am more involved than ever in these law-suits. - Come and tell me some way of preserving my property.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - Litigation is natural to a man who is a man. Your misfortunes will all - be at an end when your cases are won: why then should you feel alarmed? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Mercy! what advice is this you are giving? Baburam Babu will be - completely ruined by your instrumentality: of that there is not the - slightest doubt. What do you say, Beni, my dear friend? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - Some portions of the estate should be sold, I think, to clear off the - debts, and some arrangements made for reducing the expenditure: the - suits-at-law also should be looked into and cleared off. But our words - are wasted, like one crying in a bamboo jungle. Thakchacha’s are - the only words attended to. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - I pledge my word of honour that all the suits that have been instituted - at my instigation will be gained: I will clear all the difficulties - away. Fighting is one of the necessities of man’s existence: what - cause then is there for alarm? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, Thakchacha, how grand is the heroism you have always exhibited! What - a magnificent display of courage you made when the boat was swamped! Why - it was all on your account that we suffered so on the occasion of the - marriage. You displayed great bravery, I must say, in getting up that - false charge against Barada Babu. Not one of the affairs of Baburam Babu - in which you have meddled but has turned out most prosperously! All hail - to you: I humbly salute you! But ugh! my gorge rises at the mere - recollection of you and all your works! what more can I say to you? - Come, friend Beni, get up and come away: it is no pleasure to me to sit - here any longer. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVII" id="CHAPTER_XVII"></a>CHAPTER XVII.<br /> -<small>BABURAM’S SECOND MARRIAGE.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THERE had been heavy rain in the night: the roads and - <i lang="bn">ghâts</i> - was all muddy and wet: the sky was still overcast, and there were - occasional distant rumblings of thunder: frogs croaked everywhere in - loud chorus. The shopkeepers in the bazaar had opened out their awnings, - and were now engaged in smoking. Owing to the rainy weather very few - people were moving about: only a few - <i lang="bn">gariwans</i> - passed along the road, singing at the top of their voices, and some - coolies bearing loads on their heads, absorbed in their favourite - melody, of which the refrain ran:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Oh yes, my darling Bisakha!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Your friend’s just off to Mathura.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - A number of barbers lived on the west side of the Vaidyabati Bazar. One - of them was sitting in his verandah on account of the rain, and as he - sat there, every now and then looking up at the sky or humming softly to - himself, his wife brought her infant child to him and said, <q>I have - not yet got through all my house work: just nurse this child for me a - bit! the pots and pans have not yet been scoured, and the floor has not - been rubbed down with cow-dung; and besides, I have a lot of cooking to - do. I am the only woman in the house: how can I possibly do all this - myself? — have I four hands or four feet?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The barber straightway tucked his shaving instruments under his arm and - got up to go, saying, <q>I have no time just now to nurse the child. - Baburam Babu is to be married to-morrow: I must be off at once.</q> - - His wife started back, saying: <q>Good heavens! what next? what, that - fat unwieldy old man going to marry again! Alas, alas! And such an - excellent housewife as he has already, a chaste divinity, as pure as - Lakshmi! What, he must go and tie a co-wife to her neck! It is a - crying shame! Why, there is a really nothing that men will not do!</q> - - The barber was dumbfounded by this eloquent outburst, but taking no - notice of what his wife was saying, stuck his hat of plaited leaves on - his head and went off. - </p> - - - <p> - That day was a very cloudy one, but early next morning the sun shone - brightly. The trees and plants seemed all to have received new life, - and the joyous sounds of beast and bird, in field and garden, were - redoubled. Baburam Babu, Thakchacha, Bakreswar Babu, and Bancharam Babu - were just getting into one of the numerous boats at the Vaidyabati Ghât, - when suddenly Beni Babu and Becharam Babu appeared. Thakchacha pretended - not to see them, and shouted to the boatmen to let the boat loose, while - they remonstrated: <q>But master, the ebb tide is still running! how - shall we be able to get along against it even if we punt with poles or - haul with ropes?</q> - - Baburam Babu received his two friends very courteously, saying: <q>Your - arrival is most opportune: come, let us all be off.</q> - - Becharam Babu then remonstrated: <q>Ah Baburam, who in the world - advised you to go and marry at your age?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Baburam.—</span> - Ah Becharam, my dear friend, am I so old as all that? I am a good deal - younger than you are: besides, if you say that my hair is quite gray - and that I have lost all my teeth, that is the case with a good many - others even at an early age: it is not such a very great drawback. I - have a good many things to think of; one of my sons has gone to the bad, - another has become a lunatic: one of my daughters is no more, another - is as good as a widow. If I have children by this marriage, my family - will be preserved from extinction: I am, moreover, under an obligation - to marry: if I do not do so the girl’s father will lose caste, - for they have no other family they can marry her into. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bakreswar.—</span> - That is indeed true: do you suppose that the master has entered upon a - matter of this importance without taking everything into consideration? - I know no one of a better understanding. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - We are Kulins: we must maintain the traditions of our family at any - cost, and where wealth is a recommendation as well, why, there is - nothing more to be said! - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Confound your family traditions and bad luck to your wealth! Alas, how - many persons have combined to overthrow one house! What do you say, - friend Beni? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - What shall I say? our remonstrances are but as idle words, as the tears - of one weeping in a wilderness. But really this matter is a cause of - great grief to me. To marry again when you already have one wife, is a - grievous sin: no man who wished to maintain his virtue could ever do - such a thing. There may be a - <i lang="bn">Shástra</i> - of an opposite opinion, it is true; but there is never any necessity - for following it: that such a - <i lang="bn">Shástra</i> - is not a genuine one there can be no reasonable doubt, - and should it be taken as a guide in actual practice, the bonds of - marriage would thereby become much weakened. The feelings of the wife - towards her husband cannot remain as before, and the feelings of the - husband towards his wife will also be constantly changing. If such a - calamity as this befalls a family, it cannot possibly prosper or be - happy. If there is such a rule in the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i>, - that rule should not be regarded as binding. Be that as it may, it is - very base of Baburam Baba to marry a second time, considering what a - wife he has still living. I know nothing about the details of the matter: - it has only just come to my ears. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - Ah, the man of books picks a hole in everything! he seems - to me to have nothing else to do. I am getting an old man now, and my - beard is gray. Must I be always arguing with such children? Does the - learned Babu know how much wealth this marriage will bring to the - family? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Mercenary wretch that you are! do you recognise money only? - Have you no regard for anything else? You are a low unprincipled - scoundrel, that is all I can say. Ugh! friend Beni, come, let us be off. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - I will have a talk with you some other day: we cannot - waste any more time now. You will have to hurry if you want to reach the - house in time. - </p> - - - <p> - Thereupon, Becharam caught hold of Beni Babu by the hand and got up, - saying: <q>We will never, as long as we live, go to such a marriage; and - if there be such a thing as virtue in the world, may you not return in - peace! Only ruin can attend your counsel: you who are now enjoying - yourself at Baburam Babu’s expense! I have nothing more to say to you. - Ugh!</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XVIII" id="CHAPTER_XVIII"></a>CHAPTER XVIII.<br /> -<small>MOZOOMDAR ON THE MARRIAGE.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE sun was just setting: gloriously beautiful was the western sky with - its many and varied tints. On land and water the sun’s tremulous light - seemed gently smiling, while a soft breeze blew: everything was calm - and inviting. On such an evening as this, a number of young men were - thronging with loud and boisterous shouts down the main street of - Vaidyabati. They knocked against the passers-by, smashing the things - they were carrying, hustling them, throwing their baskets away and - robbing them of their supplies of food. They sang continuously at the - top of their voices, imitating the howls of dogs at the same time. On - either side of the road people fled, calling for assistance and - protection, trembling, and bewildered with fear. Like a storm sweeping - down from all four quarters of the compass at once, with the roar of - heavy rain, this whirlwind came tearing and raging past. And who are - these mighty men? Who indeed but those models of virtue, Matilall and - his companions? — King Nala and Yudhishthira over again! They are far - too great personages to pay heed to anyone: so full of self-importance - and of pride are their heads that they are as unsteady in their gait as - men drunk with much wine. They have it all their own way as they come - swaggering along. - </p> - - - <p> - Just then an old man from the village, one Mozoomdar, his solitary lock - waving in the breeze, a stick in one hand and some vegetables in the - other, approached them, leaning heavily on his stick. They all - surrounded him and began to amuse themselves at his expense. Mozoomdar - was a little hard of hearing, and when they said to him: <q>Come, tell - us, how is your wife?</q> he replied: <q>I shall have to roast them - before I can eat them.</q> - - They laughed heartily, and Mozoomdar would have liked to slip away, but - there was no escape for him. The young Babus seized him, and making him - sit on the bank of the river, gave him a pipe of tobacco, saying to him: - - ‘Come, Mozoomdar, tell us all about the row at the marriage of the - master of Vaidyabati: you are bit of a poet: it is a pleasure to us - to listen to you. If you do not tell us, we shall not let you off, and - we shall go and tell your wife that you have met with an untimely - death.’ - - Mozoomdar saw that he was in a bad way, and that there was no - getting out of it unless he complied; so, making the best of a bad job, - he set his stick and vegetables on the ground and commenced his - narrative. - </p> - - - <p> - <q>It is a pitiable tale that I have to tell. What an experience has it - been to me, accompanying the master! It was close on evening when the - boat drew up at the Barnagore - <i lang="bn">Ghât</i>. - Some women had come to the riverside to draw water: as soon as they - saw the master, they veiled their faces slightly and began to chatter - hard to each other, laughing quietly the while. - - ‘Ha what a lovely bridegroom!’ they cried, ‘what a - sweet <i lang="bn">champac</i> - flower for a lucky girl to fondle in her braided hair!’ - - Said one of them: ‘Old or young, whichever he may be, the girl - will have no difficulty in seeing him with her eyes: that of itself is - something. May the wretched lot that has befallen me befall no one else: - married at the age of six, I have never even set eyes on my husband. I - have heard that he has married some fifty wives, and is over eighty - years of age; and though he is such a wretched tottering old man, he - never makes any objection to marry if he is only well paid for it. - Sorely some great crimes must have been committed in former births, or - else daughters would never be born into a Kulin’s family!’ - - ‘My dear,’ said another woman to her, ‘you have - finished drawing water now: come along, you ought not to gossip like - this when you come to the riverside. Why, your husband is alive, whereas - the man I was married to was actually dying, with his feet in the - Ganges, when the ceremony of marriage was performed! What possible good - will it do to discuss the religious duties of Kulin Brahmans? The - secrets of the heart are best kept locked up in the breast.’</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>It grieved me to listen to the talk of the women, and the words of - Beni Babu, which he spoke at the time of our departure, recurred to my - mind. Then on landing at the Barnagore - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>, - there was a good deal of trouble in trying to get a - <i lang="bn">palki</i>, - but not a single bearer was to be had, and the time for the ceremony - was fast slipping away. We had to proceed as best we could. After a good - deal of floundering about in the mud, we reached the house of the - bride’s father. How can I describe to you the figure that the master - presented after he had tumbled down in the road? we had only to put him - upon an ox, for him to have appeared a veritable Mahadeva, and we might - have presented Thakchacha and Bakreswar as Nandi and Bhringi in - attendance upon him. I had heard rumours that there would be a large - distribution of presents, but on getting up to the great hall, I saw - that there was to be nothing of the sort: it was all a delusion, and - another illustration of the old proverb,— ‘Sand has fallen - into the <i lang="bn">goor</i>.’ - Thakchacha, seeing his hopes destroyed, was glaring around him - everywhere, and strutting insolently about. I could not help smiling to - myself, but I thought it would be safer not to express my real - sentiments. The bridegroom had meanwhile withdrawn for the ceremonies - performed by the women of the family. The women, old and young, all - surrounded him, their ornaments jingling as they moved about They were - horrified when they saw the bridegroom. During the performance of the - ceremony, when bride and bridegroom gaze into each other’s eyes, - he was obliged to put his spectacles on: the women all burst out laughing - and began to make fun of him. He flew into a passion and called out, - - ‘Thakchacha! Thakchacha!’ Thakchacha was just on the point - of running into the women’s apartments, when the people belonging - to the party of the bride’s father got him on the ground. - Bancharam Babu was pugnacious, and got well thrashed. Bakreswar Babu was - hustled about so that he resembled a pigeon with swollen neck. When I - saw the disturbance, I left the bridegroom’s party and joined that - of the bride. What became of everybody in the end I cannot say, but - Thakchacha had to return home in a - <i lang="bn">dooly</i>. - You all know the saying— - ‘In avarice is sin, and in sin death.’ - - Now listen to the poetry I have composed</q>:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0">Any counsel his parasite pours in his - ears,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Baburam, the old dotard, as gospel - reveres.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Still dreaming of riches by day and by - night,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">No thought ever stirs him of wrong or of - right.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">In saving and getting he squanders his - life,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And lately it struck him, <q>I’ll marry a - wife!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Fie! you’re old,</q> cry his friends, <q>and - what can you need more?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>You’ve your wife and your children, with - grandsons in store?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">But their kindly advice for themselves they may - keep<br/></span> - <span class="i0">At a trifle like bigamy, fortunes go - cheap!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">So all in a flurry he orders a boat,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And with kinsmen and servants is shortly - afloat.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Good Beni’s remonstrance he haughtily - spurns,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Who home to his rice unrewarded - returns.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Becharam is disgusted, and toddles - away:<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Thakchacha, you scoundrel!</q> was all he - could say.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But the Barnagore women such volleys of - jeers<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Exchange through their <i lang="bn">chudders</i> - where’er he appears,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">That the bridegroom gets nervous, and asks in - affright,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Can I really be such a ridiculous - sight?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Is some further expenditure needed, - alas?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">And anxiously studies his face in the - glass.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Reassured of his beauty, and freed from - alarm<br/></span> - <span class="i0">He swaggers along, upon Thakchacha’s - arm.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But scarce is he rid of that terrible - doubt,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">When in mud like a pumpkin he’s tumbling - about;<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And his friends in the mire as they - flounder half-dead,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">See the Halls, not of Hymen but Pluto - ahead.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And indeed it turns out, when he’s taken the - yoke<a name="FNanchor_33_33" id="FNanchor_33_33"></a><a href="#Footnote_33_33" class="fnanchor">[33]</a>,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">That his vision connubial has vanished in - smoke;<br/></span> - <span class="i0">For the cluster of pearls he was hoping to - claim,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And the gold and the silver, were nought but a - name!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Thakchacha, outwitted, with furious - scowl<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Glares round him, scarce able to stifle a - howl.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And oh, when its time for the bridegroom to - enter<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The ladies’ - domain<a name="FNanchor_34_34" id="FNanchor_34_34"></a><a href="#Footnote_34_34" class="fnanchor">[34]</a>, - of what mirth he’s the centre!<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Every bangle a-jangle, around him they - flutter,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And flout him and scout him till scarce he can - stutter.<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>This pot-bellied dotard to wed with a - baby!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>This bloated old octogenarian - gaby!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>With a head like a gourd, not a tooth to his - gum!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>’Tis an overgrown ogre in spectacles - come!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>And the child, the sweet blossom, our jewel - so rare!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Ah, shame on the Kulins, such deeds who can - dare!</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0">While, shrinking and blinking and all of a - shiver,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The bridegroom, a captive whom none will - deliver,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Cries feebly as one in the direst of - pain,<br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>To the rescue, Thakchacha!</q> again and - again.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">That hero leaps in at the piteous - sound,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But is seized by the <i lang="bn">durwans</i> and - hurled to the ground.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The remains of his beard he may rescue - to-day,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">But a terrible hiding’s his share of the - prey.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">The guests, who consider it risky to - stay,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Have other engagements, and hasten - away.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Your servant, the tumult increasing still - more,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">Not without some temerity, made for the - door,<br/></span> - <span class="i0">And retired, with a fortitude second to - none.<br/></span> - <span class="i0">All hail to you, masters! my story is - done.<br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[125]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XIX" id="CHAPTER_XIX"></a>CHAPTER XIX.<br /> -<small>DEATH OF BABURAM BABU.</small></h2> - - - <p> - HAVING just come in from his morning walk, Beni Babu was sitting in his - garden-house. He was gazing about him, and had just caught up a refrain - of Ram Prasad’s<a name="FNanchor_35_35" id="FNanchor_35_35"></a><a href="#Footnote_35_35" class="fnanchor">[35]</a> - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Swift to its goal life ebbs - away.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - — when suddenly from a bower of creepers to the west of him, he - heard a voice: - - <q>Ha! friend Beni! True indeed it is that - ‘swift to its goal life ebbs away.’</q> - - Starting up from his seat, Beni Babu saw Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar - hurrying towards him, and going to meet him, said: <q>Becharam, - my dear friend, what has happened?</q> - - Becharam Babu replied: <q>Throw your shawl over your shoulders and - come with me at once: Baburam Babu is very ill: you must see him just - once.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The two friends soon reached Vaidyabati, and saw that Baburam Babu had a - very severe attack of fever: his temperature was very high, and he was - suffering from intense thirst, tossing restlessly about on his bed. Some - slices of cucumber and a cloth steeped in rose-water lay beside him, but - he could retain no nourishment. The villagers all thronged around, - loudly discussing the nature of his illness: one of them was saying: - - <q>Our pulse is the pulse of vegetarians and fish-eaters: nothing but - harm can arise from the use of leeches, purgatives, and blisters. The - best kind of treatment for us is that of the old village doctor; and - then, if no relief is obtained, and grave symptoms occur, a doctor using - the English methods might be called in.</q> - - Another remarked: <q>It would be a good thing to have the opinion of a - Mahomedan <i lang="bn">hakim</i>: - they often effect wonderful cures, and their drugs are all as pleasant - to take as that delicious sweetmeat the - <i lang="bn">mohanbhog</i></q> - - Another said: <q>You may say what you will, but doctors who treat on - English methods give instantaneous relief in all such cases of sickness, - as if by the repetition of a - <i lang="bn">mantra</i>: - a cure will be very difficult without proper medical treatment.</q> - - The sick man kept repeatedly asking for water. Brojonath Raya, the old - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>, - who was sitting by him at the time, said: - - <q>The case is a very serious one: it is not a good thing to be - constantly giving him water: we must give him a little of the juice of - the <i lang="bn">bael</i>. - We are none of us his enemies, I should imagine, that we should be - giving him just now as much water as he wants.</q> - - All this wrangling was going on by Baburam Babu’s bedside. The next - room was filled with a number of pandits, who, of course, regarded as of - chief importance the performance of sacrifices to Shiva, the worship of - the sun, the offering of a million of hibiscus flowers at Kali’s shrine - at Kalighat, and all such religious ceremonials. Beni Babu had been - standing listening to the discussion going on round Baburam Babu, but - everybody was talking at once and nobody listening to anybody else. - <q>Many sages many opinions</q> says the old proverb, and each man - thought his words as infallible as the mystic - <i lang="bn">mantra</i>: - possessed by Druva. Though Beni Babu attempted once or twice to express - his own opinion, his words were lost almost before he had opened his - lips<a name="FNanchor_36_36" id="FNanchor_36_36"></a><a href="#Footnote_36_36" class="fnanchor">[36]</a>, - and being unable to get a word in edgewise, he took Becharam Babu - outside with him. - </p> - - - <p> - Just then Thakchacha approached them, limping painfully along: he was - exceedingly anxious on account of Baburam Babu’s illness, - reflecting that all his chances of gain had slipped away. Beni Babu, - seeing him, said: - - <q>Thakchacha, what is the matter with your leg?</q> - - Becharam burst in with the remark: <q>What, my friend, have you never - heard of the affair of Barnagore? The pain he is suffering is only the - punishment for his evil advice: have you forgotten what I said in the - boat?</q> - - Thakchacha tried to slip away when he heard this, but Beni Babu caught - him by the arm and said: <q>Never mind that now! is anything being - devised for the recovery of the master? There is great confusion in the - house.</q> - - Thakchacha replied: <q>When the fever commenced, I took Ekramaddi the - <i lang="bn">hakim</i> - with me: by the administration of purgatives and other drugs he - reduced the fever, and allowed his patient to eat spiced rice; but the - fever returned again the other day, and since then Brojonath the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - has been looking after the case. The fever seems to me to be steadily - increasing: I cannot imagine what to do.</q> - - Beni Babu said: <q>Thakchacha, do not be angry at what I am going to - say: you should have sent us news of this before. However, that cannot - be helped now: we must call in a skilled English doctor at once.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - At this moment, Ramlall and Barada Prasad Babu approached. Ramlall’s - face was quite worn from night-watching, from the labour and toil of - nursing, and from I anxiety of mind; his daily anxiety was to devise - means for restoring his father to convalescence and health. Seeing Beni - Babu he said to him: - - <q>Sir, I am in grievous trouble: with all this confusion in the house - no good advice is to be had from any one. Barada Babu comes every - morning and evening to look after my father, but none of the people here - will allow me to carry out his instructions. Your arrival is most - opportune: please adopt any steps you think necessary.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Becharam Babu gazed steadily at Barada Babu for some time, and then with - tears in his eyes caught hold of his hand and cried: <q>Ah, Barada Babu, - why is it that everybody does you reverence, except on account of the - many good qualities you possess? Why, it was Thakchacha here who advised - Baburam Babu to have that charge of illegal confinement and assault - brought against you, and all kinds of violence and knavery have been - practised on you without rhyme or reason, at their instigation; and yet, - when Thakchacha fell sick, you cured him, treating him and even nursing - him yourself, and now too, when Baburam is ill, you spare no effort to - give good advice, and to look after his welfare. Now generally speaking, - if one man but speaks harshly against another, enmity at once springs up - between them, and though a thousand apologies may be made, the feeling - does not pass away; but though you have been grievously insulted and - injured, you have no difficulty in forgetting the insult and injuries - you have suffered. No feeling towards another but brotherly kindness - arises in your mind. Ah, Barada Babu, many may talk of virtue, but never - have I found any possessing such as you possess. Men are naturally base - and corrupt; how then can they judge of your qualities? But as day and - night are true, your qualities will be judged above.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Somewhat vexed by these remarks of Becharam Babu, Barada Babu bowed his - head and said humbly: - - <q>Sir, pray do not address me like this. I am but a very insignificant - person: what is my knowledge or what my virtue after all?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>We had better postpone this conversation</q> Beni Babu said, <q>tell - me now what to devise for the master’s illness.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Barada Babu replied: <q>If you gentlemen think the idea a good one, I - can go to Calcutta and bring a doctor back with me by the evening: no - further confidence, I think, should be placed in Brojonath Raya.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Premnarayan Mozoomdar, who was standing near, remarked: <q>Doctors do - not properly understand the pulse, and they let their patients die in - their houses. We ought not to dismiss the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - altogether: on the contrary, let the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - and the doctor each take up a special feature of the case.</q> - </p> - - <p> - <q>We can take that matter into consideration afterwards</q> - - Beni Babu said, <q>go now, Barada Babu, and fetch a doctor.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Barada Babu started off for Calcutta at once, without taking either his - bath or his food, though they all remonstrated: <q>Sir, you have the - whole day before you, take a mouthful of food before you start.</q> - - He only replied: <q>If I stop to do that there will be delay, and all - my trouble may go for nought.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Baburam Babu, as he lay on his bed, kept asking where Matilall was, but - it was hard to get a glimpse of even the top tuft of his hair: he was - always out on picnics with his boon companions, and paid no heed to his - father’s illness. Beni Babu observing this conduct sent a servant out - to Matilall in the garden, but he only sent back some feigned excuse; he - had a very bad headache, and would come home later on. As the fever left - Baburam Babu about two o’clock in the afternoon, his pulse became - exceedingly weak: the - <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i> - examining it, said: - - <q>The master must be removed from the house at once. He is a man of - long experience, an old man, and a man highly respected; and we ought - certainly to ensure that his end be a happy one.</q> - - On hearing this the whole household broke out into loud lamentations, - and all his kinsmen and neighbours assisted in carrying him into the - great hall of the house. Just then Barada Babu arrived with the English - doctor. The latter, observing the state of his pulse, remarked. <q>You - have called me in at the last moment: how can a doctor possibly be of - any use if you only summon him just before taking a patient to the - Ganges<a name="FNanchor_30_30_2" id="FNanchor_30_30_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_30_30" class="fnanchor">[30]</a>?</q> - - With these words he departed. - </p> - - - <p> - All the inhabitants of Vaidyabati stood round Baburam Babu, each asking - some question or other, such as: <q>Honoured sir, can you recognise - me?</q> <q>Come, sir, say who I am?</q> - - Beni Babu remonstrated: <q>Please do not vex the sick man in this way? - What is the good of all this - questioning<a name="FNanchor_37_37" id="FNanchor_37_37"></a><a href="#Footnote_37_37" class="fnanchor">[37]</a>?</q> - - The officiating priests had now completed their sacrifices, and approached - with the sacred flowers of blessing; but they saw at once that their - ceremonial had all been in vain. Seeing that Baburam Babu’s breathing - was becoming heavier, they all took him to the Vaidyabati Ghât. After - tasting of the Ganges water and breathing the fresher air, he revived a - little: the crowd too had diminished in numbers. Ramlall sat beside his - father while Barada Prasad Babu came and stood in front of him. After a - short pause, the latter said very quietly: - - <q>Pray meditate for this once with all your mind upon the Supreme God: - without His favour we are utterly helpless.</q> - - Baburam Babu hearing these words, gazed intently for a few seconds at - Barada Prasad Babu, and began to shed tears. Ramlall wiped away his - tears and gave him a few drops of milk to drink. Baburam Babu then - grew more composed and said in a low tone: - - <q>Ah, my friend Barada Babu, I now know that I have no other friend in - the world but you! Through the evil counsel of a certain individual, I - have committed many and grievous crimes: these are continually - recurring to my memory, and my soul seems to be on fire. I am a grievous - sinner: how shall I make answer for it? Can you possibly forgive me?</q> - - As he uttered these words Baburam Babu took hold of the hand of Barada - Babu, and closed his eyes. His friends and neighbours who were near - began repeating the name of God. Thus, in full possession of his - faculties<a name="FNanchor_38_38" id="FNanchor_38_38"></a><a href="#Footnote_38_38" class="fnanchor">[38]</a> - Baburam Babu passed away. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[131]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XX" id="CHAPTER_XX"></a>CHAPTER XX.<br /> -<small>THE SHRADDHA CEREMONY.</small></h2> - - - <p> - ON the death of his father, Matilall succeeded to the - <i lang="bn">guddee</i>, - and became the head of the house. His former companions never left his - side for a moment, and he grew as proud as a turkey-cock, rejoicing in - the thought that at last after so long a time he might give his - extravagance its full bent. When Matilall displayed a little grief on - his father’s account, his companions said to him: - - <q>Why are you so depressed? who expects to live for ever with his - father and mother? You are now lord and master.</q> - - A fool’s grief is a mere empty name. How can true sorrow possibly affect - the mind of the man who has never given any happiness to those whom he - should hold most sacred— his father and his mother— but - on the contrary untold pain and misery? The feeling, if it does arise, - passes away like a shadow, and the natural consequence is that such a - man can never have any veneration for the memory of his father, and his - mind is never inclined to do anything to keep him in remembrance. - Matilall’s eager desire to know the extent of the property which his - father had left, very soon overshadowed his grief. Acting on the advice - of his companions, he put double locks on the house-door and on the - money-chest, and became more easy in his mind when he had done so. He - was in a perpetual state of alarm lest his money should somehow or other - fall into the hands of his mother, stepmother, brother or sister, and be - altogether lost to him in consequence. His companions were continually - saying to him: <q>Money is a very important thing, sir! Where it is in - question, no confidence is to be reposed even in one’s own father. Now - there is your younger brother always carrying a big bag of virtue about - with him wherever he goes, and with truth always on his tongue; yet even - his preceptor never shows indulgence to anyone, but whenever he has the - opportunity enforces his full claims. We have seen a good many shams of - that kind. Anyhow, Barada Babu must know something of witchcraft: he - must have lived some time at - Kamrup<a name="FNanchor_39_39" id="FNanchor_39_39"></a><a href="#Footnote_39_39" class="fnanchor">[39]</a>. - How otherwise is it possible to account for the great influence he had - over Baburam Babu at the time of his death?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Not very long after this conversation, Matilall proceeded to visit his - relatives and kinsmen, to signify his accession to his new position as - master of the house. Busybodies are at all times to be found, ready to - interfere in other people’s concerns. Like the twists and turns of the - <i lang="bn">jelabhi</i> - sweetmeat, their conversation touches on a variety of topics, - but never goes straight to the point: like air it wanders where it - will, and it is as difficult to get hold of, for it will generally be - found on close examination to have double meaning. Some of those he - visited said: <q>The master was a most worthy person: had it not been - for his great store of merit, he could not have had the children he - did. His death too,— why, it was characteristic of the man! it was - marvellous! Ah, sir, all this time you have been under the shelter of a - mountain, shielded and protected! You will now have your own discretion - to depend upon: the family all look to you: you have the whole number - of religious festivals to keep up: you have, moreover, to perpetuate - the name of your father and your grandfather. First, of course you must - perform the <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - with due regard to your property: you need not in this matter dance to - the tune of the world’s opinion. Why Ram Chandra himself offered a - funeral cake of sand to his father’s shade, and if you have to abridge - your expenditure in this respect, it is idle to mourn over that: but to - do nothing at all is not good. Ah, sir, you must know that your father’s - name resounds far and wide! by virtue of his name the tiger and the cow - drink at the same pool! can his - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> then be like the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - of a poor and insignificant man? Even those encumbered with debt must - avoid the world’s reproach.</q> - - Matilall could not comprehend the drift of - all this talk. These men, while nominally manifesting their bosom - friendship as kinsmen for a kinsman, were really in their inmost hearts - eager to have a gorgeous - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - ceremony, and themselves to get the management of it, so that they might - gain importance thereby; but they would never give a plain answer to a - plain question. One of them said: <q>It will never do not to have the - <i lang="bn">shorash</i>, - with the usual display of silver and other presents.</q> - - Another remarked: <q>You will find it very hard to keep the world’s - respect, if you do not have a - <i lang="bn">dan-sagar</i>, - with costly presents of every kind for all comers.</q> - - Another said: <q>It will be a very poor sort of - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>, if there is no - <i lang="bn">dampati-baran</i>, - for poor Brahmans.</q> - - And another said: <q>It will be a great disgrace if pandits are not - invited to attend, and a distribution of alms not made to the poor.</q> - - There was a good deal of wrangling over the affair. - - <q>Who wants your advice?</q>— - - <q>Who told you to argue?</q>— - - <q>Who listens to your conclusions?</q>— - - <q>Nobody respects you in the village: it is only in your own opinion - that you are the head man,</q> - - such remarks were freely bandied about from one to the other. - - Each of those present indeed was in his own estimation the most - important man there, and each man thought what he had to say the - conclusion of the whole matter. Three days after this discussion, Beni - Babu, Becharam Babu, Bancharam Babu, and Bakreswar Babu, arrived at - Matilall’s house. Thakchacha was sitting near Matilall as - melancholy and spiritless as a snake with its jewelled crest lost: with - bead-rosary in his hand and with trembling lips, he was muttering his - prayers. His attention was not directed to the brisk conversation that - was going on around him: his eyes were rolling about, their glance - chiefly directed at the wall. When he saw Beni Babu and the others, - he rose hurriedly and saluted them. Such humility on Thakchacha’s - part had never been witnessed before, but the old proverb has it:— - - <q>With the venom, goes the glamour.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu took hold of Thakchacha’s hand, and said to him: - - <q>Why, what are you doing? How is it that you, a venerable old Moulvi - as you are, honour us like this?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam Babu said: <q>We must waste no more time: our leisure is - very limited. Nothing is as yet arranged; come, tell us what should be - done.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Baburam’s affairs are in great confusion: some of the - property will have to be sold to clear off debts. It would not be right - to celebrate the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - on a magnificent scale and incur more debt by so doing. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - What is this I hear? Surely the very first requisite is to - avoid the censure of the world: the property may be looked after later - on. Shall honour and reputation be allowed to float away on the waters - of this flood? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - That is very bad advice, and I will never assent to it - myself. How now, friend Beni, what do you say? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - To incur debt again in any case where there is already a good - deal, and where it is doubtful whether it can be cleared off even by a - sale of property, is really a species of theft; for how can the new debt - incurred be cleared off? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - Bah! that is only an English idea. As a matter of fact the - rich always live on credit: they incur debts here only to pay them off - there. A respectable man like you should not be a marplot; or put - obstacles in the way of a good action. I have no property to give way - myself, but if any one else is prepared to make presents to all the - pandits, am I bound to offer any opposition? We all of us have pandits - more or less dependent upon us, and they will all want to receive - invitations. It is only natural they should: they must live. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bakreswar.—</span> - Very well said, sir! There is an old saying: <q>Death before - dishonour.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Baburam Babu’s family are in the centre of a conflagration: - as far as I can see they will soon be utterly ruined. We must try and - find a remedy to prevent this. A curse on this method of purchasing - renown at the expense of debt! I do not consider Brahman followers to - have such a claim upon me that I should sacrifice others to fill their - maws: a pretty business that would be! Come, my friend Beni, let us be - off. - </p> - - - <p> - As soon as Beni Babu and Becharam Babu had gone, Bancharam said <q>A - good riddance! these two gentlemen understand nothing about the matter: - they only talk. How refreshing it is to speak with a man of real - intelligence. Thakchacha, come and sit by me: what is your opinion in - this matter?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>It is a great pleasure to me also,</q> Thakchacha replied, <q>to have - a talk with a man like you: those two gentlemen are daft: I am afraid - to go near them. All that you have said is very true: a man’s life is - practically thrown away if his honour and power are lost. You and I will - look well after the particulars and get rid of all the difficulties. Is - there any cause for alarm then?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall was naturally very extravagant, and fond of display: he had no - knowledge of money matters at all, and knew nothing of business. He put - full confidence in Bancharam and Thakchacha: for apart from the fact - that they were always frequenting the courts and had the law at their - fingers’ ends, they had managed to win an influence over him, exactly - hitting off his wishes by their clever ingenuity. - </p> - - - <p> - <q>Do you undertake the entire management of this business,</q> said he, - <q>I will sign my name to anything you require.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <q>Let me have the master’s will out of the box,</q> Bancharam Babu - said. <q>Under the terms of the will, you are the only heir: your - brother is a lunatic, consequently his name has been omitted. If you - take the will and hand it into court, you will have letters of - administration granted you, and the property may then be mortgaged, or - sold upon your signature only.</q> - - Matilall at once opened the box, and took the will out. - </p> - - - <p> - When Bancharam had done all that was necessary in the courts, he made - arrangements with a money-lender, and returned to the Vaidyabati house - with the papers and the money. Matilall signed the papers the moment he - caught sight of the money, and putting his hands on the bag of rupees - was on the point of placing it in the box, when Bancharam and Thakchacha - said to him, - - <q>Ah, sir! if the money remains with you, it will soon be all spent: - it will be safer, we think, in our charge. You are so good-natured you - know, so tender-hearted, that you cannot deny anything even to a look: - we, knowing people better, will be able to drive all suppliants away.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall thought to himself: <q>This is very excellent advice: - besides, how am I to get any money to spend after the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>! - have no father now to get money from by a mere look.</q> - - So he agreed to their proposal. - </p> - - - <p> - Great were the preparations for the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - ceremony of Baburam Babu. What with the noise of arranging the - <i lang="bn">shorash</i> - and the silver presents to be given to the pandits, the smell of the - sweetmeats, the buzzing of hornets, the pungent smoke from wet wood, - and the continual stream of things arriving for use on the occasion, - the whole house was full of confusion and bustle. Brahmans of the - poorer classes, whether connected with family worship, or with shop or - bazar accounts, all wearing silk clothes, and with Ganges clay on their - foreheads, were continually crowding in for invitations to the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - ceremony. Of the Tarkavagishas, Vidyaratnas, Nyayalankars, Bachaspatis, - and Vidyasagars, all learned and celebrated pandits, there was no end. - Sages and - <i lang="bn">gurus</i> - were continually arriving. It was like the festival of the village - leather-seller, on the death of a cow. - </p> - - - <p> - The day of the ceremony arrived. Pandits from all parts of the country - had come for the assembly usual on such - occasions<a name="FNanchor_40_40" id="FNanchor_40_40"></a><a href="#Footnote_40_40" class="fnanchor">[40]</a>, - and seated near them were their relatives, kinsmen and friends. Before - them were arranged presents of every description and for all comers; - horses, <i lang="bn">palkis</i>, - brass dishes, broadcloth, oil vessels, and hard cash. On one side of - them the processional singing was in progress, and in the midst of the - singers was Becharam Babu enthusiastically absorbed in the music. - Outside the house were collected together Brahmans of lesser degree, - pedigree reciters, mendicants, - <i lang="bn">sannyasis</i> - and beggars. Thakchacha, not having sufficient effrontery to sit down in - the assembly, was roaming about in the crowd. - </p> - - - <p> - The venerable Pandits were taking snuff and conversing together on - subjects connected with the - <i lang="bn">shástras</i>. - One of their characteristics is the difficulty they find in carrying on - a discussion at their great meetings calmly and composedly: some - element of discord is always sure to arise. One of the pandits - introduced a portion of the - <i lang="bn">Nyaya shástras</i> - for discussion:— <q>Smoke is the effect of fire, and this is a - different substance from a water-jar.</q> - - A pandit from Orissa thereupon remarked, <q>The water-jar is itself - distinct from a mountain.</q> - - <q>What is this, my friend, that you are saying?</q> asked a pandit from - Kashigoya, <q>you surely have not paid proper attention to the sentence: - he who regards a water-jar, clothes, and a mountain as the same as smoke - from a fire, simply murders the famous Siromani.</q> - - A pandit from Eastern Bengal said: <q>Smoke is an entirely different - substance from a water-jar: smoke is the effect of fire: how then can - there be smoke when there is no - fire<a name="FNanchor_41_41" id="FNanchor_41_41"></a><a href="#Footnote_41_41" class="fnanchor">[41]</a>?</q> - - And so the dispute went on, and at last, from simply glaring at each - other, they got to a hand-to-hand scrimmage. - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha thought matters were looking serious and that he had better - calm things down before they went any further; so going quietly up to - them, he said: <q>I say, gentlemen, why are you making such minute - enquiries about such trifles as a water-pot or a lamp? I will make you a - much more valuable present; I will give you two water-pots apiece,</q> - - A very sharp Brahman amongst the pandits at once got up and said, <q>Who - are you, you low fellow? An infidel outcast present at the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - of a Hindu? This is not the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - of a she-ghost, that an apparition like you should be the superintendent - of it.</q> - - As he said this, everybody present began abusing Thakchacha, thumping - him with their fists, pushing him about and beating him with sticks. - Thereupon Bancharam Babu hurried up and said: - - <q>If you make a disturbance and interfere with the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - in this way, I will know the reason why: I will get a summons out - against you at once from the High Court. I am not a man to be trifled - with I can tell you.</q> - - Bakreswar Babu too had his say. <q>That is right: besides, the boy who - is performing the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - is no common boy, he is the very model of a boy.</q> - - Becharam Baba observed: <q>It is becoming a matter of notoriety that - nothing ever goes right where Thakchacha and Bancharam have the - management. Ugh! Ugh.</q> - - The disturbance did not cease. The rowdy vagrants who were present, and - others, kept adding to the confusion, and as blows from the canes - continually rained on them, they shouted out, <q>A fine shraddha indeed - you have celebrated.</q> - - At length all the respectable gentlemen present, seeing the state of - affairs, exclaimed:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Friends! Call this a - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>? - Whose <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> I pray?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i2"><q>’Tis death to a Brahman to toil without - pay.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - <q>Come, we had better slip away at once: why should we run any more - risk when there is nothing to be gained by it?</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[140]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXI" id="CHAPTER_XXI"></a>CHAPTER XXI.<br /> -<small>MATILALL ON THE GUDDEE.</small></h2> - - - <p> - PEOPLE did not think much of Baburam Babu’s - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>. - The rain, as the proverb has it, was out of all proportion to the - thunder. Oil fell on a good many heads that were oiled already, while - heads that were dry and destitute of oil only got cracked. Their - disputation was all the profit that the pandits got. The uneducated - city Brahmans had it all their own way. The harsh discipline of all - kinds to which pandits subject themselves, creates in them a - stubbornness of nature: they follow their own opinions and do not - agree with all and everything they find. The Brahmans of a lower order, - <i lang="fr"> habitúes</i> - of the city, suit their conversation to the minds of the Babus: in - the words of the proverb, they adapt their strokes to the quality - of the wood. If it suits them to be Gosains, Gosains they can be; - and the characters they can assume are as varied as the ingredients of - a curry mixture; is it surprising then that they generally get the - best of everything? The managers of the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - had taken every precaution to fill their own pockets: they were keen - chiefly on their own share of the gifts: what did it matter to them - whether the pandits or the poor received anything worth mentioning? - There was a great flourish of trumpets over things that would be matter - of public observation and could not be avoided, but equal consideration - was not shown throughout. Management such as that is a mere playing to - the gallery. - </p> - - - <p> - The stir which the - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> - had caused gradually died away. - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam and Thakchacha took to flattering Matilall to an extraordinary - extent, and Matilall, being of a very weak nature, was enthralled by - their seductive language, and thought that he had no other friends on - earth like them. With a view to increasing his importance they one day - said to him:— <q>Sir, you are now master: it behoves you to take - your seat on the - <i lang="bn">guddee</i> - of the master now in heaven: how otherwise will his dignity be - maintained?</q> - - Matilall was highly delighted at the idea. As a child he had heard bits - of the <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i> - and <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i><a name="FNanchor_42_42" id="FNanchor_42_42"></a><a href="#Footnote_42_42" class="fnanchor">[42]</a>, - and so it occurred to him that he would be seated on the - <i lang="bn">guddee</i> - with the same pomp and circumstance with which Yudhishthira and Ram - Chandra were anointed to the throne of their ancestors. Bancharam and - Thakchacha saw that Matilall’s face shone again with delight at the - suggestion they had made, so the next day they settled on a date for the - ceremony, and calling together all his kinsmen and friends, seated - Matilall upon his father’s - <i lang="bn">guddee</i>. - In the village the report got about that Matilall had attained to this - honour: The news soon spread: it was told in the market-place, in the - bazar, at the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>, - and in the fields. A choleric old Brahman, when he heard it remarked, - <q>Oh, he has attained the - <i lang="bn">guddee</i>, - has he? What a fine expression! And whose - <i lang="bn">guddee</i>, - pray? That of the great - Jagat Sett<a name="FNanchor_43_43" id="FNanchor_43_43"></a><a href="#Footnote_43_43" class="fnanchor">[43]</a>, - or of Devi Dass Balmukunda?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - When a man of sound sense attains to a high position or to great wealth, - he is not liable to be lightly swayed hither and thither; whereas a man - who lacks solidity of character, should he attain to a higher position - than he is accustomed to, is as unstable as the waters of a flood. And - so it proved with Matilall. Day and night, unceasing as a torrent, arose - the hubbub of boisterous amusement. His companions did not diminish; on - the contrary, their number daily increased, rapidly as the fabulous - <i lang="bn">Raktabij</i><a name="FNanchor_44_44" id="FNanchor_44_44"></a><a href="#Footnote_44_44" class="fnanchor">[44]</a>. - Was there anything surprising in this? When rice is scattered there is - no lack of crows, and a whole army of ants will come together at the - scent of molasses. - </p> - - - <p> - Bakreswar Baba visited Matilall one day to try and get something out of - him, and used all his arts to fascinate Matilall by his talk. But - Matilall had been acquainted from his boyhood with Bakreswar’s crafty - cajolery, and so he gave him this answer:— <q>Sir, you have - destroyed all my chances in the next world by the partiality and favour - you showed me in the past. I never failed to give you enough presents - when I was a boy: why do you keep bothering me now?</q> - - Bakreswar went away with his head bent low, muttering to himself. - Matilall was now as one inebriated with pleasure: though Bancharam - and Thakchacha went occasionally to see him, he would have little to - do with them in the way of business. Owing to the power-of-attorney he - had given them, they had entire command over everything, and now and - again they made the Babu a liberal advance, but nothing in the way of - detailed accounts of expenditure was forthcoming from them. - </p> - - - <p> - As for the rest of his family, he never took the slightest notice of - them: he never even troubled himself to enquire where they were or - where they went. The ladies endured much hardship on this account, but - Matilall by his riotous living had become so lost to all sense of shame - that he paid no heed to the reports that reached him on the subject. To - have to mourn for a husband is the greatest affliction that a faithful - wife is called on to endure. It is some alleviation to her in her - trouble, if she have good children; but if on the contrary they - disappoint her it adds intensity to the bitterness of her grief, as - melted butter thrown upon fire. Matilall’s evil behaviour was a - terrible grief to his mother, but she never spoke openly of it. One - day, however, after long deliberation, she approached him and - said:— <q>My child, what was to be my lot, that has been: now, - for the few remaining days that I have to live, let me not have to - listen to this evil report of you. I cannot lend my ears to - people’s abuse of you. Have some little regard for your younger - brother, your elder sister, and your stepmother: they are not getting - half enough to eat. Ah, my child, I ask nothing for myself: I lay no - farther burden upon you.</q> - - To these words of his mother, Matilall, his eyes inflamed with passion, - replied: <q>What? will you be always chattering and abusing me? Do you - not know that I am now master in my own house? What is this evil report - about me?</q> - - As he said this, he struck his mother a blow on the face and pushed her - down. She got up from the ground after a short interval, and wiping - away her tears with the border of her - <i lang="bn">sari</i>, - said to her son: <q>Ah, my son! I never heard of children beating their - mothers before, but it has been my destiny for this to happen to me. I - have nothing further to say: I only pray that all may be well with - you.</q> - - Next day, without saying a word to any one, his mother left the house - with her daughter. - </p> - - - <p> - Since the death of his father, Ramlall had made many efforts to be on - good terms with his brother, but had had to suffer many indignities. - Matilall was in constant anxiety lest he should have to give up the half - of the property, and so be unable to continue his role of the grandee; - and as life would be but a sorry farce if he had to give up that role, - he must, he considered, take the necessary steps to mulct his brother of - his share. Having settled on this plan, by the advice of course of - Bancharam and Thakchacha, he forbade Ramlall the house. Thus shut out - from the home of his fathers, Ramlall, after long deliberation, without - having had an interview with his mother, sister, or any one, proceeded - to another part of the country. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[144]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXII" id="CHAPTER_XXII"></a>CHAPTER XXII.<br /> -<small>MATILALL IN BUSINESS.</small></h2> - - - <p> - MATILALL saw that his mother, his brother, and his sister, had now all - gone from the house. <q>A good riddance!</q> thought he: his path was - at length cleared of thorns; all bother was at an end. This had come - about by a slight display of passion on his part,— - <q>Dhananjayas got rid of by a blow<a name="FNanchor_45_45" id="FNanchor_45_45"></a><a href="#Footnote_45_45" class="fnanchor">[45]</a>!</q> - - True it was, a single blow had sufficed to get rid of them all, but his - resources were now exhausted. What was to be done? How could he go on - living in such style? The small retail shopkeepers would not be put off - with excuses any more, and no one would supply him with anything on - credit: just too as the great bathing festival of the - <i lang="bn">Snan Jatra</i> - was coming off. The expenses of engaging a - <i lang="bn">budgerow</i> - had to be provided: earnest money<a name="FNanchor_46_46" id="FNanchor_46_46"></a><a href="#Footnote_46_46" class="fnanchor">[46]</a> - would have to be advanced to the nautch girls: sweetmeats must be - ordered: tobacco, - <i lang="bn">ganja</i>, - and liquor all had to be - procured for the occasion; and for these preliminary arrangements he had - no money at his disposal. In such anxious thoughts Matilall was wrapped - when Bancharam and Thakchacha arrived. After exchanging a few remarks, - they said to Matilall: <q>Well, sir! why this melancholy? It makes us - quite sad to see it. At your age you should be always lively and - cheerful. Why this anxiety? Fie! be merry.</q> - - Affected almost to tears by this sweet language, Matilall told them all - that was in his mind. Bancharam said: <q>Why be so anxious on that - account? Are we mere grass-cutters that we cannot help you out of a - difficulty? What brought us to see you today was a splendid idea that - has occurred to us. Within a year you will have paid off all your - liabilities, and be able to enjoy yourself at your leisure, and your - sons and your grandsons in their turn will be able to play the rich - man on a grand scale. Is it not written in the - <i lang="bn">shástras</i>?:—</q> - </p> - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Lakshmi, fair goddess,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of commerce is queen.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - <q>There is a fortune to be made in trade: by it people spring to - sudden affluence. Why, look at the numbers of people I have - known,— many of them of very low origin and blessed with no - brains to speak of,— who have sprang to sudden importance by - trade! It makes me quite envious to see them. What troubles me is that - we are wasting all our energies with only one string to our bow. This - is not as it should be! - - ‘Chandi Charan gathers cow-dung while Ram is riding on - horseback<a name="FNanchor_47_47" id="FNanchor_47_47"></a><a href="#Footnote_47_47" class="fnanchor">[47]</a>.’</q> - - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Matilall.—</span> - Ah, a brilliant notion! I am daily in need of money. Does - commerce flourish in the bazar, or does it grow in an office? Is it - merely the buying and selling that goes on in a - sweetmeat-maker’s shop? My business will lack all importance - unless I am to be the chief agent of some English merchant. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - You need only sit at home on the - <i lang="bn">guddee</i>, - sir! The burden of business will devolve entirely upon us. A Mr. John, - a friend of one Mr. Butler, has but recently arrived from England. You - might make some arrangement with him and become his agent: he is a very - shrewd business man. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - I shall be with you to help you, whether it be the courts - of law or the Treasury Office, or the police department, or commerce. - They none of them have any secrets for me: I know all the ins and outs - of them! My Shena also understands all these matters. Ah, sir, it is a - grief to me that my great capacity for business has been lying dormant - all this time! it has never been roused into action or had full play. I - am not the kind of man to sit idle: if I find an enemy in my way, I - promptly assault him and put him to the rout. If I once put my hand to - business I shall get on like the famous Rustem Jol. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Matilall.—</span> - And who is Shena, Thakchacha? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Thakchacha.—</span> - Shena is your humble servant’s wife. How can I possibly - extol her qualities adequately? Her beauty is as the beauty of Zuleeka, - and her understanding as that of an angel of light. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Bancharam.—</span> - Enough of this talk for the present: let us get to business. - We shall have to advance Mr. John ten or fifteen thousand rupees, but - there need be no risk. I have arranged to find this money by mortgaging - the Kotalpore Taluk. I will deposit the necessary deeds in Mr. Butler’s - office: the expense will not be very great; it will come to between - four and five hundred rupees. Besides this, you have to give five - hundred rupees to the money-lender’s - <i lang="bn">amlah</i>. Ah, those - <i lang="bn">amlahs</i>! - they are our mortal enemies: our enterprise may all come to nought if - they put any obstacle in our way. When we have smoothed away all the - preliminary difficulties, we shall find the auspices favourable for our - success. I am just going off to Calcutta with Thakchacha. I have a - variety of commissions to execute, and shall be in a fever till I have - finished them. Do you, sir, for your part, ascertain from friend Tarka - Siddhanta a propitious day for the commencement of the enterprise, and - then come at once; under the auspices of Durga, to my house in Sonagaji. - You will have to remain a few days in Calcutta; but only a short time - will elapse before, like Chand Sadagar, you will return to Vaidyabati - ghât with seven<a name="FNanchor_48_48" id="FNanchor_48_48"></a><a href="#Footnote_48_48" class="fnanchor">[48]</a> - vessels laden with wealth, drums beating, young men and - old men, women and children, as they gaze on the splendour of your - return, greeting you with blessings. Oh, may the day speedily dawn! - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam then proceeded on his way, and took Thakchacha with him. - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall reported the whole of the conversation to his companions. They - danced with delight when they heard it. Want of means had almost - entirely put an end to their fun. Now there was every chance of the - treasury being replenished. Mangovinda at once hurried off to the - <i lang="bn">tol</i> - of Tarka Siddhanta; he was puffing and blowing with his exertions when - he arrived there. Tarka Siddhanta was a very old man. He was taking - snuff, and alternately sneezing and coughing; his pupils were ranged all - round him; in front of him lay a Sanscrit work written on a palm leaf. - Every now and then he would glance at the manuscript through his - spectacles, then give out a passage to his pupils and explain it to - them. The cow of the establishment had not had its rack supplied, there - being a scarcity of straw, and it lowed continuously. From inside the - house the wife of the old pandit was screaming: <q>The old man is rapidly - losing his wits: he does nothing, all day and all night but mind his - books: he never once turns his attention to household matters.</q> His - pupils, hearing all this, nudged each other and winked. Tarka Siddhanta - flew into a towering rage, and taking hold of a stick, with which to - keep the old women quiet, was just getting up very slowly and - deliberately, when suddenly Mangovinda caught hold of him, and said: - <q>Oh, Tarka Siddhanta, respected sir! we are all going into trade. Do - ascertain for us an auspicious day.</q> Tarka Siddhanta got up in great - wrath, his face distorted with passion. <q>A curse light upon you and your - trade; could you find no other time but when I had just risen from my - seat, to call me behind my - back<a name="FNanchor_49_49" id="FNanchor_49_49"></a><a href="#Footnote_49_49" class="fnanchor">[49]</a>? - So you will go into trade, eh? May you and your father’s house come to - ruin, bad luck to you. You want to know what day will be auspicious, eh? - When you cease vexing people as you do, they will have their - <i lang="bn">Ganga Snan</i> - in peace. Off, away with you this minute! The day you clear out of this - will be the auspicious day.</q> Somewhat disconcerted by the old man’s - abuse, Mangovinda went and told his companions that the next day would - be auspicious. - </p> - - - <p> - Sounds of preparation straightway arose, and there was all the bustle - that attends arrangements for a festival: it was the - <i lang="bn">Udjog Parba</i> - over again. While one of the party fixed the wire for playing the - <i lang="bn">sitar</i> - on his fore-finger, another tested the - <i lang="bn">baya</i>, - tapping it to see whether it had any pitch or not: another examined the - <i lang="bn">tabala</i>: - another tightened the rings round the drums: another put resin on a - fiddle and tested the strings: another packed up the clothes: another - prepared small parcels of tobacco, - <i lang="bn">ganja</i> - and other stimulants, along with bundles of firewood: another selected, - with great care, balls of opium and sweetmeats: another examined the - different purchases to see whether they were of correct weight. All day - and all night the bustle and noise of preparation went on without any - diminution. It had got about in the village that the young Babus were - about to go into trade, and next day, when all the shopkeepers of the - place, the poorer sort of people, and the beggars and loafers, were out - in the roads looking out for them to pass, they came swaggering down to the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>, - like so many wild elephants. There were a number of pandits at the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i> - engaged in their early morning devotions: hearing the stir and bustle, - theylooked behind them, and at once shook with fright. Seeing them so - terrified, the Babus only jeered at them and laughed. Then they showered - upon them Ganges mud and brick-bats, and insulted them generally, and - the Brahmans, interrupted in this rude way at their devotions, went - their way, calling upon Krishna in their distress. The young men having - embarked on board a boat, all caught up a popular love-song, screaming - it out at the top of their voices. The boat glided quickly down stream - on the ebb. The Babus could not keep still for a moment; one would get - on the deck of the cabin; another would work the rudder; one would pull - an oar, and another strike a light with a flint. They had not gone very - far when they met with Dhanamala. Now Dhanamala never cared what he said - to any one: he called out to them: <q>Having reduced a whole village - to ashes, are you now going to set the Ganges on fire?</q> - - To which they angrily replied: <q>Shut up, you idiot! Do you not know - that we are all going into business?</q> - - Dhanamala’s only answer to this was:— <q>If you ever become - traders, may your business come to grief! may it perish with a halter - on its neck!</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[150]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIII" id="CHAPTER_XXIII"></a>CHAPTER XXIII.<br /> -<small>MATILALL AT SONAGAJI.</small></h2> - - - <p> - AT Sonagaji there was a Mahommedan mosque: it had long since become the - abode of ghosts, and was everywhere covered with lichen, while jungle - crows and mynahs had built their nests in different parts of it. These - were now bringing food to their young ones, who were chirping merrily. - The mosque had been left unrepaired for many a long day: the only - sounds heard there at nightfall were the cries of jackals and the - howling of dogs: no one remembered having ever seen a light in any part - of it. - </p> - - - <p> - Near this ruin a village teacher used to instruct some of the village - children, whose necks were generally enveloped in woollen comforters; - and whatever the extent of the education they were receiving, they were - at least frightened put of their lives by the sound of the cane. It was - only necessary for a boy to lift his eyes off his book, or to eat - something out of his lap, for the stick to fall at once with a whack on - his shoulders. It is a human failing for a man armed with authority in - any matter, to think that he must constantly display that authority in - various ways lest his dignity should suffer; and so it was that the old - village school-master loved to collect a crowd round him, in order to - make a display of his sovereignty. When he saw people going by, he would - look in their direction and raise his voice to its highest pitch, and - then, if a crowd collected, his self-importance increased till there was - no limit to it: no wonder therefore that there was a very heavy - punishment for any trifling fault on the part of the boys. A village - school under such a master pretty nearly resembles the Hall of Yama. - Besides the constant sounds of slapping and screaming, and cries of - <q><i lang="bn">Oh Guru Mahashay! Guru Mahashay!</i> - your pupil is present,</q> one boy will get his nose tweaked, another - his ear pulled, another will have to carry a brick in one hand, another - will be caned, another may be strung up by his thumbs, while a stinging - nettle will be applied to another: some form of punishment or other is - continually in - force<a name="FNanchor_50_50" id="FNanchor_50_50"></a><a href="#Footnote_50_50" class="fnanchor">[50]</a>. - The honour and glory of Sonagaji used to be kept up solely by the - village school-master whom I have mentioned. Just on the outskirts of - the village, a few beggars, who had been at it all day long, used to - congregate in the evening, wearied by their day’s labour, and lie down, - singing snatches of songs softly to themselves. - </p> - - - <p> - Such was Sonagaji. Since Matilall’s auspicious arrival, however, the - destiny of the place had undergone a revolution: there was all the stir - and bustle attending a great man’s movements: the air was full of the - prancing of horses, the loud beating of drums: there was an eternal - munching of delicate sweetmeats: feasting and revelry went on - unceasingly by night and by day, and the people of the place began to - prostrate themselves before the great man. - </p> - - - <p> - It is very difficult to know Calcutta people well: to the outer world, - many of them appear all that is respectable, like mangoes with a fair - outside. They can assume a vast variety of characters. Money is at the - bottom of all this: where that is in question, countless are the shifts - and turns resorted to. Man’s nature is so frail that he worships wealth - out of all proportion to its worth. People make herculean efforts to - become recipients of the favour of any man reputed to be wealthy; and - whatever may be necessary for them to say or to do to accomplish their - object, there are no shortcomings on their part. - </p> - - - <p> - People of all grades took to visiting Matilall. Now there are some men, - like the Brahmans of Ula, who at once go to the point with unblushing - frankness, so that there is no mistaking their meaning. Others, again, - like the good people of Krishnaghar, expend much ingenuity in - embroidering their remarks, and only after a good deal of beating about - the bush will they introduce the real object of their visit, and then - very delicately. Others, like our friends of Eastern Bengal, are very - careful and deliberate in their procedure: they at first assume an - appearance of indifference and disinterestedness, plunging their real - object deep in the Dvaipara Lake, and when after a long interval their - special intention is revealed, it turns out that the real object of all - their coming and going was after all a pecuniary one,— some - present or other that might hereafter be exchanged for cash. - Matilall had only to sigh, and the visitor with him at the time - would snap his fingers, by way of warding off the evil omen: if - he but sneezed, his visitor would say: - <q> May your life be prolonged.</q> - - If Matilall called for a servant, the sycophant would scream out: <q>Ho - there! Ho there!</q> and in answer to every remark of Matilall’s, - no matter what it was, he would say: - <q>Whatever your honour says must be right.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - From early dawn till long after midnight people crowded about Matilall: - every single moment of the day they were either coming or going: the - staircase leading to his reception-room was constantly creaking beneath - the heavy tramp of their shoes. Every moment fresh supplies of tobacco - were arriving; smoke issued from the room at all times as from the - funnel of a steam ship: the servants were so terribly worried, they - were at their wits end. Night and day, in one continuous succession, - dancing, music and all sorts of boisterous fun were kept up. - </p> - - - <p> - The dignity of the village school-master was quite eclipsed by all this - stir: till now he had been the turkey-cock; now he had become but the - tiny tailor-bird. There would be a good deal of noise at times when he - was teaching his boys, and Matilall, hearing this one day, said to his - companions:— <q>Why is that idiot making so much noise? I escaped - in boyhood from the annoyance of a school-master: why must have I - another near me now? Away with him quickly.</q> - - The young Babus taking the hint, very soon brought about the - disappearance of the village school-master from the scene by the simple - expedient of throwing brickbats at him; and the village school was in - consequence broken up. The boys of the school, thinking it a happy - release, took up their bundles of palm leaves, and having ridiculed - their old school-master to their heart’s content, ran breathlessly - home. - </p> - - - <p> - Just about this time, Mr. John opened his house of business: the firm - was known as John and Company. Matilall was the chief agent of the - house, Bancharam and Thakchacha managers. The Saheb showed great - attention to his chief agent for the sake of his money, and the chief - agent for his part would pay occasional visits to the office with his - companions. He generally came about three or four in the afternoon, - chewing <i lang="bn">pán</i>, - his eyes red and inflamed, and after walking about and prying into - everything, would go home again. The Saheb had not a pice to his name, - and depended entirely upon Mr. Butler for his support: but he rented - a house in Chowringhee, and filled it with a great variety of - furniture and pictures: he also bought splendid carriages, fine - horses and dogs, all on credit, and amused himself training and - running race-horses. Later on he married, and frequented the best - society of the place, wearing a gold chain and a diamond ring. - Seeing all this display, many people were firmly persuaded that Mr. - John was a wealthy man, and had no hesitation in having monetary - transactions with him; but a few persons, of higher intelligence, - knowing the real state of his affairs, were more cautious, and would - have nothing to say to him. Many of the Calcutta merchants get - their living by brokerage: they may be either freight brokers, or - they may buy and sell Government paper or goods generally, their - commission being several rupees in every hundred. Many others, - acquainting themselves with the market prices current in Calcutta - and elsewhere, do affairs on their own account; but to manage this, - they must have already learned the details of business, as otherwise - their business cannot prosper. Mr. John had no capacity for business at - all: he was persuaded that he only had to purchase goods to dispose - of them at a profit: as a matter of fact, his only object was to - enjoy himself and play the rich man at the expense of others. He - thought trade a very simple thing: he only had to fire enough - bullets, and game was sure to fall to one or other. - </p> - - - <p> - The chief agent was even worse in this respect than the Saheb: he was - blankly ignorant, without any education to speak of, and understanding - nothing whatever of accounts: consequently, to do business with him was - so much lost labour. - <i lang="bn">Mahajans</i>, - brokers, and shopkeepers were continually going to him with patterns of - their goods, informing him of the fluctuations in prices, and giving him - the latest market intelligence: all the time they were talking - business, he would be gazing vacantly about him, completely at sea. He - never answered any of their questions, doubtless for fear that anything - he might say would betray his ignorance: he would refer them to - Bancharam and Thakchacha. - </p> - - - <p> - There were a few clerks in the office, who kept all the accounts in - English. Matilall having one day expressed a wish to have a thorough - examination of the English cash-book, had it fetched for this purpose by - one of the clerks, then having just looked into it casually, shoved it - aside. He generally occupied a room below the office: this being rather - damp, the cash-book, having been kept there over a month, soon got - completely ruined. The young Babus too used to tear leaves out of it and - twist them up into spills for daily use; and very soon they were all - used up in this way, the cover only remaining. When search was - afterwards made for it, it was found to be the mere shadow of its former - self: it was reduced to a mere skeleton,— bones and hide, as the - saying is, sacrificed in the service of others. - </p> - - - <p> - Mr. John bewailed and lamented the loss of his cash-book, but kept his - grief locked in his own breast. He exercised no discrimination in the - purchases he made, when he began to export largely to England and to - other countries, and took no trouble to find out the real cost of the - goods, or what would be the margin of profit. Bancharam and Thakchacha - saw their opportunity, and made many a successful stroke of business for - themselves: they soon waxed fat on their - gains<a name="FNanchor_51_51" id="FNanchor_51_51"></a><a href="#Footnote_51_51" class="fnanchor">[51]</a>. - A small draught is never sufficient to relieve great thirst. These two, - as they sat together in secret consultation, had only one object in - view, and that was to increase their gains by every possible means in - their power. They well knew that the opportunity would never recur - again. The springtide of their gains would soon pass, and the winter of - want might come: no time like the present. - </p> - - - <p> - Within a year or two, very bad news arrived of the sale of the goods: - instead of a profit there would be a loss, which Mr. John, to his - confusion and dismay, estimated at a lakh of rupees. He had himself been - spending nearly a thousand rupees a month, and was besides heavily in - debt to several banks and money-lenders. For some months past, indeed, - the firm had only been kept going by a variety of shifts: now the fair - bark of outward respectability was altogether swamped. It was impossible - to keep up appearances any longer, and it soon became notorious that - John and Company had failed. The Saheb went off with his wife to - Chandernagore, a place under French rule, to which, even to this day, - debtors and criminals betake themselves to escape imprisonment. The - money lenders and other creditors thereupon came down upon Matilall. - Look where he would, Matilall could see no way out of his difficulties: - he had not a single pice he could call his own: he had been living - entirely on credit. He could come to no decision one way or the other at - this juncture. He was constantly on the look out for a visit from - Bancharam Babu or Thakchacha, but <q>confidence in a dear friend is as a - knife in the left hand</q> says an old proverb: it was idle to look for - any aid from them: they had vanished before the smash. - </p> - - - <p> - When the creditors were referred to them they only answered that all the - accounts were in Mati Babu’s name: they had had no dealings with the - others, regarding them as agents only. Owing to all this confusion in - his affairs, Matilall fled one night in disguise with his companions to - Vaidyabati. The people of that place, when the news reached them of the - outcome of Matilall’s trade enterprises, all clapped their hands, and - cried: - - <q>This is grand news: there is still justice on the - earth<a name="FNanchor_52_52" id="FNanchor_52_52"></a><a href="#Footnote_52_52" class="fnanchor">[52]</a>: - what meaning would the terms right and wrong have, if such a fate had - not befallen so wicked a man,— a man who has cheated mother, - brother, and sister,— a man to whom no sinful action has come - amiss?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - It so chanced that Premnarayan Mozoomdar was bathing the next day at the - Vaidyabati Ghât: seeing Tarka Siddhanta there, he remarked to him: - - <q>Those wretched fellows, after having squandered all their substance, - have had to take to flight, to escape a warrant for their apprehension, - and have returned here: they are not ashamed to appear in public again. - A fine instrument for the ruin of his family has Baburam bequeathed to - the world.</q> - - Tarka Siddhanta replied: <q>The village has been tranquil all the time - those boys have been away: alas! that they should have returned at all. - Had mother Ganga only shown us a little favour, how happy we might have - been!</q> - - Several other Brahmans were bathing at the ghât at the same time: - their teeth began to chatter in terror when they heard the news of the - return of the young Babus, and they thought to themselves:— - - <q>Henceforth we may expect to have to confide into Sri Krishna’s - keeping our daily ablutions and devotions.</q> - - Some small shopkeepers, as they looked towards the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i> - said:— <q>Ah sir! we heard that drums would beat when Mati Babu - returned with his seven ships laden with treasure: yet we cannot see - so much as a fisherman’s dinghy approaching let alone a - cargo-boat.</q> - - Premnarayan replied:— <q>Do not be anxious; Mati Babu, like - Srimanta Saudagor<a name="FNanchor_53_53" id="FNanchor_53_53"></a><a href="#Footnote_53_53" class="fnanchor">[53]</a>, - has obtained a place of temporary retirement, because of the - difficulties caused by Kamala Kamini. Is not the Babu a very estimable - person? Is he not the chosen son of the fair Lakshmi! His dinghies, his - cargo-boats, and his ships will soon appear, and you will hear the sound - of the drums, while preparing your parched rice and pulse.</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[158]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIV" id="CHAPTER_XXIV"></a>CHAPTER XXIV.<br /> -<small>THAKCHACHA APPREHENDED.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE morning breeze was blowing softly: - the <i lang="bn">champac</i>, - the <i lang="bn">sephalika</i>, - and the <i lang="bn">mallika</i> - were diffusing sweet odours abroad: birds were chirping merrily. Beni - Babu had taken Barada Babu home with him to his house in Ghatak, and - was engaged in converse with him, when suddenly to the south of where - they were, the dogs began to bark violently, and some boys came laughing - loudly along the road. During a temporary lull, they heard the charming - accents of a nasal voice, expostulating with the boys, and singing a - Vaishnava song:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>In Brindabun’s woods, and the sweet-scented - bowers</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of Brindabun’s maidens, O waste not your - hours.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - Rising from their seats, Beni Babu and Barada Babu saw that it was - Becharam Babu of Bow Bazar who had just arrived: he was rapt in his - song, and was snapping his fingers by way of accompaniment: dogs were - barking about him, and boys laughing derisively, and the man of Bow - Bazar had been angrily expostulating with them. Beni Babu and Barada - Babu greeted him very courteously and invited him to be seated. When - they had enquired after each other’s welfare, Becharam Babu, putting his - hand on Barada Babu’s shoulder, said to him:— <q>My good friend, - I have seen a great many people in my day since I was a boy, and many of - them possessed of good qualities, but after all I can only regard them - as moderately good, their standard little above the average. Be that as - it may, I have never seen anyone with modesty, sincerity, moral courage, - simplicity and straightforwardness, equal to yours. I am somewhat modest - myself; but still there are occasions when my pride manifests itself: - the sight of another man’s pride is sufficient to evoke it, and with the - manifestation of my pride my anger rises, and my pride is increased - still more by my anger. I can never abate a jot of my claims on others. - I always say what comes uppermost in my mind, but to tell you the truth, - I am never sincere enough to be willing to acknowledge openly any mean - action I may have been guilty of, for I always fear that I may have to - endure mortification, if I acknowledge the truth. I have a very limited - amount of moral courage: I may be convinced in my own mind that I ought - to take a particular course, but I lack the moral courage to act - uniformly up to my convictions. I find it very difficult, too, to - maintain a straightforward attitude in dealing with others. True, I am - aware that a man should always exert himself for the welfare of mankind, - but I find it very hard to carry the conviction into actual practice. - It is only necessary for a man to speak harshly to me for me to lose all - respect for him, and to regard him as utterly beneath contempt. Now a - man may have done you an actual injury, but your feelings towards him - are still sincere and kind. I mean to say, that you would never think of - doing him an injury, but on the contrary a kindness; and even abuse does - not make you angry. Can qualities such as these be considered trifling?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Barada.—</span> - Any man who loves another sees nothing but good in him, whereas a man - who cannot know another intimately only misinterprets his conduct. It is - pure kindness on your part to speak as you have of me: it cannot be - owing to my own qualities. It is well-nigh an impossibility for man to - maintain a mind that shall be simple and honest at all times, in all - respects, and towards all men. Our minds are full of passion, envy, - malice, and pride, and is it an easy task to hold all these in - restraint? If one’s character is to be simple and unaffected, - humility is the one thing necessary. Some persons display a mock modesty: - some are made humble by fear, others by trouble and misfortune. - Humility of this kind is but transient. If humility is to be an enduring - and permanent quality, such sentiments as these should be firmly fixed - in our minds. Our Creator, He is all-powerful, omniscient, without spot, - or stain: ourselves, we are here to-day, gone to-morrow. Our strength, - what is it? Our learning, what is it? Every moment of our lives we are - subject to error, evil thoughts and evil deeds: where then is the - ground for pride? Such humility as this being implanted in the mind, - passion, envy, malice, and pride, all are dwarfed, and the mind becomes - simple and sincere. Where this is the case, we derive no pleasure from a - display of our own learning or intelligence, our own pride of wealth or - place, which can only anger others; neither is our envy excited by the - sight of the prosperity of others. We have no desire, either to abuse - others, or to think meanly of them neither does an injury we may have - received from another arouse our anger, or hatred against him. Our - thoughts are directed solely to the purification of our own minds, or to - other’s welfare. But much harsh self-discipline is necessary - before this result can be attained. It is wonderful, the pride that - springs up in the mind of the man possessed of but a modicum of wit: - his own words, his own deeds, stand forth, in the estimation of such a - man, as superior to those of all others; nothing that others may say or - do is worthy of the slightest attention on his part. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, my dear friend, how it refreshes me to hear you talk! I - have been all along wishing to have such an opportunity. - </p> - - - <p> - Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the harried arrival of - Premanarayan Mozoomdar, with the news that the Calcutta police had - apprehended Thakchacha and taken him off to prison. Becharam Babu was - immensely delighted when he heard the news, and exclaimed: <q>This is - indeed good news to me.</q> - - Barada Babu was astounded, and fell into deep thought. Becharam Babu - said to him: <q>Why are you so deep in thought? Why, there is nobody I - know who would not be delighted if so wicked a man were to be - transported.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Barada.—</span> - What grieves me is the thought that the man from his youth upwards - should have done evil and not good. Besides, there is his family to - think of: they will die of starvation if he is put in chains. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ah, my good friend! why do people reverence you but for all your - qualities? Thakchacha never lost an opportunity of maligning and - injuring you: he never ceased insulting and abusing you. Why, it was he - who fabricated that charge of illegal confinement and assault against - you, and he made every effort to press the charge home by means of - forgery. And yet there is not a trace of anger or enmity in your mind - against him on that account. The very meaning of retaliation is unknown - to you. Your idea of retaliation was to restore him and his family to - health again when they fell sick, by administering medicines, and by - unremitting attention on your part; and even now all your anxiety is for - his family. Ah, my dear friend, you may be a Kayasth in caste, but I - should be willing to take the dust off the feet of such a Kayasth and - put it on my head! - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Barada.—</span> - Do not, sir, I pray you, talk like this to me. I am contemptible, and of - no reputation amongst men, and am in no way worthy of your praise. Ah, - sir! if you keep on saying this to me, my pride will increase. - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile, in Vaidyabati, a police sergeant, some constables, and an - inspector, were hurrying Thakchacha, his arms tied behind his back, away - to prison. A great crowd had collected in the streets. One man said, - quoting an old proverb:— <q>As the deed, so the fruit.</q> - - Another man exclaimed:— <q>We shall never have any peace until - the wretch is put on boardship and transported.</q> - - While another remarked:— <q>My only fear is that he may after - all get off, and become as mischievous as ever.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - As, with head bent low, beard fluttering in the breeze, and eyes - glaring, Thakchacha was going along with the police, he quietly offered - the sergeant half a rupee to loose his bonds: the sergeant had a - capacious paunch, and at once tossed the half rupee away in contempt. - Thakchacha then . said to him: <q>Take me for a short time to Mati Babu: - get him to give bail: let me go for a day only, I will put an appearance - to-morrow.</q> - - The sergeant only replied: <q>You jabbering idiot: you will get a - smack on the face, if you speak to me again.</q> - - Thakchacha then folded his hands in humble supplication before the - sergeant, and begged and prayed to be let off. The sergeant refused to - listen to him, and put him into a boat; About four o’clock in the - afternoon he arrived with him at the police court; but as the police - magistrate had left the court by that time, Thakchacha had to spend the - night in the lock-up. - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall, when he heard of the evil plight of Thakchacha, became very - anxious for himself. He dreaded the fall of the thunderbolt in his - direction. Thakchacha having been caught, his turn he thought was safe - to come next: the whole affair, he imagined, was connected with John - Company, but anyhow extreme caution on his part was necessary. Acting - upon this determination, he fastened the main door of the house very - securely. Ramgovinda said to him: <q>Thakchacha has been apprehended, - sir, on a charge of forgery: if there had been a warrant out against - you, your house would have been surrounded long ago: why entertain such - causeless alarm?</q> - - Matilall replied. <q>Ah! none of you understand: unluckily for me - misfortunes are cropping up all round me: as the old proverb has it, - - ‘The burnt <i lang="bn">shal</i> fish has slipped out of my - hands.’ - - If I can only get through to-day somehow or other, I will go off the - first thing to-morrow to my estates in the Jessore district. It is not - safe for me to remain at home any longer: I am encompassed with - portents, obstacles, fears, and misfortunes of every kind, and besides - all this my money is all gone, my hand is mere dust.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Just as he had finished speaking, there was a loud knocking at the door, - and somebody shouted out: <q>Open the door, friend! Ho there! Is there - anybody there?</q> - - Matilall said very quietly: <q>Hush! just what I expected has - happened.</q> - - Mangovinda peeped out from above, and saw a messenger pushing away at - the door: he went quietly to Matilall and said to him: <q>It is high - time for you to be off, sir! you had better get away at once; I rather - fancy that a second warrant has come in connection with Thakchacha’s - case. Who can foresee the end of a spark of fire? If you can find no - other deserted spot, go and get into the dirty tank at the back door, - and stand like a pillar in the middle, as did King Durjyodhan.</q> - - Dolgovinda said: <q>Why anticipate evil? why swamp the boat at the - first sight of waves? Find out the true state of affairs first: if you - wait a second I will make enquiries.</q> - - Saying this, he called out: <q>Ho there! you messenger! from what - court have you come?</q> - - The messenger replied, <q>Sir, I have brought a letter from Mr. - John,</q> and saying, <q>Here, take the letter!</q> he threw it up to - them. - - They all shouted <q>Aha! we are saved! we breathe again!</q> - - Then Haladhar and Gadadhar, who were behind the others, caught up the - refrain:— <q>Protect us, O Lord, in this world.</q> - - The news to the young Babus was like an autumn cloud: it was rain, it - was sun, it was warmth, it was joy. Matilall enjoined them to be quiet - a little and asked for the letter, telling them that it was possible - that some other opportunity for trade might be presenting itself. When - he had opened the letter, the young Babus all stooped over him: there - were a good many heads collected together, but not an atom of learning - amongst the lot of them: reading the letter was a sore trial to them. - At last they had a man called from the house of a neighbour of theirs, - a Kayasth, and they ascertained the substance of the letter to be that - Mr. John was almost starving, and that he was very badly in want of - money. Mangovinda remarked:— - - <q>What a shameless wretch! So much money already thrown into the deep - on his account, and yet he does not leave us alone; I like his - impudence!</q> - - Dolgovinda said: <q>It is a very good thing to have an Englishman in - our power, for their luck is sure to - turn<a name="FNanchor_54_54" id="FNanchor_54_54"></a><a href="#Footnote_54_54" class="fnanchor">[54]</a>: - there are times when a handful of mud in their hands may become a - handful of gold.</q> - - Matilall said to them: <q>Why are you chattering like this? You may - cut me up and not find any blood in me: you may whittle me away, and - get no flesh off me.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - One evening, about this time, Becharam Babu, having crossed over from - Bally, was proceeding along in a northerly direction in a - <i lang="bn">gharry</i>. - He was singing a song, the refrain of which was— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Mahadev! thou, by thy great might,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Upholdest, all things day and night.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - Bancharam Babu was driving his buggy from a southerly direction: when - the two were alongside each other, they both peeped out to see who was - passing. As soon as Bancharam caught the outline of Becharam’s - figure, he whipped up his horse. Becharam thereupon, holding the door - of his <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - tight with his hand, put his head hurriedly out of the window - and shouted out: - - <q>Ho! Bancharam! Ho Bancharam!</q> - - Upon this summons, the buggy was brought to a stop, and the - <i lang="bn">gharry</i> - drew up to it with many a creak and a groan. Becharam Babu then said to - Bancharam: - - <q>Aha, Bancharam! you are indeed a lucky fellow! The vessel of your - gains is like Ravan’s funeral pile, ever - blazing<a name="FNanchor_55_55" id="FNanchor_55_55"></a><a href="#Footnote_55_55" class="fnanchor">[55]</a>. - At one stroke you have successfully carried out your trade ventures. - Your friend and ally, Thakchacha, is now ruined; and I fancy that even - out of that circumstance some trifling gain will accrue to you, perhaps - the price of a goat’s head. But you have only worked your own future - ruin by all your - <i lang="bn">vakeel’s</i> - practices and stratagems; Has this thought, that you must die some time - or other, never occurred to you?</q> - - Bancharam Babu was exceedingly angry at all this: he frowned and bit - his moustache in his vexation, and venting his rage on his - horse’s back, drove away. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[166]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXV" id="CHAPTER_XXV"></a>CHAPTER XXV.<br /> -<small>MATILALL IN JESSORE.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE <i lang="bn">taluk</i> - that belonged to Baburam Babu in Jessore had been more profitable to him - than all his other estates. At the time of the Permanent Settlement the - land on that portion of the property had been mostly uncultivated, and - the rent of it had been fixed at one rate; but once under tillage, it - became very productive and was let out in fields: in fact it proved so - fertile that hardly any portion of it remained common land or waste. - </p> - - - <p> - At one period the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i>, - after cultivating it for some time, used to make large profits by a - succession of crops of different sorts, but they were now in a very bad - way, owing to oppression on the part of the proprietor of the estate, - acting entirely on Thakchacha’s advice. Many of the - <i lang="bn">lakherajdars</i>, - finding that their lands had been included in the estates of the - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i>, - and not having any proofs of possession, came now and again to give - their customary offerings to the - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i>, - and then gradually left the estate altogether. Many of the headmen of - the different villages, too, finding themselves disturbed in their - possession by forgeries and oppression, abandoned their rights to their - own lands, without getting any compensation, and fled to other estates. - So it came about that for a space of two or three years the income of the - <i lang="bn">taluk</i> - had considerably increased, and Thakchacha would remark to Baburam in a - swaggering tone: <q>See how great my power is!</q> - - But, says the old Sanscrit proverb;— <q>The course of virtue is - a very delicate thing.</q> - - Within a very short time, many of the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i>, - alarmed at the state of affairs, left the estates, taking with them - their draught cattle and their seed-grain, and it became very difficult - to let their land: they were all afraid that the proprietor would, - either by force or by craft, seize upon the little profits they might - make, and that the toil and labour of cultivation would be carried on - at the risk of their lives: what was the use then, they argued, of - remaining any longer on the estate? The - <i lang="bn">naib</i> - of the estate, for all his soft language and insinuating address, could - not succeed in calming them down. So it was that a good deal of land - remained unlet, and nobody could be found willing to take it even at a - low rent: much less would anyone take it at a fixed permanent rent. - The proprietor had now some difficulty in raising the revenue from it - when he took it into his own hands, and paid labourers to cultivate it. - The <i lang="bn">naib</i> - kept the proprietor constantly informed of the state of affairs, and he - would write back the customary reply;— - - <q>If the revenue is not collected, as it always has been hitherto, you - will have to starve, and no excuse will be attended to.</q> - - Now there are times when severity, under special circumstances, may be - of avail; but what can it profit when misfortunes have occurred entirely - beyond its reach? In this dilemma, - the <i lang="bn">naib</i> - went about his duties, anxious and perplexed. Meanwhile, as the revenue - had fallen into arrears for some two or three years past, an order was - issued for a sale of the property; in order to save his property, - Baburam Babu had paid the Government revenue, borrowing money by a - mortgage upon the land. - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall now came and took up his abode on this estate, accompanied by - his band of boon companions. His intention had been to get all the money - he could out of the - <i lang="bn">taluk</i> - to pay off his debts with, and so keep up his state and dignity. The - Babu had never seen a paper connected with estate management, and was - entirely ignorant of the ordinary terms used in keeping estate accounts. - When the <i lang="bn">naib</i> - said to him one day: - - <q>Just look, sir, for a moment at these different heads of the - records;</q> - - he would not even glance at the papers, but gazed vacantly in the - direction of a tree near the office. On another occasion, the - <i lang="bn">naib</i> - said to him: - - <q>Sir, there are so many Khod-kast and so many Pai-kast tenants.</q> - - <q>Don’t talk to me,</q> said the Babu, <q>of Khod-kast and - Pai-kast, I will make them all - Ek-kast<a name="FNanchor_56_56" id="FNanchor_56_56"></a><a href="#Footnote_56_56" class="fnanchor">[56]</a>.</q> - - When the tenants heard of the arrival of the proprietor of the estate - at his head-quarters, they were delighted, and said to each other: - - <q>Ah, now that that old wretch of a Mussulman has gone, our destiny - after all these days has changed its course!</q> - - And so these poor empty-handed, - empty-stomached<a name="FNanchor_57_57" id="FNanchor_57_57"></a><a href="#Footnote_57_57" class="fnanchor">[57]</a> - and poverty-stricken tenants came with joyous and confident faces, to - offer him the customary gifts, making profound obeisance the while. - Matilall, enraptured by the jingling sound of the silver, smiled softly - to himself. Then the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i>, - seeing the Babu so happy and cheerful, began to shout out their various - grievances. - - <q>Somebody has removed my boundary mark, and ploughed up my land,</q> - said one. - - <q>Somebody has put his own pots on my date palm, and stolen all my - toddy,</q> said another. - - <q>Somebody has loosed his cattle into my garden,</q> exclaimed another, - <q>and they have done a lot of damage in it.</q> - - <q>My grain has all been eaten up by somebody or other’s - ducks,</q> cried another. - - Another said, <q>I have brought back the money I borrowed upon a - promissory note; please give me my bond back.</q> - - <q>I have cut down and sold some - <i lang="bn">babul</i>, - trees</q> said another, - - <q>and as I wish to repair my house, please pass an order to have the - fourth part of the price remitted to me.</q> - - Another said, <q>My land has not been properly made over to me yet: the - old tenant’s name has not been cut out of the deed: I shall be - unable to give the customary offering till this is done.</q> - - And another cried out, <q>The present measurement of the land in my - occupation is short: allow me to pay rent in proportion, or else let - another measurement be made.</q> - - Such were some of the grievances the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - gave vent to, but Matilall, not understanding in the least their purport, - remained sitting like a painted doll. The young Babus, his companions, - made fan of the strange sounds, which they had never heard the like of - before, and made the office ring with their laughter, striking up a song - the refrain of which ran:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>A bird is soaring in the air:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Oh, let me count its feathers - rare!</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - The <i lang="bn">naib</i> - was like a log, and the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - sat round in utter dejection, resting their heads on their hands. Where - the master is a competent man, there is not much chance of the servant - carrying on his tricks. The - <i lang="bn">naib</i>, - seeing how utterly dense Matilall was, soon began to show himself in his - true colours. The proprietor being altogether incompetent to enter into - the numerous cases that had come before him, his agent threw dust in - his eyes, to effect his own ends; and the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - soon got to know that to have an interview with the Babu was a mere - waste of breath. The - <i lang="bn">naib</i> - was wholly master. - </p> - - - <p> - The high-handedness of the indigo planters of Jessore had greatly - increased at this time. The - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - had no mind to sow indigo, as more profit was to be got out of rice - and other crops, and besides, any of them who chanced to go to an - indigo factory to get an advance, was ruined once for all. True, the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - cultivating indigo at their own risk might clear off the advances made - to them, but their accounts would go hanging on and increase, yearly - and the maw of the planter’s - <i lang="bn">gomashtha</i>, - and the other people about the factory, was never satisfied with a - little. Any <i lang="bn">ryot</i> - therefore who had once drank of the sweet waters - of an advance from the factory, never, to the end of his life, got out - of its power. But it would be a heavy calamity to the planter if his - indigo were not ready: the working expenses of the factory were - annually advanced by one or other of the merchant firms in Calcutta, and - if his wares were not forthcoming, his expenses would be very largely - increased: the factory might even have to be closed, and the planter be - compelled to retire from the concern. These English managers might be - very ordinary sort of people in their own country, but at their - factories they lorded it like kings. Their great fear was lest obstacles - should be put in the way of the working of their concerns, and they, in - consequence, should become as mean as - mice<a name="FNanchor_58_58" id="FNanchor_58_58"></a><a href="#Footnote_58_58" class="fnanchor">[58]</a>: - again: naturally, therefore, they exerted themselves to the utmost, by - all the means in their power and at all seasons, to have their indigo - ready in time. - </p> - - - <p> - One day, Matilall was amusing himself with his companions. The - <i lang="bn">naib</i>, - with spectacles on his nose, had just opened his office, and was busily - engaged in writing, drying the ink on his papers with lime, when - suddenly some - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - came running up, shouting: - - <q>Sir! those brutes from the factory have ruined us entirely! the - manager has come on our land in person, and is now ploughing over some - of our sown lands, and he has taken off our draught cattle. Oh sir! the - brute is not content with destroying all our seed, he must needs too - have his barrows drawn over our ripe paddy.</q> - - The <i lang="bn">naib</i> - at once assembled about a hundred - <i lang="bn">paiks</i>, - and, hurrying off to the scene, saw the planter, with his sun-helmet on - his head, a cheroot in his mouth, and a gun in his hand, standing there, - and, urging on his men. Upon the - <i lang="bn">naib</i> - approaching him, and gently remonstrating, the planter only called out - to his men: - - <q>Drive them all off, and beat them well.</q> - - The men on both sides thereupon wielded their clubs, and the planter - himself hurried forward, quite prepared to fire. - The <i lang="bn">naib</i> - slipped off, and concealed himself in a hedge of wild cotton. After the - fight had lasted a considerable time, the - <i lang="bn">zemindars’</i> people - fled, some of them badly wounded. The planter, after this exhibition of - his might went off to his factory in great glee, while the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - returned to their homes, crying out for justice, and exclaiming, amid - their tears: <q>We are ruined: we are utterly undone.</q> The indigo - planter proceeded home to his factory after the row, his dog running - before him and playing, poured himself out some brandy and soda, and - drank it, whistling the while, and singing— - <i lang="fa">"Taza ba Taza"</i>. - He knew that it was hard to control him; the magistrate and the judge - constantly dined at his house, and the police and the people about the - courts held him in great awe because of his associating so much with - them! Besides even if there was any investigation made, in a case of - homicide, his trial could not take place in the Mofussil courts. Any - black people accused of homicide or any other great offence, would - always be tried and sentenced in the local courts; whereas any white - man accused of such offences would be sent up to the Supreme Court; in - which case the witnesses or complainants in the case being quite - helpless owing to the expense, trouble, and loss their business that - would be entailed, would fail to put to in an appearance; and naturally, - when the cases against such persons came on for trial at the High Court, - they would be dismissed. - </p> - - - <p> - It happened just as the indigo planter had anticipated. Early next - morning the police inspector came and surrounded the - <i lang="bn">zemindar’s</i> offices. - Weakness is a great calamity: in the presence of a man of might, the - poor man is powerless. When Matilall saw the state of affairs, he - withdrew inside his house, and secured the doors. The - <i lang="bn">naib</i> - then approached the inspector, and having arranged matters by a heavy bribe, - got most of the prisoners set free. The inspector had been blustering - loudly, but as soon as he received the money, it was as though water had - fallen on fire: having completed his investigation, he made a report to - the magistrate, exonerating both parties— actuated on the one hand by - avarice, on the other by fear. The planter was at the same time busily - engaged in arranging the affair, and the magistrate for his part was - firmly convinced that the indigo planter, being an Englishman, and a - Christian to boot, would never do what was wrong; it was only the black - folk who did all the mischief. This was an opportunity the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i> and the - <i lang="bn">peshkar</i> - did not neglect: they took a heavy bribe from the - indigo planter, and suppressing the depositions of the opposite party, - read only the depositions of the party they favoured themselves: thus - by very delicate and skilful manoeuvring, they succeeded in their - object. The indigo planter seized the opportunity to address the - court:— - - <q>Ever since I came to this place, I have been conferring endless - benefits on the Bengalis: I have spent a great deal upon their - education and upon medical treatment for them; how can such an - accusation be brought against me? The Bengalis are very ungrateful, and - very troublesome.</q> - - The magistrate, having heard everything, proceeded to tiffin: he drank - a good deal of wine after tiffin, and came into court again, smoking a - cheroot. When the case came on again, the magistrate looked at the - papers before him as if they had been so many tigers, evidently wishing - to have nothing more to do with, them, and said all at once to the - <i lang="bn">sheristadar</i>: - <q>Dismiss this case.</q> - - The planter’s face beamed again with delight, and he glared at the - <i lang="bn">naib</i>, - who went slowly away, his head bent low, and his whole frame trembling, - exclaiming as he went: <q>Ah, it has become very difficult for Bengalis - to retain their - <i lang="bn">zemindaries!</i> the country has been ruined by the violence - of the brutal planter: the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - are all calling out in fear for protection: the magistrates are - entirely under the influence of their own countrymen, and the laws are - so administered as to provide the indigo planter with many paths of - escape. People say that it is the oppression of the - <i lang="bn">zemindars</i> that has ruined the - <i lang="bn">ryot</i>: - that is a very great error. The - <i lang="bn">zemindars</i> - may oppress the ryot, but they do keep him alive after their fashion: - his <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - are to the <i lang="bn">zemindar</i> - his field of <i lang="bn">beguns</i>. - Very different is the action of the indigo planter; it does not much - matter to him whether the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - live or die: all he cares about is to extend the cultivation of indigo: - to him the <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - are but a common field of roots.</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[174]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVI" id="CHAPTER_XXVI"></a>CHAPTER XXVI.<br /> -<small>THAKCHACHA IN JAIL.</small></h2> - - - <p> - SLEEP will never come when fear and anxiety have entered the mind. - Thakchacha was exceedingly uncomfortable in the lock-up: he had thrown - himself on a blanket, and was tossing restlessly from side to side: now - and again he got up to see what hour of the night it was. Whenever he - heard the sound of carriage-wheels, or a voice, he imagined it must be - daybreak: he kept getting up in a hurry, and saying to the sepoy guard: - <q>Friends, how far advanced is the night?</q> - - They were very angry, and said to him: <q>Ho, you there! the gun will - not be fired for two or three hours yet! Keep quiet now; why do you keep - on disturbing us like this every hour?</q> - - Thakchacha, at these words, began to toss about on his blanket again. - Conflicting emotions rose in his mind, and he revolved a variety of - plans: his reflections continually taking this turn;— - - <q>Why have I been so long conversant with craft and trickery? Where is - now the money that I have earned in this way? I have nothing left of all - my sinful gains. The only result, so far as I can see, is that I got no - sleep at night for fear of being detected in some crime or other. I - lived in constant terror: if the leaves of a tree only shook, I - imagined some one was coming to apprehend me. How often did my - sister-in-law’s husband, Khoda Buksh, warn me against all this - trickery and craft! His words to me were: - - ‘It would be much better for you if you would get your living by - agriculture or trade or service: you can come to no harm so long as - you walk in the straight path: by such a course you will keep body and - mind alike in sound health.’ - - And Khoda Buksh, because he does himself walk thus, is happy. Alas I why - did I not listen to his words? How shall I find a release from this - present calamity? Unless I can secure a pleader or a barrister, I shall - never succeed in doing so. But if there is no evidence against me, I - cannot possibly be punished. How will they find out where the forgery - was committed, or who committed it?</q> - - He was still revolving all these thoughts in his mind when the day began - to break, and then from sheer weariness he fell asleep. Soon however he - began to dream about his many misfortunes, and to talk in his sleep. - - <q>Ah Bahulya! take care that no one gets a glimpse of the pencil, the - pen and the other instruments: they are all in the tank in the house - at Sialdah: they will be quite safe there: be very careful now not to - take them out again, and get off yourself as soon as you can to - Faridpore; I will meet you there, when I have been set free.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - It was now morning, and the rays of the sun fell through the venetians - full on Thakchacha’s beard. The - <i lang="bn">jemadar</i> - of the lock-up had been standing near Thakchacha, and had heard all he - said. He now shouted: - - <q>Ho, you old rascal! what! have you been asleep all this time? Get up, - you have revealed all your secrets yourself.</q> - - Thakchacha got up in a great flurry, and rubbing his eyes, his nose, - and his beard with his hand, commenced repeating his prayers: and again, - he looked at the - <i lang="bn">jemadar</i> - with eyes half-open, and then closed again. The - <i lang="bn">jemadar</i> - frowned, and said: - - <q>You are a fine hypocrite, you are! sitting there with a whole sack of - virtue! Well, well! your virtue will be fully manifest when we have - taken the instruments out of the tank at Sialdah.</q> - - At these words Thakchacha trembled all over like a plantain leaf, and - said: <q>Ah, sir! I have a heavy fever on me; hence the lies I told in - my sleep.</q> - - <q>Well,</q> replied the - <i lang="bn">jemadar</i>, - <q>we shall soon know the meaning of all you have said: get ready at - once.</q> - - With these words, he departed. - </p> - - - <p> - As soon as it struck ten, the officers of the court took Thakchacha and - the other accused into court. Bancharam had been walking up and down the - police court with Mr. Butler, long before nine. He was thinking— - - <q>If we can only get Thakchacha off this time, we may still secure a - good deal of business through his agency: he is an extremely useful - person in many ways, through his power of talking people over, and his - special knowledge and experience in every kind of business, legal or - otherwise; but I have always for myself acted, on the principle;— - ‘No rupees, no investigation’ I cannot, as the saying is, - ‘drive away the wild buffalo at my own expense;’ - and again, as another saying has it, - ‘I have sat down to dance, why then a veil?’ - Why conceal my sentiments? Besides, Thakchacha has bled a good many - people, what harm then in bleeding him? But a good deal of skill is - necessary to get the flesh of a - crow<a name="FNanchor_59_59" id="FNanchor_59_59"></a><a href="#Footnote_59_59" class="fnanchor">[59]</a> - to eat, and it will not be easy to make anything out of so - wary an individual as Thakchacha.</q> - - Mr. Butler, seeing Bancharam so absent-minded, asked him what he was - anxious about. Bancharam replied: <q>Ah, dear Saheb, I am thinking how - to get money to enter my house!</q> - - Mr. Butler, who had moved away a little distance, exclaimed: <q>A - capital idea, capital.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - As soon as he saw Thakchacha, Bancharam ran up to him, and catching hold - of his hands said to him, with tears in his eyes: - - <q>Ah, what a misfortune this is! I sat up the whole of last night in - consequence of the bad news; not once did I close my eyes, and after I - had in a fashion performed my religious duties, I slipped away before - daylight, and brought the Saheb with me. But why be afraid? Am I a mere - child that you cannot trust me? A man’s life has many vicissitudes: - moreover, it is the big - tree<a name="FNanchor_60_60" id="FNanchor_60_60"></a><a href="#Footnote_60_60" class="fnanchor">[60]</a> - that the storm strikes! But no investigation can be made, and nothing - done, unless money is forthcoming: I have none with me: but if you - would have some of your wife’s heavy ornaments fetched, business can - proceed: only get off scot-free this time, and you will get plenty of - jewelry afterwards.</q> - - It is very hard for a man who has fallen into any misfortune to - deliberate calmly. Thakchacha at once wrote off a letter to his wife. - Bancharam took the letter and with a wink and a smile at Mr. Butler - handed it to a messenger, saying: - - <q>Run with all speed to Vaidyabati, get some heavy ornaments from - Thakchacha’s wife, and return here or to the office in the - twinkling of an eye; and look you, be very careful how you bring the - ornaments! Look sharp, be off like a shot.</q> - - The messenger testily replied: <q>It is easier said than done, sir! I - have to get out of Calcutta first, then I have to get to Vaidyabati and - then find Thakchacha’s wife. I shall have to wander and stumble about in - the dark, and besides, I have not yet had my bath, let alone a morsel of - food: how can I possibly get back to-day?</q> - - Bancharam lost his temper and abused the man, saying: <q>The lower - orders are all alike: each acts as he thinks proper: courtesy is wasted - upon them: there is no hurrying them up without kicks and blows! People - can go as far as Delhi when they have an object in view: cannot you then - go as far as Vaidyabati, do your business, and come back again? You know - the proverb: ‘A hint is sufficient for a wise man:’ now I - have actually had to poke my finger into your eye, and yet you have not - had wit enough to see.</q> - - The messenger hung his head down, and without saying a word in reply, - went slowly off like a jaded horse, muttering as he went: <q>What - have poor persons to do with respect or disrespect? I most put up with - it in order to live, but when will the day arrive when the Babu will - fall into the same snare as Thakchacha? I know that he has ruined - hundreds of people and hundreds of homes, and hundreds he has rendered - houseless and destitute. Ah indeed, I have seen a good many attorneys’ - agents, but never a match for this man! See the sort he is! a man who - can swear black is white, a man who can compass anything he likes by his - trickery and craft, and yet all the time keeps up his daily religious - duties, his Dol Jatra and his Durga Pujah, his alms to the Brahmans and - his devotions to his guardian deity! Bad luck to such Hinduism as his, - the unmitigated scoundrel!</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile Thakchacha, Bancharam and Mr. Butler had all taken their seats: - the case had not yet been called on, and their impatience only - increased with the delay. Just as it struck five o’clock, Thakchacha was - placed before the magistrate, and soon saw that the instruments - wherewith he had committed the forgery had been brought into court from - the tank at Sialdah, and that some villagers from that quarter were also - present in court. After examination into the case, the magistrate passed - these orders:— <q>The case must be sent up to the High Court: the - prisoner cannot be admitted to bail: he must be imprisoned in the - Presidency Jail.</q> - - As soon as these orders had been passed, Bancharam ran up quickly, and - shaking the prisoner by the hand, said: <q>What cause for alarm is - there? You don’t take me for a child that you cannot trust me? I knew - all along that the case would go up to the High Court: that is just - what we want.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Thakchacha’s face looked all at once pinched and withered from - anxiety. The constable seized him by the arms, dragged him roughly - down, and sent him off to the - jail<a name="FNanchor_61_61" id="FNanchor_61_61"></a><a href="#Footnote_61_61" class="fnanchor">[61]</a>. - Thakchacha proceeded along, his fetters clanging as he went, and his - throat parched, without so much as lifting up his eyes, for fear of - seeing somebody who might recognise and jeer at him. - </p> - - - <p> - It was evening when Thakchacha first put his foot into that - ‘House of Beauty,’— - the Presidency Jail. All those who are in for debt or civil - cases are imprisoned on one side, those who are in on criminal charges - on the other; and after trial they may have either to work out a fixed - sentence there, or grind - <i lang="bn">soorkey</i> - in the mill-house, or else chains and - fetters may be their lot. Thakchacha had to remain on the criminal side - of the jail. As soon as he entered, the prisoners all surrounded him. - Thakchacha looked closely at them, but could not recognise a single - acquaintance amongst them. The prisoners exclaimed: <q>Ah, Munshi Ji! - what are you staring at? You are in the same plight as we are: come - then, let us associate together.</q> - - Thakchacha replied: <q>Ah, gentlemen I have fallen into unmerited - trouble! I have taken nothing from any man: I have touched nothing - belonging to any man: it is but a turn of the wheel of fortune.</q> - - One or two of the old offenders said: <q>Ha! And is that really so? - A good many people get overwhelmed by false charges.</q> - - One rough fellow said harshly: <q>Are we to suppose then that the - charge against you is false, while those against ourselves are true? - Ha! what a virtuous and eloquent man has come amongst us! Be careful, - my brothers; this bearded fellow is a very cunning sort of - individual.</q> - - Thakchacha at once became more modest, and began to depreciate himself, - but they were long engaged in a wrangle on the subject: any trifling - matter will serve when people have nothing else to do, as a peg whereon - to hang an argument. - </p> - - - <p> - The jail had been shut for the night: the prisoners had had their food - and were preparing, to lie down to sleep. Thakchacha was just on the - point of seizing this opportunity to throw into his mouth some - sweetmeats he had brought with him tied up in his waistcloth, when - suddenly two of the prisoners, low fellows, with whiskers, hair and - eyebrows all white, came up behind him and snatched away the vessel - containing the sweetmeats, laughing loudly and harshly the while. They - just showed them to the others, then tossed them into their mouths, and - demolished them, coming close up to Thakchacha as they ate, and jeering - at him. Thakchacha remained perfectly dumb, and keeping the insult to - himself, got quietly on to his sleeping mat, and lay down. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[181]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVII" id="CHAPTER_XXVII"></a>CHAPTER XXVII.<br /> -<small>THE TRIAL AT THE HIGH COURT.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE cutting of the rice-crops had already begun in the Soonderbunds: - boats were constantly coming and going with their loads. There was water - everywhere: here and there were raised bamboo platforms to serve as - refuges whence the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - could watch their crops; but, for all their - produce the people were no better off. On the one hand there was the - <i lang="bn">mahajan</i>, - who made them advances, to be satisfied, on the other, the - <i lang="bn">zemindar’s</i> - <i lang="bn">paik</i> - with his extortion: if they succeeded in selling their crops well, they - might perhaps have two full meals a day, otherwise all they had to - depend upon was fish or vegetables, or what they could earn as day - labourers. On the higher lands only the autumn rice-crops are grown, the - spring crops being generally raised on the lower lands. Rice is very - easily grown in Bengal, but the crops have many obstacles to contend - with: they are liable to destruction from excess of rain and from want - of it; then there are the locusts and all kinds of destructive insects, - and the late autumn storms: the rice-crop, moreover, requires continual - attention for without very great care being exercised, blight attack the - plants. Bahulya, after looking after his little property all the - morning, was sitting in his verandah smoking, a bundle of papers before - him. Near him were seated certain scoundrels of the deepest dye, and - some persons connected with the courts: the subject of their - conversation was the law as administered by the magistrate, and certain - suits-at-law then pending. One of the men was hinting at the necessity - of getting some fresh documents prepared and some additional witnesses - suborned: another was loudly applauding his successful devices, as he - unfastened rupees from his waistcloth. Bahulya himself seemed somewhat - absent-minded and kept looking about him in all directions: now and - again, he gave some trivial orders to his cultivators. - - <q>Ho there! lift that pumpkin on to the - <i lang="bn">machan</i></q> - - <q>Spread those bundles of straw in the sun.</q> Then again he would - gaze all about him, evidently restless and agitated. One of the company - remarked: - - <q>Moulvi Saheb! I have just heard some bad news about Thakchacha. Is - there not likely to be some trouble?</q> - - Bahulya had no wish to tell any of his secrets, so shaking his head from - side to side he replied in a light sententious manner: <q>Man is - encompassed about with every danger; why should you be in any fear?</q> - - Another man remarked: <q>That is all very true, but Thakchacha is a - very clever man: he will escape from the danger by the mere force of - his intelligence. But be that as it may, we shall be very glad if no - calamity befalls you: we have no allies, no resources save you, in - this Bhowanipore. Talk of our strength, of our wisdom; why, you are all - in your own person: if you were not here we should have to remove our - abode hence. It was most fortunate for me that you fabricated those - papers for me, for I managed to give that idiot of a - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i> - a good lesson by their means: he has done me no injury since: he knows - very well that all the weight of your influence has been thrown into - the scales on my behalf against him.</q> - - Bahulya, contentedly puffing away at his - <i lang="bn">hooka</i>, - with its pedestal of - <i lang="bn">Bidri</i> - ware, and letting the smoke out of his eyes and mouth, laughed gently to - himself. Another man remarked: <q>When a man has to take land into his - own hands in the Mofussil there are two ways of keeping the - <i lang="bn">zemindar</i> - and the indigo planter quiet; the first is to get the protection of a - man like the Moulvi Saheb here: the second to become a Christian. I - have seen a good many - <i lang="bn">ryots</i>, - under the protection of the - <i lang="bn">padri</i>, - lording it over their fellows, like so many Brahmin bulls among a herd - of cows: there is power in the - <i lang="bn">padri’s</i> - money, in his signature, and in his recommendation. - ‘People always look after their own’ - says a proverb. I do not say that the - <i lang="bn">ryots</i> - are all really Christian at heart, but those that go to the - <i lang="bn">padri’s</i> - church get a good may advantages, and in police cases a letter from the - <i lang="bn">padri</i> - is of great service to them.</q> - - Bahulya replied: <q>That may be all very true but it is a very bad - thing for a man to renounce his faith.</q> - - They all at once said: <q>Very true, very true, and on this account - we never go near the - <i lang="bn">padri</i>.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - They were all gossiping away merrily like this, when suddenly a police - inspector, some - <i lang="bn">jemadars</i>, - and sergeants of police, rushed forward and caught hold of Bahulya by - the arms, saying: - - <q>You have committed forgery along with Thakchacha: there is a warrant - for your apprehension.</q> - - The men who had been with Bahulya were seized with terror when they - heard these words, and ran off as fast as they could. Bahulya appealed - to the avarice of the inspector and the sergeant of police, but they - would not listen to the offer of a bribe for fear of losing their - appointment; they seized him and took him off with them. As the news - spread in Upper Bhowanipore, a great crowd collected, and some of the - more respectable people in the crowd exclaimed;— <q>The - punishment of crime must come sooner or later: if people who have been - perpetrating crimes pass their lives in happiness, then must the - creation be all a delusion and a lie; but such can never be.</q> - - As Bahulya proceeded on his way, with his head bent low, he met a good - many people, but he affected to see no one. Some there were who had at - some time or other been victimised by him: seeing that their - opportunity had now come, they ventured to approach him, and said: - <q>Ah, Moulvi Saheb! how deep in thought you are— Krishna pining - for Brindabun! you must have some very important business on hand.</q> - - Bahulya answered not a word. After having crossed over from Bansberia - ghât he arrived at Shahganj. Some of the leading Mahomedans of that - place remarked when they saw him, <q>Ah! the rogue has been caught: - that is a very good thing, and it will be still better thing if he is - punished.</q> - - All these remarks directed against him seemed so much added to his - disgrace: they were as the strokes of a sword upon a dead body. - Exceedingly mortified by all the insults he had been exposed to, he at - length reached Bhowanipore. - </p> - - - <p> - From a short distance off it appeared as if there was a crowd of people - standing on the left side of the road. When they came nearer, the police - sergeant stopped with Bahulya, and asked why there was such a crowd - there: then, pushing his way into the circle, he saw a gentleman seated - on the ground with an injured man in his lap: blood poured in a - continuous stream from his head, and the clothing of the gentleman was - all saturated with it. Upon the sergeant asking the gentleman who he was - and how the man got injured, he replied:— <q>My name is Barada - Prasad Biswas: I was coming here on business, and, as it happened, this - man was accidentally run over by a carriage, and I have been looking - after him. I am trying to find some means of taking him to the hospital - at once: I sent for a - <i lang="bn">palki</i>, but the - <i lang="bn">palki</i>-bearers - refuse on any consideration to take the man, as he is of the sweeper - caste. I have a carriage with me, but the man cannot get into a carriage: - if I can only get a - <i lang="bn">palki</i>, or a - <i lang="bn">dooly</i>. - I am fully prepared to pay the hire, whatever it may amount to.</q> - - The heart even of the most worthless may be melted by the sight of such - goodness. Bahulya marvelled to see this behaviour of Barada Babu’s, and - a feeling of remorse rose in his mind. The sergeant of police said to - Barada Babu: <q>Sir, the people of Bengal never touch a man of the - sweeper caste: it must be no easy matter for you, being a Bengali, to - do as you are doing: you must be no ordinary person.</q> - - As he said this, he put the prisoner in the charge of a constable and - went off himself to a - <i lang="bn">palki</i> - stand, where by a liberal expenditure of threats and promises, he - managed to get a <i lang="bn">palki</i>, - and sent the injured man off to the hospital in charge of Barada Babu. - </p> - - - <p> - At one time, criminal cases were tried at the High Court at intervals of - three months in the year; now, they are held much more frequently. Two - kinds of juries are empanelled for the purpose of deciding upon criminal - cases. First, there is the grand jury, who, after due deliberation as to - whether an indictment framed by the police or others is a true bill or - not, inform the court; secondly, there is a petty jury, who help the - judge to come to a decision in cases that have been found to be true - bills, in accordance with the deliberate opinion of the grand jury, and - find the accused guilty or not guilty. At every sessions of the Criminal - Court, twenty-four persons are called on the grand jury: any person - with property of the value of two lakhs, or any merchant, may be on it. - During the sessions, the petty jury may be empanelled every day, and - when their names are called on, the defendants or the plaintiffs may - raise objections to them if they please: that is to say, they may have - some one appointed on the jury in place of anyone about whom they have - any doubts; but when the twelve persons have once been sworn in as the - petty jury, no change can be made. On the first day of the sessions, - three judges preside, and as soon as the grand jury have been - empanelled, the judge, whose turn of duty it may be, charges them, that - is to say, explains to them all the cases on for trial at the sessions. - After the charge has been delivered, the two other judges, who are not - on duty, depart; and the grand jury will then withdraw to record their - deliberate opinion on the cases before them, and when they have sent it - in to the judge, the trial will commence. - </p> - - - <p> - The night had nearly come to an end: a gentle breeze was blowing. At - this beautifully cool morning hour Thakchacha was fast asleep and - snoring loud, with his mouth wide open: the other prisoners were up and - smoking, and some of them hearing the sound of snoring kept whispering - into Thakchacha’s ears: - - <q>Eat a burnt - buffalo!<a name="FNanchor_62_62" id="FNanchor_62_62"></a><a href="#Footnote_62_62" class="fnanchor">[62]</a></q> - - but Thakchacha went on sleeping as soundly as the famous - Kumbha Karna<a name="FNanchor_63_63" id="FNanchor_63_63"></a><a href="#Footnote_63_63" class="fnanchor">[63]</a> - ;— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Oh! the thunder of a snore;</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>How it terrifies me sore!</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - - <p> - Not long afterwards the English jailor came and told the prisoners that - they must get ready at once, as they were all wanted at the High Court - immediately. - </p> - - - <p> - Upon the opening of the sessions, the verandah of the High Court was - crowded with people, even before the clock struck ten. Attorneys, - barristers, plaintiffs defendants, witnesses, attorneys’ touts, jurymen, - sergeants of police, - <i lang="bn">jemadars</i>, - constables, and others were all - collected there. Bancharam was pacing up and down with Mr. Butler, and - any rich man he saw, no matter whether he knew him or not, he would - greet with hands uplifted, in order to parade his Brahmanical - degree<a name="FNanchor_64_64" id="FNanchor_64_64"></a><a href="#Footnote_64_64" class="fnanchor">[64]</a>; - but he deceived no one who knew him well by this assumption of - courtesy. They would perhaps speak with him for a moment or two, and - then on some imaginary plea or other slip away from him. Soon the jail - van arrived, with sepoys on it before and behind: everybody looked down - on it from the verandah above. The police removed the prisoners from the - van and placed them in an enclosure in a room below the court-room. - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam hurried below to have an interview with Thakchacha and - Bahulya. - - <q>You two are Bhima and - Arjuna<a name="FNanchor_65_65" id="FNanchor_65_65"></a><a href="#Footnote_65_65" class="fnanchor">[65]</a></q>, - said he to them; - <q>have no fear; you may put full confidence in me, I am not a child you - know.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - About twelve o’clock, a space was cleared down the middle of the - verandah, and the people all stood on either side of it: the - <i lang="bn">chuprassis</i> - of the court commanded silence: all were eagerly expecting - the arrival of the judges; then the sergeant of police, the - <i lang="bn">chuprassis</i> - and the mace-bearers, bearing in their hands staves, maces, swords, and - the royal silver-crowned insignia, went outside the court: the sheriff - and deputy sheriff appeared with rods, and then the three judges, - clothed in scarlet, ascended the bench with dignified gait and grave - faces, and, after saluting the counsel, took their seats on the bench, - the counsel making profound obeisance as they stood up in their places. - The moving of chairs, the whispering and chattering of people, made a - great noise in the court, and the - <i lang="bn">chuprassis</i> - of the court had repeatedly to call out: - - <q>Silence in the court!</q> - - The sergeants of police also tried to keep the people quiet, and then, - as the town crier called out: <q>Oh yes! oh yes!</q> the sessions - opened. The names of the grand jury were then called over, and they - were duly empanelled. They then appointed their foreman, that is, - their president. It happened to be Mr. Russell’s turn to sit as judge: - turning to the grand jury he thus addressed them:— - - <q>Gentlemen of the jury, an inspection of the cases for trial shows me - that forgery is on the increase in Calcutta: I see that there are five - or six cases of that kind, and amongst them a case against the two men - Thakchacha and Bahulya. It appears from the depositions in their case - that they have for some years past been forging Company’s paper at - Sialdah, and selling it in this city. Take this case first, please, and - be good enough to inform me whether it is a true bill or not: it is - superfluous for me to bid you do your duty in examining into the other - cases for trial.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - The grand jury, having received this charge, withdrew. Bancharam looked - very despondently at Mr. Butler. After about a quarter of an hour had - elapsed, the indictment against Thakchacha and Bahulya was returned to - the court as a true bill. Thereupon the jail sentry produced Thakchacha - and Bahulya and made them stand within the railed enclosure before the - judge. As the petty jury were being empanelled, the court interpreter - called out loudly: - - <q>Prisoners at the bar! you have been charged with forging - Company’s paper: have you committed this crime or not?</q> - - The accused replied: <q>We do not even know what is meant by forgery, - or by Company’s paper: we are only simple cultivators: we do not - concern ourselves with things of this kind: that is the concern of our - English rulers.</q> - - The interpreter then said rather angrily to them: <q>Your language is - all very fine: have you done this thing or have you not?</q> - - The only reply of the accused was: <q>Our fathers and our grandfathers - never did such things.</q> - - The interpreter then, in a great rage struck the table with his fist and - said: <q>Give an answer to my question: have you done this thing or - not?</q> - - <q>No, we never did such a thing,</q> the accused at last replied. - - The reason for putting these questions was that, if the accused - acknowledged his crime, his trial proceeded no further: he was at once - sentenced. The interpreter then said: - - <q>Attention! These twelve men, all good and true, who are seated here, - will try you: if you have any objection to raise against any of them, - then speak at once: he will be removed, and another man substituted.</q> - - The accused, not understanding anything that was being said, remained - silent, and the trial then commenced: by means of the depositions of - the complainants, and the witnesses, the Crown prosecutor established - a clear case of forgery. The counsel for the accused did not produce any - witnesses, but did his best, by the ingenious twistings and turnings of - cross-examination and by the chicanery of the law, to mislead the jury. - When the speech for the defence was finished, Mr. Russell gave the jury - a summary of the proofs of the case and explained the evidence of the - forgery. - </p> - - - <p> - Having received their charge, the petty jury withdrew to consult. Unless - the jury are unanimous, they are unable to record a verdict. Bancharam - seized this opportunity to draw near the prisoners to encourage them. A - few words had passed between them, when there was a sudden stir in the - court, caused by the re-entry of the jury. When they had all entered and - taken their seats, the foreman stood up: there was at once silence in - the court: all craned their necks and strained their ears to catch what - was said. The clerk of the Crown, the chief conductor of all criminal - cases in the court, put the question:— - - <q>Gentlemen of the jury! Are Thakchacha and Bahulya guilty or not - guilty?</q> - - <q>Guilty</q> was the reply of the foreman of the jury. - - As soon as the accused heard this, their hearts died within them. - Bancharam then hurried up to them, and said: <q>Ha, ha! what, guilty? - Put your trust in me, I am no child as you know: I will petition for a - new trial, that is, for another verdict.</q> - - Thakchacha only shook his head, and said: <q>Ah, sir! what must be, - must: we cannot afford any more expense.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Bancharam then explained, with some irritation, <q>How much do you - suppose I shall make by binding leaves in an empty vessel? In business - like this, is clay to be moistened by tears only?</q> - - Mr. Russell then, examining his records very carefully, looked fixedly - at the prisoners, as he passed this sentence upon them:— - - <q>Thakchacha and Bahulya, your guilt has been well established, and - all who commit such crimes as yours should be heavily punished: I - sentence you therefore to transportation for life.</q> - - No sooner was the sentence delivered then the guards seized the - prisoners by their hands and took them below. Bancharam had slipped back - and was standing to one side; some people remarked to him, - - <q>Is this your case that has been lost?</q> - - <q>You might have known that,</q> he replied; <q>let me never again have - anything to do with so bad a one: I have never cared for cases like - this.</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[191]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXVIII" id="CHAPTER_XXVIII"></a>CHAPTER XXVIII.<br /> -<small>A PHILANTHROPIST.</small></h2> - - - <p> - THE Vaidyabati house was enveloped in gloom: there was no one to - superintend affairs or look after the maintenance of the household; the - family was in a very bad way, and had great difficulty even in procuring - food. The villagers began to say amongst themselves: - - <q>How long can an embankment of sand last? A virtuous household is as a - building of stone.</q> - - Matilall was all this time an exile from home, and his companions had - also vanished; nothing more was heard of all their display. Great was - the delight of Premnarayan Mozoomdar. He was sitting one day in the - verandah of Beni Babu’s house, snapping his fingers and singing a - popular song:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>The babul’s sweet flower doth its petals - unfold,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>While it swings in your ear with its colour of - gold.</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Your talk is of silver rupees and of - rice,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of sweetmeats delicious, and all that is - nice.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - - <p> - Inside the house, Beni Babu was playing on the - <i lang="bn">sitar</i> - and devising a special song for it, in accompaniment to the tune of - <i><q>The Champac Flower.</q></i> - Suddenly, Becharam Babu was seen approaching; causing great - excitement among the children in the street, as he caught up the popular - measure of Nara Chandri:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>With dice in my hand, all prepared for the - game,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Born into the world as a gambler I - came<a name="FNanchor_66_66" id="FNanchor_66_66"></a><a href="#Footnote_66_66" class="fnanchor">[66]</a>.</q><br/></span> - - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - The boys were all laughing and clapping their hands, and Becharam was - angrily expostulating with them. When Nadir Shah attacked Delhi, Mahomed - Shah was absorbed in listening to music and singing; and even when Nadir - Shah appeared suddenly before him in the full panoply of war, Mahomed - Shah said not a word, and for a time ceased not drinking in with his - ears the sweet nectar of song; at last, and still not speaking a word, - he left his throne. Not thus did Beni Babu behave upon the arrival of - Becharam Babu; he at once put down his - <i lang="bn">sitar</i> - and rising quickly from his seat, courteously invited him to be seated. - After a somewhat lengthy exchange of courtesies, Becharam Babu observed: - - <q>Ah, my dear friend Beni, we have at last reached the end of the - chapter<a name="FNanchor_67_67" id="FNanchor_67_67"></a><a href="#Footnote_67_67" class="fnanchor">[67]</a>! - Thakchacha has come to utter grief by his wicked conduct: your Matilall - too, by his lack of intelligence has gone to the bad. Ah, my friend! you - have always told me some terrible misfortune is sure to happen to a boy - when he has not been so educated from his early childhood as to have a - cultivated intellect and a knowledge of rectitude: Matilall is an - instance of this. It is a sorrowful subject: what more can I say? The - whole fault was Baburam’s; he had only the wit of a - <i lang="bn">Muktar:</i> - he was sharp enough where trifles were in question, but blind in the - really important concerns of - life<a name="FNanchor_68_68" id="FNanchor_68_68"></a><a href="#Footnote_68_68" class="fnanchor">[68]</a>.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Beni.—</span> - What is the good of casting reproach upon him by saying this - all over again: it was demonstrated a long time ago. When there was - such an utter want of attention in the matter of Mati’s education, and - no means adopted for keeping evil companions from him, it was a foregone - conclusion<a name="FNanchor_69_69" id="FNanchor_69_69"></a><a href="#Footnote_69_69" class="fnanchor">[69]</a>. - <q>It is the <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i> without Ram.</q> - - Be that as it may, it is Becharam who has been the chief gainer. - Bakreswar has got nothing by all his importunities. No school-master - has ever been seen with an equal capacity for flattering the children - of the rich: the education he was supposed to give was all a sham: his - thoughts day and night were directed solely to getting gain, while - appearing still to the outside world to be doing a great work. Anyhow - the Vaishnava’s hopes of making a good thing out of Matilall were never - extinguished; like the little - <i lang="bn">chátak</i> - bird, he rent the heavens with his cry: <q>Give me water! give me - water!</q> but not even a cloudlet could he ever see, much less a - shower<a name="FNanchor_70_70" id="FNanchor_70_70"></a><a href="#Footnote_70_70" class="fnanchor">[70]</a>. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Premnarayan Mozoomdar.—</span> - Have you, gentlemen, nothing else to talk about? Have you nothing to say - on the subject of Kavi Kankan, or of Valmiki, or of Vyasa<a name="FNanchor_71_71" id="FNanchor_71_71"></a><a href="#Footnote_71_71" class="fnanchor">[71]</a>? - Have you nothing to say on business? I am tired to death of discussing - the troubles connected with the name of Baburam. Mati has only met with - the fate which so wicked a boy deserved: let him go to perdition: - need we feel any anxiety on his account? - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile Hari, the servant, who had been busy preparing tobacco, - brought a <i lang="bn">hooka</i>, - and putting it into Beni Babu’s hands, said:— - - <q>That Babu from Eastern Bengal is just approaching.</q> - - Beni Babu at once rose from his seat and saw Barada Babu approaching - rather hurriedly with a stick in his hand. Both Beni Babu and Becharam - Babu greeted him courteously and invited him to be seated. When they - had enquired after each other’s welfare, Barada Babu said:— - <q>Now at length what has been long expected has come to pass. I have a - request to make of you just now; I have been living for a long time past - at Vaidyabati, and for this reason it became my duty to help the people - of the place to the best of my ability. I have no great wealth, it is - true, but when I consider what I am, the Lord has given me plenty: if - I were to hope for greater abundance, I should be finding fault with - His good judgment, and that is not a proper course for me to take: it - was my duty to help my neighbours, but whether from laziness, or ill - fortune, I have not discharged my duty thoroughly of late.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - What language is this? Why, you have assisted all the poor and afflicted - people of Vaidyabati in a hundred different ways, with supplies of food, - with clothing, with money, with medicines, with books, with advice, and - by your own personal exertions on their behalf. In no single detail have - there been any shortcomings on your part. Why, my dear friend, they shed - tears when they proclaim your virtues. I know all this well: why do you - try to impose on me like this? - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Barada.—</span> - My dear sir, it is no imposition; I am telling you the plain truth: - if any have derived any help from me, I am humiliated when I think how - trifling that help has been. However, the request I have now to make is - this; the families of Matilall and Thakchacha are starving; it has come - to my knowledge that they often have to fast for days. It has been a - great grief to me to hear this; I have therefore brought two hundred - rupees that I had by me, and I shall be exceedingly gratified if you - will somehow contrive to have this money sent to them without revealing - my name. - </p> - - - <p> - Beni Babu was astounded on hearing these words, and Becharam Babu, after - a short interval, looking towards Barada Babu, his eyes filling with - tears of emotion, said to him, as he put his hand on his shoulder: - - <q>Ah, my dear friend! you know what rectitude really is: as for us, we - have spent our lives in vain: it is written in the Vedas and in the - Puranas: - - ‘The man whose mind is pure and upright, he shall see God.’ - - What shall I say about your mind? I have never hitherto seen even the - slightest taint of impurity in it. God keep you in happiness acceptable - to yourself. But tell me, have you had any news of Ramlall lately?</q> - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Barada.—</span> - Some months back I received a letter from Hurdwar: he was well: he - did not say anything about returning. - </p> - - - <p> - <span class="stage-direction">Becharam.—</span> - Ramlall is a very good boy: the mere sight of him would refresh my eyes: - he is bound to be good, and it has all come about by reason of his - association with you. - </p> - - - <p> - Meanwhile, Thakchacha and Bahulya had passed Saugor on a vessel The pair - were for all the world like two cranes: they sat together, ate together, - slept together, and were perfectly inseparable: their mutual woes - formed the continual theme of their conversation. One day Thakchacha, - with a deep sigh, said to his companion:— - - <q>Our destiny is a very hard one: we have become mere lumps of earth: - our trickery is of no further avail, and as for my stratagems, they - have all escaped from my head. My house is ruined: I did not even have - an interview with my wife before leaving: I am very much afraid that - she will marry again.</q> - - Bahulya replied: <q> Friend, pluck all these matters out of your heart: - life in the world is after all but a pilgrimage: we are here to-day, - gone to-morrow: no one has anything he can call his own. You have one - wife, I have four. Throw everything else to the winds, consider only - carefully the means whereby it may go well with self. - </q> - - The wind soon began to blow hard, and the ship went on her way with a - strong list to one side. A terrible storm then got up. Thakchacha, - trembling all over with fright, said to Bahulya: - - <q>Oh, my friend, I am in a terrible fright! I think my death must be - very near.</q> - - Bahulya replied: <q>Are we not already within an ace of death? We are - but ghosts of our former selves. Come, and let us go below, and say our - prayers to Allah and his prophet: I have them all by heart: if we are - swamped, we shall at any rate have the name of our patron saint to - accompany us on our journey.</q> - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[196]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXIX" id="CHAPTER_XXIX"></a>CHAPTER XXIX.<br /> -<small>BANCHARAM IN POSSESSION.</small></h2> - - - <p> - BANCHARAM BABU’s hunger had not yet been appeased: he was always - looking out for the chance of a successful stroke, or else revolving in - his mind the kind of stratagem it would be best for him to adopt in - order to accomplish his wished-for object. His cunning intellect became - keener than ever by this practice. He was one day overhauling all - Baburam Babu’s affairs which had passed through his hands, when a - fine plan suddenly presented itself to him: in the midst of his - calculations, as he sat there propped up by a cushion, he suddenly - slapped his thigh, and exclaimed. - - <q>Ah! at last I see before me a toad to a fine fortune. There is an - estate in the China Bazar belonging to Baburam, and there is the family - house too: they have both been mortgaged, and the limit of time has - expired. I will speak to Herambar Babu, and have a complaint lodged in - court, and then for a few days at any rate my hunger may be appeased.</q> - - With these words, he threw his shawl over his shoulders, and making a - visit to the Ganges the nominal excuse for his departure, he tramped - off with a firm determination to succeed in his plan, or perish in the - attempt. - </p> - - - <p> - He soon reached Herambar Babu’s house. Entering at the door, he - enquired of a servant where the master of the house was. Hearing - Bancharam Babu’s voice Herambar Babu at once descended the stairs. - He was a very open-hearted and generous man, and he always acceded to - every suggestion made to him. Bancharam took him by the hand and said to - him very affectionately:— - - <q>Ha, Choudhury Mahashay! you once lent some money to Baburam upon my - recommendation. The family and their affairs are now in a very bad way: - the honour and reputation of his house have departed with Baburam: - the elder boy is a perfect ape, and the younger a fool: they have both - gone abroad. The family is deeply involved in debt: there are other - creditors all prepared to bring suits against the family, and they may - put many difficulties in the way of a settlement: I can therefore no - longer advise you to keep quiet. Give me the mortgage papers. You will - have to record a complaint in our office to-morrow: kindly give us a - foil power-of-attorney.</q> - - In similar circumstances, all men alike would be afraid of losing their - money. Herambar Babu was neither deceitful nor artful himself, and so - the words which Bancharam had just spoken at once caught his attention: - he agreed straightway, and entrusted the mortgage papers into - Bancharam Babu’s hands. As Hanuman, having obtained the fatal arrow of - Ravan, all gleefully hurried away from Lanka<a name="FNanchor_72_72" id="FNanchor_72_72"></a><a href="#Footnote_72_72" class="fnanchor">[72]</a>, - so Bancharam, putting the papers under his arm as if they had been a - cherished charm<a name="FNanchor_73_73" id="FNanchor_73_73"></a><a href="#Footnote_73_73" class="fnanchor">[73]</a>, - hurried off smilingly home. - </p> - - - <p> - Nearly a year had elapsed since Matilall’s departure. The main - door of the Vaidyabati house was still close shut: lichen covered the - roof and the walls and all about the place there was a dense jungle of - thorns and prickly shrubs. Inside the house, were two helpless young - women, Matilall’s stepmother, and his wife, who when it was - necessary for them to go out at any time, used the back door only. They - found the greatest difficulty in getting food, and had only old clothes - to wear. For fifteen days in the month they went without food altogether. - The money they had received at Beni Babu’s hands had all been - expended in the payment of debts, and in defraying the cost of their - living for some months. They were now experiencing unparalleled, - hardships, and being utterly without resources, were in great anxiety. - One day, Matilall’s wife said to his step-mother:— - - <q>Ah, lady! we cannot reckon the number of sins we must have committed - in our other births: I am married, it is true, but I have never seen my - husband’s face: my lord has never once turned to look at me: he - has never once asked whether I am alive or dead. However bad a husband - may be, it is not for a woman to reproach him: I have never reproached - my husband. It is my wretched destiny: where is his fault? I have only - this much to say, that the hardships which I am now suffering would not - appear hardships, if only my husband were with me.</q> - - Matilall’s step-mother replied: <q>Surely there are none so - miserable as we are: my heart breaks at the thought of our misery: the - only resource of the helpless and poor is the Lord of the poor.</q> - - Men-servants and maid-servants will only remain in service with people - as long as they are well off. Now that these two girls had been reduced - to their present state, their servants had all left them. One old woman - alone remained with them out of pure kindness of heart: she herself - managed to pick up a living by begging. - </p> - - - <p> - The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were engaged in the conversation - we have recorded, when suddenly this old servant came to them, trembling - all over, and said, - - <q>Oh, my mistresses, look out of the window! Bancharam Babu, - accompanied by a sergeant of police and some constables, has just - surrounded the house. On seeing me, he said, - - ‘Go and tell the ladies to leave the house.’ - - I said to him, ‘Sir! And where will they go?’ - - Then he got angry, and threatened me, adding, ‘Do they not know - that the house is mortgaged? Do they suppose that the creditor will - throw his money into the Ganges? Well, I am only acting upon his wish; - let them go away at once, or shall I have to put them out by the scuff - of the neck?’</q> - - The two women trembled all over with fright when they heard this. The - house was soon full of the noise made by the men who were breaking in - the front door: a crowd of people too had collected in the street. - Bancharam was ostentatiously ordering the men to hammer at the door, - and was gesticulating and saying: <q>No one can possibly prevent me - from taking possession: I am not a child that I can be easily trifled - with: it is the order of the Court: I will force an entry into the - house: is a gentleman who has advanced money on the house to be called - a thief? What wrong is being done? Let the members of the family depart - at once.</q> - - A great crowd had now collected, and some of the people were very angry, - and exclaimed: <q>Ho, Bancharam! No baser wretch exists on earth than - you: by your counsel you have ruined this house altogether. You have - had heaps of money out of this family by your long-continued - malpractices, and now you are turning the household adrift: why the - very sight of your face would render it necessary to perform the - <i lang="bn">Chandrayan</i>, - penance: no place will be found for you even in hell.</q> - - Bancharam paid no heed to their remarks; and when he had at last burst - in the door, he rushed into the house, with the sergeant of police, and - went into the <i lang="bn">zenana</i>. - </p> - - - <p> - Just at that moment, Matilall’s wife and his stepmother, taking - hold of the hands of the old woman, and wiping the tears from their - eyes, as they exclaimed, - <q>Oh, Lord God, protect these poor helpless women!</q> - went out of the house by the back door. - - Matilall’s wife then said, - <q>Friends, we are women of good family: we are utterly ignorant: - where shall we go? Our father and all his race are gone: we have no - brothers: we have no sisters: we have no relatives at all: who will - protect us? Oh, Lord God, our honour and our lives are now in Thy hands. - Welcome death by starvation before dishonour.</q> - - When they had gone a few paces, they stopped beneath a banyan tree, - and began to consider what was to be done. Just then Barada Babu - approached them with a - <i lang="bn">dooly</i>: - with bowed head and sorrowful face he said to them: - - <q>Ladies, do not be anxious: regard me as you would a son: I beg that - you will get into this - <i lang="bn">dooly</i> - at once, and go to my house: I have separate quarters ready for you: - stay there for a while, until your plans are arranged.</q> - - When Matilall’s wife and stepmother heard these words of Barada - Babu, they were like people just rescued from a watery grave. - Overwhelmed with gratitude, they said: - - <q>Sir, how we should like to be prostrate at your feet: we have no - words to express our gratitude to you: you must surely have been our - father in a previous birth.</q> - - Barada Babu hurriedly placed them in the - <i lang="bn">dooly</i>, - and sent them to his house; while he himself, fearing he might meet some - one on the road who would question him, hurried home by back streets. - </p> - - - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[201]</a></span><br /> </p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="CHAPTER_XXX" id="CHAPTER_XXX"></a>CHAPTER XXX.<br /> -<small>MATILALL AT BENARES: HOME AGAIN.</small></h2> - - - <p> - A GOOD disposition is created by good advice and good associations: to - some it comes early in life, to others later; and from lack of it in - early youth great harm happens. As a fire, when it has once caught hold - of a jungle, blazes furiously, destroying everything in its path, or as - a wind, when it has once got up with any force, on a sudden increases in - violence, and hurls down in its course large trees and buildings, so an - evil disposition, when it has once been formed in childhood, gradually - assumes fearful proportions, if roused into activity by the natural - passions of the blood. Bad examples of this are constantly seen; but - examples may also be seen of persons long given over to evil thoughts - and evil ways becoming virtuous all of a sudden, quite late in life. A - conversion like this may have its origin either in good advice or in - good companionship. However, it occasionally happens that people come - suddenly to their right mind; it may be by chance, it may be by an - accident, it may be by a mere word. Such conversions, however, are very - rare. - </p> - - - <p> - When Matilall returned home from Jessore in despair, he said to his - companion: <q>It is evidently not my destiny to be rich: it is idle - therefore for me to seek further for wealth. I am now going to travel - for a time in the North-West: will any of you accompany me?</q> - - The darling of Fortune may call all men his friends: when a man has - wealth he has no need to summon any one to his presence: numbers will - crowd to him uninvited, but a poor man finds it very hard to get - companions. All those who had been in attendance upon Matilall had made - a show of friendship for him because of the amusement and profit they - had derived; but, as a matter of fact, they had not a particle of real - affection for him. As soon as they saw that his means were exhausted, - and that he was hampered on all sides by debt, and that, far from being - any longer able to maintain his old style of living, he could hardly - keep himself, they began to ask themselves what possible benefit they - could derive from keeping on friendly terms with him,— far better - drop his acquaintance - altogether<a name="FNanchor_74_74" id="FNanchor_74_74"></a><a href="#Footnote_74_74" class="fnanchor">[74]</a>! - When Matilall put that question to them then, he saw at once that - none of them would give him any answer. They all hummed and hawed, - and pleaded all sorts of excuses. Matilall was very angry at their - behaviour, and said: - - <q>Adversity is the real test of friendship: at last, after all this - time, I have got to know your real character: however, go to your - respective homes,— I am about to proceed on my journey.</q> - - His companions replied: <q>Oh, sir! do not be angry with us: nay, go - on in advance, we will follow you as soon as we have settled all our - affairs.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall, paying no heed to what they said, proceeded on his way on - foot, and being hospitably entertained, at some of the places on the - road, and begging his way at others, he reached Benares in three months. - Having fallen into this pitiable condition, the course of his mind began - to be changed, from his long solitary meditations. Temples, once built - at great expense, - <i lang="bn">ghâts</i>, - and buildings of all kinds, all sooner or later begin to crumble away: - sooner or later some vigorous old tree, whose great branches spread far - and wide, is seen to decay: rivers, mountains, valleys, none continue - long the same. Indeed, time brings change and decay, to all alike. - Everything is transient; all is vanity. Man, too, is subject to disease, - old age, separation from friends, sorrow and troubles of every kind; and - in this world, passion, pride, and pleasure are all but as drops of - water. Such were Matilall’s meditations, as day after day he made - the circuit of Benares, sitting, when evening came, in some quiet spot - on the banks of the Ganges, and meditating again and again on the - unreality of the body, and the reality of the soul, and on his own - character and conduct. By such a course of reflection, the evil - passions within him became - dwarfed<a name="FNanchor_75_75" id="FNanchor_75_75"></a><a href="#Footnote_75_75" class="fnanchor">[75]</a>, - and he was roused in consequence to a sense of his former conduct and - his present evil condition. As his mind took this direction, there - sprang up within him a feeling of self-contempt, and, accompanying that - self-contempt, deep remorse. He was always asking himself this - question, - - <q>How can I attain salvation? When I remember all the evil I have - committed, my heart burns within me like a forest on fire.</q> - - Absorbed in such thoughts, paying no attention to food or clothing, he - went wandering about like one demented. - </p> - - - <p> - Some time had been spent by him thus, when one day he chanced to see an - old man sitting deep in meditation, under a tree, glancing at one moment - at a book, and at the next shutting his eyes, and meditating. To look at - the man one would at once imagine him to be a very learned person, and - one, too, who had attained to perfect knowledge and complete subjection - of mind. The mere sight of his face would arouse a feeling of reverence - in the mind. Matilall at once approached him, and, after making a most - profound salutation<a name="FNanchor_76_76" id="FNanchor_76_76"></a><a href="#Footnote_76_76" class="fnanchor">[76]</a>, - remained standing before him. After a while, the old man looked - intently at Matilall, and said, - - <q>Ah, my child, from your appearance I should imagine that you belong - to a good family; but why are you so sorrowful?</q> - - This gentle address gave Matilall confidence, and he acquainted the old - man with the whole story of his life, concealing nothing. <q>Sir,</q> - he said, - - <q>I perceive you to be a very learned man: now, and from henceforth, - I am your humble servant: pray give me some good advice.</q> - - The old man replied, <q>I see that you are hungry: we will postpone our - conversation till you have had some food and rest.</q> - - That day was spent in hospitality. The old man was pleased at the sight - of Matilall’s simplicity and straightforwardness. It is a - characteristic of human nature that there cannot be any frank - interchange of thought amongst men where they receive no mutual - gratification from each other’s society; but where there is this - mutual gratification, then the thoughts of each man’s heart are - revealed in quick succession. Moreover, when one man displays frankness, - the other, unless he is exceedingly insincere, can never manifest - insincerity. The old man was a very worthy person; pleased at - Matilall’s frankness and sincerity, he began to love him as a son, - and, at a later period, he expounded to him his own notions about the - Supreme Being. He often used to say to him:— - - <q>My son, to worship the Almighty with all our powers, with faith, - affection, and love, is the main object of all virtue: meditate always - on this, and practise it in thought, and word, and deed: when this - advice has taken firm root the course of your mind will be changed, and - the practice of other virtues will naturally follow; but to have a - constant and uniform love of the Almighty, in thought, word, and deed, - is no easy thing; for, in this world, such enemies as passion, envy, - avarice, and lust, put extraordinary obstacles in the way, and therefore - there is every need for concentration of thought and steadfastness.</q> - - Matilall, after receiving this advice, engaged every day in meditation - on the Almighty, and in prayer, and endeavoured to examine into all his - faults, and to correct them. As a consequence of a long-continued - course of action like this, faith and devotion towards the Lord of the - Universe sprang up in his mind. The honour due to good companions is - beyond the power of words to express: pre-eminent amongst the virtuous - stood Matilall’s instructor; was it then in any way astonishing that - Matilall’s mind should have so changed from association with such a - man? A feeling of brotherly kindness towards all men developed itself - in the mind of Matilall as one consequence of his very great faith in - God, and then, in quick succession, a feeling of affection for his - parents, and for his wife, and a desire to alleviate the sorrows of - others, and to confer benefits upon others, grew in intensity. To see - or hear anything opposed to truth and sincerity made him intensely - unhappy. He would often tell the old man the thoughts that were passing - in his mind, and his former history; and he would sometimes say in a - mournful tone, - - <q>Oh, my teacher! I am very wicked: when I think of what my behaviour - has been towards my father, my mother, my brother, my sister, and - others, I sometimes think that no place can be found for me even in hell.</q> - - The old man would console him by saying, <q>My child, devote yourself to - virtue at any cost: men are constantly sinning in thought, in word, and - in deed: our only hope of salvation is the mercy of Him who is all - mercy: the man who displays heartfelt grief for his sins, and who is - sincerely zealous for the purification of his soul, can never be - destroyed.</q> - - Matilall would listen attentively, and meditate with bowed head upon - all he heard. Sometimes he would exclaim, <q>My mother, my step-mother, - or my sister, my brother, my wife, where are they all? My mind is - exceedingly anxious on their account.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - It was a day at the commencement of the autumn season; the time was the - early dawn. Who can give Expression to the amazing beauty of Brindabun? - Palms and trees of every kind flourished everywhere in abundance; - thousands of birds were singing in every variety of note, perched on - their branches. The waves of the Jumna, as if in merry play, embraced - its banks. The boys and girls of Brindabun, in arbours and in the roads, - were playing their - <i lang="bn">sitars</i>, - and singing as they played. The night had come to an end, and all the - temples, now that the hour for waving the lamps before the shrines had - come, resounded with the hoarse murmur of tens of thousands of conch - shells, and with the clanging of innumerable bells, shoals of tortoises - played around the Kashighat: hundreds of thousands of monkeys were - leaping and jumping about on the trees, now curling their tails, now - stretching them out, and now and again plunging headlong down with - hideous grimaces, and carrying off some poor people’s stores of food. - Hundreds of pilgrims were wandering about the different groves, and as - they gazed on the different objects of interest, were talking about the - sports of Sri Krishna. As the sun grew hot, the earth got baked with - the heat; it became irksome to walk about any longer on foot, and the - majority of the pilgrims sat about under the shade of the trees, and - rested. - </p> - - - <p> - Matilall’s mother had been wandering about holding her daughter by the - hand; soon overcome with fatigue, she lay down in a quiet spot with her - head in her daughter’s lap. The girl fanned and cooled her wearied - mother with the border of her - <i lang="bn">sari</i>. - The mother, feeling at length somewhat refreshed, said to her, - - <q>Pramada, my child, take a little rest yourself. Now I will sit up - awhile.</q> - - <q>Now that your fatigue is removed, mother,</q> said the girl, <q>mine - also has gone: continue lying down, and I will shampoo your feet.</q> - - Tears rose in the mother’s eyes as she heard her daughter’s - affectionate address, and she said, <q>My child, the mere sight of your - face has revived me. How many must be the sins that I committed in my - other births, or why should I be experiencing this grief? It is no pain - to me that I should myself be dying of starvation: my great sorrow is - that I have not the wherewithal to give you even a morsel of food: the - world is too small to contain such sorrow as mine. My two sons, where - are they? I know not what has become of them. My daughter-in-law, how - is she? Why did I display such anger? Matilall struck me, he actually - struck me, his mother! My soul, too, is in constant anxiety on - Ramlall’s account, as well as on Matilall’s.</q> - - The girl, wiping away her mother’s tears, tried to console her; - after a while, her mother went to sleep, and the girl, seeing her - asleep, sat perfectly motionless, gently fanning her: though mosquitoes - and gadflies settled on her person, and annoyed her with their bites, - she moved not for fear of interrupting her mother’s sleep. A - marvellous thing is the love and endurance of women? Herein are they far - superior to men. The girl’s mother dreamt in her sleep that a - youth clothed in yellow came near her, and said, - - <q>Lady, weep no more! You are virtuous: you have warded off sorrow - from many of the afflicted poor: you have never done anything but good - to any: all will soon be well with you: you will find your two sons - and be happy again.</q> - - The sorrowful woman started out of her sleep, and, on opening her eyes, - saw only her daughter near her; without speaking a word to her she took - her by the hand, and they returned in great trouble to their hut of - leaves. The mother and daughter were constantly conversing together: - one day the mother said to her daughter, - - <q>My child, my mind is very restless: I cannot help thinking that I - ought to return home.</q> - - Not seeing her way to that, the girl replied, <q>But mother, we have - amongst our stock of supplies but one or two cloths, and a brass - drinking vessel: what can we get by the sale of these? Remain here - quietly for a few days, while I earn something as a cook, or as a - maid-servant somewhere, and then we shall have got something together - to defray the expenses of our journey.</q> - - The girl’s mother at these words sighed heavily, and remained - motionless: she could restrain her tears no longer: seeing her - distressed, the girl was distressed also. - </p> - - - <p> - As luck would have it, a resident of Mathura, who lived near them, and - who was constantly doing them small kindnesses, came up at that moment: - seeing them in such sorrow, she first consoled them, and then listened - to their story: the woman of Mathura, sorrowing in their sorrow, said - to them, <q>Ladies, what shall I say? I have no money myself I should - like to alleviate your distress by giving you all I possess: let me - now tell you of a plan you had better adopt: I have heard that a - Bengali Babu has come to live at Mathura, who has amassed a fortune in - service, and by making advances to agriculturists: I have heard, too, - that he is very kind and liberal: if you go to him, and ask for your - travelling expenses, you will certainly get them.</q> - - As the two distressed women could see no other resource open to them, - they agreed to adopt the plan proposed; so they took their leave of the - woman of Mathura, and reached Mathura in about two days. - </p> - - - <p> - On arrival there, they went to the vicinity of a tank, where they found - collected together the afflicted, the blind, the lame, the sorrowful and - the poor, all in tears. The girl’s mother said to an old woman amongst - them: - - <q>My friend, why are you all in tears?</q> - - <q>Ah, mother!</q> replied the woman, <q>there is a certain Babu here; - words fail me to tell of his virtues: he goes about among the homes of - the poor and afflicted, and is continually attending to their wants, - supplying them with food and clothing, and, moreover, he watches by the - bedside of the sick at night, administering medicines and proper diet. - He sympathises with us in all our joys and all our sorrows. Tears come - into my eyes at the mere thought of the Babu’s virtues. Blessed is the - woman who has borne such a child in her womb: she is certainly - destined for the joys of heaven. The place where such a one lives is - holy ground. It is our miserable destiny that this Babu is just leaving - the country: our tears are flowing at the thought of what our - condition will be when he has gone.</q> - - The two women, hearing this, said to each other: <q>All our hopes - appear to be fruitless: sorrow is our destined lot. Who can rub the - writing off our foreheads?</q> - - Seeing their despondency, the old woman already mentioned said to them, - <q>I fancy you are ladies of good family who have fallen into - misfortune: if you are in want of money, then come with me at once to - the Babu, for he assists many persons of good family as well as the - poor.</q> - - The two women at once agreed to this, and following the old woman they - remained outside, while she entered the house. - </p> - - - <p> - The day was drawing to a close: the rays of the setting sun gave a - golden tinge to the trees and to the tanks. Near where the two women - were standing was a small walled garden, in which every variety of - creeper was growing, carefully trained on trellis work: the turf in it - was nicely kept, and at intervals raised platforms had been erected to - serve as seats. Two gentlemen were walking about in this garden, hand in - hand, like Krishna and Arjuna; as their gaze chanced to fall upon the - two women outside, they hurried out of the garden to meet them. The two - women, out of confusion, veiled their faces and drew a little to one - side. Then the younger of the two men said to them in a gentle tone: - - <q>Regard us as your sons: do not be ashamed: tell us fully the reason - of your coming here: and if any assistance can be rendered by us, we - will not fail to render it.</q> - - Hearing these words, the mother, taking her daughter by the hand, moved - forward a little, and briefly informed them of the plight they were in. - Even before she had finished telling her story, the two men looked at - each other, and the younger of them, in the enthusiasm of his joy, fell - to the ground, exclaiming, - - <q>My mother! my mother!</q> - - The other, and the elder of the two, made a profound obeisance to the - sorrowful mother, and, with his hands humbly folded, said, - - <q>Dear lady, look, look! He who has fallen to the ground is your - precious one, your - treasure<a name="FNanchor_77_77" id="FNanchor_77_77"></a><a href="#Footnote_77_77" class="fnanchor">[77]</a>: - he is your Ram! and my name is Barada Prasad Biswas.</q> - - When she heard this, the mother unveiled her face, and said: - - <q>Oh, dear sir, what is this that you are saying? Shall such a destiny - as this befall so miserable a wretch as I am?</q> - - On coming to himself, Ramlall bowed down to the earth before his - mother, and remained motionless. Taking her son’s head into her bosom - and weeping the while, his mother poured the cool waters of consolation - over his heated mind; and his sister, with the edge of her - <i lang="bn">sari</i>, - wiped away his tears and the dust that had collected on him, and - remained still and silent. - </p> - - - <p> - By-and-by the old woman, not finding the Babu in the house, came running - into the garden, and when she saw him lying on the ground with his head - in the lap of the elder of the two women, she screamed out: - - <q>Dear me, what is the matter? Oh dear! Oh dear! Is the Babu ill? Shall - I go and fetch a <i lang="bn">kabiraj</i>?</q> - - Barada Prasad Babu said to her, <q>Be quiet, the Babu has not been taken - ill: these two women that you see are the Babu’s mother and his - sister.</q> - - <q>Oh Babu!</q> exclaimed the old woman, <q>Must you make fun of me - because I am a poor old woman? Why, the Babu is a very rich man: is he - not the chosen lord of Lakshmi? and these two women are but poor tramps: - they came with me. How can one be his mother, and the other his - sister? I rather fancy they are witches from Kamikhya who have deceived - you by their magical arts. Oh, dear! I have never seen such women. I - humbly salute their magic.</q> - - And the old woman went away in high dudgeon, muttering to herself. - </p> - - <p> - Having recovered their composure, they all went into the house, and - great was the satisfaction of the mother when she found Mati’s wife and - her own co-wife there. Having received full particulars of all the - other members of her family she said: - - <q>Ah, my son, Ram! come, let us now return home: as for my Mati, I do - not know what has become of him, and I am very anxious on his account.</q> - - Ramlall had been already prepared to return home: he had a boat, and - everything ready at the - <i lang="bn">ghât</i>. - Having, in accordance with his mother’s instructions, ascertained an - auspicious day for the journey<a name="FNanchor_78_78" id="FNanchor_78_78"></a><a href="#Footnote_78_78" class="fnanchor">[78]</a>, - he took them all with him, and prepared to depart. The people of - Mathura all thronged round him at the time of his departure: thousands - of eyes filled with tears: from thousands of mouths issued songs in - celebration of Ramlall’s virtues: and thousands of hands were uplifted - in blessing. As for the old woman, who had gone away in such dudgeon, - she drew near Ramlall’s mother, with her hands humbly folded, and wept. - All remained standing on the banks of the river Jumna, like so many - lifeless and inanimate beings, until the boat had passed away out of - their sight. As the current was running down and the wind was not - blowing strong from the south, the boat glided quickly down, and they - all reached Benares in a few days. - </p> - - - <p> - Early morning in Benares! Oh the beauty of the scene! There in their - thousands were Brahmans of two Vedas, and Brahmans of four Vedas, - worshippers of Ram, worshippers of Vishnu, worshippers of Shiva, - followers of Shakti, worshippers of Ganesh, religious devotees and - Brahman students, all devoutly engaged in reciting their hymns and - prayers. There too in their thousands were men reciting portions of the - Samvedas, and hymns to Agni and Vayu: crowds of women, hailing from - Surat, from the Mahratta country, from Bengal, and from Behar, all - clothed in silk garments of various hues, were engaged in perambulating - the temples after due performance of their ablutions: beyond - calculation in number were the temples sweetly perfumed with the odours - of aromatic tapers, of incense, of flowers, and of sandal. Devotees in - countless numbers crowded the streets puffing their cheeks, and shaking - their sides, as they shouted aloud in enthusiasm: - - <q>Oh, Mahadeva! Lord of the Universe!</q> - - Women, devotees of Shiva, carrying tridents in their hands, and wearing - scarlet raiment, were perambulating in their hundreds, about the temple - of Shiva, engaged in their devotions to Shiva and Durga, and laughing - madly the while. Ascetics there were in great numbers, who striving hard - to subdue their bodies, and their passions, sat solitary with their - hands uplifted, hair all matted, and bodies covered with ashes. There, - too, in countless numbers, were religious devotees, each sitting apart - by himself in some secluded corner, engaged in various mystic - ceremonies, now emitting their breath, now holding it in: musicians and - singers with their lutes and their tabors, their violins and their - guitars, were there in great numbers, all completely absorbed in every - variety of tone and tune. - </p> - - - <p> - Ramlall and his companions remained four days in Benares, bathing and - performing other ceremonies at the Mani Karnika Ghât. He was always - with his mother and sister, and in the evening he used to roam about with - Barada Babu. One day, in the course of their walks, they saw a - beautiful pavilion before them. An old man was sitting inside gazing at - the beauty of the Bhagirathi: the river was flowing swiftly by, its - waters rippling and murmuring in their course; and so transparently - clear was it that it seemed to bear on its bosom the many-hued evening - sky. On the approach of Ramlall, the old man addressing him as an old - acquaintance said: - - <q>What was your opinion of the Upanishad of - Shuka<a name="FNanchor_79_79" id="FNanchor_79_79"></a><a href="#Footnote_79_79" class="fnanchor">[79]</a> - when you read it?</q> - - Ramlall looked intently at the old man, and saluted him respectfully. - The old man a little disconcerted said to him: - - <q>Sir, I perceive I have made a mistake: I have a pupil whose face is - exactly like yours. I mistook you for him when I addressed you.</q> - - Ramlall and Barada Babu then sat down beside the old man and began to - converse on a variety of topics connected with the - <i lang="bn">Shástras</i>. - Meanwhile a person with a somewhat anxious expression of countenance - came and sat beside them, keeping his head down. Barada Babu, gazing - intently at him, exclaimed: - - <q>Ram! Ram! do you not see? It is your elder brother sitting by you.</q> - - On hearing these words, Ramlall’s hair stood on end with - astonishment, and he looked at Matilall, Matilall, looking at Ramlall, - suddenly started up, and embraced him: and remaining for some time - motionless, he said: - - <q>Oh, my brother! will you forgive me?</q> - - and then winding his arms round his younger brother’s neck, he - bathed his shoulders in his tears. For some time both remained silent: - no words issued from their mouths, and they began to realise the real - meaning of the word ‘brother.’ Then Matilall, prostrating - himself at the feet of Barada Babu and, taking the dust off his feet, - said, as he humbly folded his hands: - - <q>Honoured sir, now at length I have come to know your real worth: - forgive me, worthless wretch that I am.</q> - - Barada Babu, taking the two brothers by the hand, then took leave of - the old man, and they all proceeded on their way, each in turn telling - his story as they went. When Barada Babu, after a long converse, - perceived the change that had taken place in Matilall’s mind, his - delight knew no bounds. On coming to where the other members of his - family were, Matilall, while still some distance off, exclaimed with a - loud voice: - - <q>Oh, mother, mother, where are you? Your wicked son has returned to - you: he is now alive and well, he is not dead: ah, mother! considering - what my behaviour towards you has been, I do not wish to show you my - face; it is my wish to see your feet only just once before I die.</q> - - On hearing these words, his mother approached with cheerful mind, and - tearful eyes, and found priceless wealth in gazing on her eldest - son’s face. Matilall at once fell prostrate at her feet: his - mother then raised him up, and as she wiped away his tears with the - border of her - <i lang="bn">sari</i> - said: - - <q>Oh, Mati, your stepmother, your sister, and your wife are all here: - come and see them at once.</q> - - After greeting his stepmother and sister, Matilall, seeing his wife, - wept at the remembrance of his previous history, and exclaimed: - - <q>Oh my mother, I have been as bad a husband as I have been a son and a - brother. I am in no way worthy of so estimable a wife: a man and woman, - at the time of marriage, take a form of oath before the Almighty that - they will love each other as long as life lasts, and that they will - never forsake each other, even though they may fall into great trouble; - the wife too, that she will never turn her thoughts to another man, and - the husband that he will never think of another woman, as in such - thoughts there is grievous sin. I have acted in numberless ways contrary - to this oath: how is it then that I have not been deserted by my wife? - Such a brother and a sister as I have too! I have done them an - irreparable injury. And such a mother! than whom a man can have no more - priceless possession on earth. Ah, mother, I have given you endless - trouble. I, your son, actually struck you! What atonement can there be - for all these sins? If I were only to die at this moment I might find - deliverance from the fire that is burning within me, but I almost think - that death has been the cause of its own death; for I see no sign of - disease even, the messenger of death. However, do you now all of you - return home. I will remain with my teacher in this city, and depart - this life in the practice of stern austerities.</q> - - After this Barada Babu, Ramlall, and his mother, summoned to them - Matilall’s spiritual teacher, and explained matters to him at - length, and then took Matilall away with them. - </p> - - - <p> - While their boat was tied up to the shore at nightfall, off Monghyr, - some one, resembling a boy in form, came close up to the boat, and - raising himself up called out: - - <q>There is a light, there is a light.</q> - - Seeing this peculiar behaviour, Barada Babu, bidding them all to be very - careful, got on to the deck of the cabin, and saw about twenty or thirty - armed men in ambush in the jungle, all ready to attack as soon as they - should get the signal. Ramlall and Barada Babu got their guns out at - once, and began firing: at the sound of the firing, the dacoits withdrew - into the jungle. Barada Babu and Ramlall were eager to follow them up - with swords and apprehend them, and give them in charge to the - neighbouring inspector of police, but their families forbade it. When - Matilall saw what had happened he said: - - <q>My training has been bad in every way. I have been utterly ruined by - my life of luxury. I used to laugh at Ramlall when he was practising - gymnastics, but now I recognise that without manly exercise from - one’s boyhood courage cannot exist. I was in a terrible fright - just now, and if it had not been for Ramlall and Barada Babu we should - all have been killed.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - In a few days they all arrived at Vaidyabati, and proceeded to Barada - Babu’s house. Hearing of the return of Barada Babu and Ramlall, the - villagers came from all parts to see them: joy uprose in the minds of - all, and their faces beamed with delight: and all, eager for their - welfare, showered down upon them prayers and flowers of blessing. On the - following day, Herambar Chandra Chaudhuri Babu came, and said to - Ramlall: <q>Ram Babu! without understanding the full circumstances of - the case, and acting on Bancharam Babu’s advice, I have obtained - possession of your family house: I am really sorry that I should have - entered into possession, and so driven away the members of your family: - take up your abode there, whenever it suits your good pleasure.</q> - - To this Ramlall replied: <q>I am exceedingly obliged to you: and if - it is really your wish to give me the house back, we shall be under an - obligation to you if you will accept your legitimate claims.</q> - - Upon Herambar Babu agreeing to this proposal, Ramlall at once paid the - money out of his own pocket, and drew up a deed in the name of the two - brothers, and then, accompanied by the other members of the family, - returned to the family house; raising his eye to heaven, and with - heartfelt gratitude, he exclaimed: <q>Lord of the world, nothing is - impossible with Thee.</q> - </p> - - - <p> - Soon after this Ramlall married, and the two brothers passed their lives - very happily, striving, with exceeding affection, to promote the - happiness of their mother and the other members of their family. Under - the favour of Durga, the granter of boons, Barada Babu went on special - employment to Badaraganj. Becharam Babu, becoming by the sale of his - property the true Becharam, went to live at Benares. Beni Babu, who had - been for some time the independent gentleman without much training, - turned his attention to the practice of law. Bancharam Babu, after a - long course of trickery and chicanery, was at length killed by - lightning. Bakreswar went roaming about, making nothing for all his - obsequious flattery. Thakchacha and Bahulya, transported for life to the - Andamans for forgery, were set to hard labour, chained hand and foot, - and at length died after enduring unparalleled sufferings. The wife of - Thakchacha, being left without resources, roamed about the lanes singing - the song of her craft as a seller of glass bracelets:— - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Bracelets, fine bracelets have I.</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Come and buy, come and buy!</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - Haladhar, Gadadhar, and the rest of Matilall’s old boon - companions, seeing Matilall’s altered character, looked out for - another leader. Mr. John, after his bankruptcy, commenced business - again as a broker. Premnarayan Mozoomdar assumed the distinctive - dress of a religious mendicant, and roamed about Nuddea, shouting out: - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>To faith alone ’tis given below</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Mahadev’s secret mind to know.</q><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - - - <p> - The husband of Pramada having accepted many hands in marriage<a name="FNanchor_80_80" id="FNanchor_80_80"></a><a href="#Footnote_80_80" class="fnanchor">[80]</a> - in different places, becoming at length himself empty-handed, came to - Vaidyabati, and lived at the expense of his brothers-in-law, indulging, - to his utmost bent, in every variety of sweetmeat pleasant to the taste. - All that happened afterwards must be left to be related hereafter. - </p> - - - <div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Thus my story ends:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The Natiya thorn withereth:</q><a name="FNanchor_81_81" id="FNanchor_81_81"></a><a href="#Footnote_81_81" class="fnanchor">[81]</a><br/></span> - </div> - </div> - -<p class="center">FINIS.</p> - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> - -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<p> <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[219]</a></span><br /> </p> -<h2>NOTES.</h2> - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> -<p> - <i lang="bn">Kulins.</i>— Mr. Phillips, in a note to his excellent - translation of <q>Kopal Kundala,</q> says:— -</p> - - -<p> - <q>Large sums are paid by fathers of girls for Kulin bridegrooms. A Kulin - Brahmin girl, to preserve her caste and social position intact, must be - married to a Kulin bridegroom. So it happens that Kulin youths are sometimes - married to ten or twenty different wives. They can visit the houses of their - numerous fathers-in-law, and are not only well entertained when there, but - expect a present on coming away. There have been cases in which poor fathers - of Kulin girls have taken them and had them wedded to old men on the point - of death. They cannot afford to pay for a young and suitable bridegroom, and - it is an indelible disgrace for their daughters to remain unmarried. On the - other hand, Brahmins of lower family have to pay for a bride. The state of - things is not so bad as it used to be. The feeling of the upper classes of - Hindoos is strongly in favour of monogamy, and a Kulin who marries many - wives is regarded with some contempt and aversion.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>He has drank down Mother Saraswati at one gulp.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> -<p> - <q>When a Hindu boy is first initiated into school life, he is presented - with a piece of chalk, a - <i lang="bn">tal</i> leaf and a plantain leaf - </q>—Bose—<q>The Hindoos as they Are.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> -<p> - The bracelet on the right hand is one of the signs that a woman is married, - and that her husband is still living; another sign is a mark on the forehead - called the ‘sindhoor.’ -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> -<p> - <i lang="bn">Sakhishamvad</i>— - <q>Songs expressive of news conveyed to Krishna by Brinda, one of the Gopis, - of the pangs of separation felt by the milkmaids of - Brindabun</q>—Bose—<q>The Hindoos as they Are.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> -<p> - <i lang="bn">The Shalgram</i>.— - A flinty stone with the impression of an ammonite, which Hindoos think - represents Vishnu: it is worshipped as Vishnu. Some Hindoos make large - collections: one man was reputed to possess a collection of nearly eighty - thousand. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>Has cut a fine canal, and brought all the waters upon us.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_8_8" id="Footnote_8_8"></a><a href="#FNanchor_8_8"><span class="label">[8]</span></a> -<p> - The cat watching for a mouse, the heron and paddy birds for fish, are all - alike regarded as types of hypocritical saintliness, and as such are largely - used as figures in Sanscrit and Bengali literature. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_9_9" id="Footnote_9_9"></a><a href="#FNanchor_9_9"><span class="label">[9]</span></a> -<p> - <q>Field of <i lang="bn">beguns</i></q> is a popular expression for a source - of continual profit, as <q>a field of roots</q> is used for a temporary - source of profit. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_10_10" id="Footnote_10_10"></a><a href="#FNanchor_10_10"><span class="label">[10]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>He had a big heavy hand:</q> - the opposite phrase used of a generous man is— - <q>His hand is always turned palm upward.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_11_11" id="Footnote_11_11"></a><a href="#FNanchor_11_11"><span class="label">[11]</span></a> -<p> - The veneration with which Hindoos regard Benares is expressed in the - Sanscrit <i lang="bn">slokas</i>:— - - <q>The heaps of your sins will all be burnt to ashes if you only name the - name of Kashi.</q> - - All orthodox Hindus in their inmost hearts, look forward to spending the - evening of their days, if possible, in <q>the Holy City,</q> where, after - having passed the two periods of their lives in the world as students and - householders, they may pass the last as ascetics, in reading and meditation. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_12_12" id="Footnote_12_12"></a><a href="#FNanchor_12_12"><span class="label">[12]</span></a> -<p> - Gambling has always been popular in the East, and was evidently so amongst - the ancient Aryans. In a translation of Kaegi’s Rigveda, by - Arrowsmith, there is a song called <q>The Song of the Gambler.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_13_13" id="Footnote_13_13"></a><a href="#FNanchor_13_13"><span class="label">[13]</span></a> -<p> - The favourite expression of Bancharam, which occurs often in this book, - means literally: - - <q>Is this a cake in the hands of a small child?</q> - - The idea being that a cake is easily snatched out of the hand of a child. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_14_14" id="Footnote_14_14"></a><a href="#FNanchor_14_14"><span class="label">[14]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>Many undertakings getting as far as the ‘h’ turn back when - just short of the ‘Ksha’.</q> - - In some old grammars ‘Ksha’, instead of being the first of the - compound consonants, as now, was put as the last of the simple consonants. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_15_15" id="Footnote_15_15"></a><a href="#FNanchor_15_15"><span class="label">[15]</span></a> -<p> - An old Aryan proverb corresponding to this is: - <q>Even an ugly man may be found beautiful, when he is rich.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_16_16" id="Footnote_16_16"></a><a href="#FNanchor_16_16"><span class="label">[16]</span></a> -<p> - The following vivid description of a nor’wester, as the storms so - common in Bengal in the hot season are called, occurs in Mr. Vaughan’s - <q>The Trident, The Crescent, and The Cross</q>: -</p> - -<p> <q>For days, it may be for weeks, the sky has been burdened with clouds - charged with the needful watery stores. Millions of longing eyes have - watched their shifting course and changing forms. Ever and anon it has - seemed as if their refreshing streams were about to descend, but, as if - pent up, and restrained by an invisible hand, the clouds have refused - to pour down the desired blessing: at length one point of the sky - gathers darkness: a deep inky hue spreads over one-half the heavens: - the wild birds begin to shriek and betake themselves to shelter: for a - few moments an ominous death-like calm seems to reign: Nature appears - to be listening in awful expectancy of the coming outburst: in another - instant a dazzling flash of lightning is seen, followed by terrific - rolls of thunder: a hurricane sweeps across the plains: sometimes - uprooting massive trees in its course, and darkening the air with clouds - of sand and dust: a deadly conflict seems to rage amongst the elements: - the lightning is more brilliant: the crashes of the thunder more - awful: yet the rain does not come. But the strife does not last long. - Now isolated big drops begin to fall: then torrents of water pour down - from the bursting clouds: driven along the wings of the storm, the rain - sometimes appears like drifting cataracts, or oblique sheets of water. - Speedily parched fields are inundated, and empty rivers swollen. - All this takes place in less than an hour: then the storm abates, - the darkness passes away, the sun once more shines forth: the - atmosphere is cooled and purified, thirsty Nature is satisfied, and all - creation seems to rejoice.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_17_17" id="Footnote_17_17"></a><a href="#FNanchor_17_17"><span class="label">[17]</span></a> -<p> - Before court-fee stamps came into use, attorneys were personally liable for - fees payable to the court, and in default of payment they were punished with - suspension. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_18_18" id="Footnote_18_18"></a><a href="#FNanchor_18_18"><span class="label">[18]</span></a> -<p> - The name given to a continuous supply of <i lang="bn">Ghee</i> dropping - through seven courses at certain of the Hindoo ceremonies, such as a - child’s first eating rice, at investiture with the sacred thread, and - at marriage. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_19_19" id="Footnote_19_19"></a><a href="#FNanchor_19_19"><span class="label">[19]</span></a> -<p> - On one night in the month of <i lang="bn">Phalgun</i> a lamp is kept burning - in all Hindoo households, and if it is extinguished misfortunes are expected - to happen. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_20_20" id="Footnote_20_20"></a><a href="#FNanchor_20_20"><span class="label">[20]</span></a> -<p> - The fear that a Hindoo feels lest he shall have no one to offer the - customary libations to his manes and those of his ancestors is expressed in - <q><i lang="bn">Sakuntala.</i></q> King Dushyanta says:— -</p> - -<div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>No son remains in King Dushyanta’s place</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>To offer sacred homage to the dead</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Of Purus’ noble line: my ancestors</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Must drink these glistening tears the last - libation</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>A childless man can ever hope to make - them.</q><br/></span> - </div> -</div> - -<p style="text-align:right;">Sir M. Monier-William’s Translation.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_21_21" id="Footnote_21_21"></a><a href="#FNanchor_21_21"><span class="label">[21]</span></a> -<p> - A local name for Durga: most towns in Bengal have some local deity - representing Durga: at Krishnaghar the local deity is Ananda Maye. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_22_22" id="Footnote_22_22"></a><a href="#FNanchor_22_22"><span class="label">[22]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>Were performing the <i lang="bn">shraddha</i> of Vedavyasa,</q> - the reputed author of the <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i>. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_23_23" id="Footnote_23_23"></a><a href="#FNanchor_23_23"><span class="label">[23]</span></a> -<p> - It was no uncommon thing formerly at great men’s houses for uninvited - guests to attend in some numbers, solely for the purpose of creating a - disturbance. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_24_24" id="Footnote_24_24"></a><a href="#FNanchor_24_24"><span class="label">[24]</span></a> -<p> - One of the preliminary ceremonies of a Hindoo marriage, is for the - bridegroom elect to put a thread on his right hand, on the day preceding the - night of the marriage (a Hindoo marriage cannot take place before the - evening twilight). -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_25_25" id="Footnote_25_25"></a><a href="#FNanchor_25_25"><span class="label">[25]</span></a> -<p> - Kankan was the name of a Bengali poet: this name is assumed for the nonce - by the poetaster. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_26_26" id="Footnote_26_26"></a><a href="#FNanchor_26_26"><span class="label">[26]</span></a> -<p> - Prahlad is ever a favourite with Hindoos: his story is told in the Vishnu - Purana: there is a capital ballad on him in Miss Toru Dutt’s - ‘Ballads of Hindustan.’ - The story of Prahlad has been supposed to point to the gradual absorption - into the Hindu system of the aboriginal tribes. The resistance long offered - to that absorption, is supposed to be hinted at in the treatment of Prahlad - by his Daitya parents. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_27_27" id="Footnote_27_27"></a><a href="#FNanchor_27_27"><span class="label">[27]</span></a> -<p> - Repetitions of the name of Hari, or Vishnu, made with the beads of the Tulsi - plant: the rosaries are of different lengths: the common one consists of - 108 beads: a pandit once told me he had seen one of 100,000 beads. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_28_28" id="Footnote_28_28"></a><a href="#FNanchor_28_28"><span class="label">[28]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - - <q>They see all round them only the yellow flower of the mustard plant</q> - — a man at the point of death being supposed to see everything with a - yellow tinge upon it. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_29_29" id="Footnote_29_29"></a><a href="#FNanchor_29_29"><span class="label">[29]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>To lose his drinking pot, and all for a cowrie</q>— - the pot being either of block-tin, or of silver for holding drinking water, - and carried by every Mussulman, and largely by Hindoos when moving about. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_30_30" id="Footnote_30_30"></a><a href="#FNanchor_30_30_1"><span class="label">[30]</span></a> -<p> - The <i lang="bn">Kabiraj</i>. - means that the sick man should be taken to the banks of the Ganges, that he - might die happily with his feet in the water. People are often taken to the - river bank when very ill, and left in a small hut, which will be erected for - them there, where, if they are rich enough to afford it, a Pandit is engaged - to watch the pulse; and when the pulse becomes so feeble as to show death to - be at hand, the Brahmin in attendance takes the sick person to the river and - places the feet in the water: the sick person will then die happy in the - full assurance of salvation. Death is often actually hastened by the zeal - with which the relatives of sick persons hurry them to the river-side, or, - if they are too far from a river, outside the house, for it is regarded as - an happy augury if the sick man dies being able to think of the sacred - waters or even speak of them with his latest breath. Indeed the phrase; - <q>He died conscious</q> - is practically equivalent to, - <q>He died happy, in the full assurance of salvation.</q> - - Benares is regarded as so holy a place to die in that consciousness at death - is not regarded as a - <i lang="la">sine qua non</i> - of a happy death: the mere fact of dying in Benares is of itself sufficient - to ensure the feeling of happiness and assurance. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_31_31" id="Footnote_31_31"></a><a href="#FNanchor_31_31"><span class="label">[31]</span></a> -<p> - An evil spirit is supposed to depart in a - <i lang="bn">sirish</i> - seed thrown over the shoulder. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_32_32" id="Footnote_32_32"></a><a href="#FNanchor_32_32"><span class="label">[32]</span></a> -<p> - <q>He is utterly unscrupulous</q>, literally:— - <q>His orthodoxy is killing cows and making presents of shoes.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_33_33" id="Footnote_33_33"></a><a href="#FNanchor_33_33"><span class="label">[33]</span></a> -<p> - The wooden frame is here referred to in which the heads of goats are put to - be cut off with one stroke of the broad sacrificial knife, with the eye of - Kali on it, used for the purpose; the literal word is <q>The Bone Cutter.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_34_34" id="Footnote_34_34"></a><a href="#FNanchor_34_34"><span class="label">[34]</span></a> -<p> - <i lang="bn">Stri-Achar</i>.— - The name given to certain ceremonies which are gone through amongst the - women of a household where a marriage is being celebrated, the object being - to promote conjugal felicity: one of the ceremonies consists in the ladies - of the family taking - <i lang="bn">pán</i> and betel - in their hands and offering up prayers for the welfare of the bridegroom. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_35_35" id="Footnote_35_35"></a><a href="#FNanchor_35_35"><span class="label">[35]</span></a> -<p> - Ram Prasad was a popular poet who flourished at the same time as Bharat - Chandra Raya, who was one of Maharajah Kishen Chandra’s - ‘Five Jewels.’ - Maharajah Kishen Chandra was Maharajah of Nuddea at the time of Lord Clive: - he was a Sanscrit scholar, and a great patron of learning. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_36_36" id="Footnote_36_36"></a><a href="#FNanchor_36_36"><span class="label">[36]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - <q>Before he had got as far as the initial mystic salutation to Ganesh, the - sacred Om.</q> - - All business is commenced with this mystic invocation: it is written at the - top of letters in the form of a crescent with a dot in the centre. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_37_37" id="Footnote_37_37"></a><a href="#FNanchor_37_37"><span class="label">[37]</span></a> -<p> - These questions were simply put to see if the patient was still - conscious— see note 30. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_38_38" id="Footnote_38_38"></a><a href="#FNanchor_38_38"><span class="label">[38]</span></a> -<p> - To die conscious in the full possession of all his faculties is regarded as - of supreme importance with a Hindoo, and as ensuring a happy hereafter; even - though a Hindoo may not be dying in the waters of the sacred Ganges, if he - is able to ask the question as he dies— - - <q>Is this the Ganges that I am dying in?</q> - ’tis enough: the priest in attendance will reply: - <q>It is the Ganges.</q> - -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_39_39" id="Footnote_39_39"></a><a href="#FNanchor_39_39"><span class="label">[39]</span></a> -<p> - A place supposed to be famous for witchcraft. Some say it is an old name for - Assam. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_40_40" id="Footnote_40_40"></a><a href="#FNanchor_40_40"><span class="label">[40]</span></a> -<p> - One of the features of a - <i lang="bn">shraddha</i>. - ceremony is the assembly of Pandits, who engage in a dispute more or less - factitious, in the course of which a point arises when they all get so - excited that they almost come to actual fisticuffs; an arbitrator then steps - forward, and the excitement subsides as suddenly as it had arisen. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_41_41" id="Footnote_41_41"></a><a href="#FNanchor_41_41"><span class="label">[41]</span></a> -<p> - The point in the supposed argument is to create amusement amongst the - by-standers by the difference in pronunciation of certain words by Pandits - from different districts. The whole sentence is a jumble of more or less - nonsense, designed to give the speakers credit with the audience for great - learning. The ordinary arguments for discussion amongst Pandits who are - adepts in the Nyaya Philosophy as taught in the Nuddea school are on the - difference between objects perceived by the Senses and those perceived by - the Intellect: it is Gnan <i>versus</i> Vidya. The discussion here is a - humorous travesty. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_42_42" id="Footnote_42_42"></a><a href="#FNanchor_42_42"><span class="label">[42]</span></a> -<p> - Tales from the - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i> and the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i> - form almost the entire mental food of Bengal children. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_43_43" id="Footnote_43_43"></a><a href="#FNanchor_43_43"><span class="label">[43]</span></a> -<p> - Jagat Sett was the famous banker of the Nawab Nazims of Bengal. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_44_44" id="Footnote_44_44"></a><a href="#FNanchor_44_44"><span class="label">[44]</span></a> -<p> - The reference is to a story how each drop of blood as it fell from the - Demon <i lang="bn">Raktabij</i> - produced a new demon, and how Debi and her companions put their tongues out - and licked up the blood. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_45_45" id="Footnote_45_45"></a><a href="#FNanchor_45_45"><span class="label">[45]</span></a> -<p> - The reference is to an old story about a joint-family: there were four - sons-in-law in the family of whom Dhananjayas was one. Efforts were - constantly made to annoy them to get them to leave, and three went because - their feelings were offended. Dhananjayas would not go until he was actually - beaten. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_46_46" id="Footnote_46_46"></a><a href="#FNanchor_46_46"><span class="label">[46]</span></a> -<p> - It is a very common practice in India to give earnest-money in advance, - when making any arrangement with a small tradesman; it is commonly asked - for with the excuse of buying materials, but the idea really is that of - binding or closing a bargain. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_47_47" id="Footnote_47_47"></a><a href="#FNanchor_47_47"><span class="label">[47]</span></a> -<p> - This proverb practically means that gentlemen are doing menial acts, - while beggars are riding on horseback. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_48_48" id="Footnote_48_48"></a><a href="#FNanchor_48_48"><span class="label">[48]</span></a> -<p> - <q>Seven</q> seems a favourite number when reference is made to wealth. - <q>The Wealth of Seven Kings</q> is a favourite expression in Bengali Fairy - Tales. -</p> -<p> - <q>Ten</q> in Bengali seems to be used for the whole world, as <q>Five</q> - in Sanskrit. -</p> -<p> - <q><i lang="bn">Dash Jan</i></q>— <q>Ten people</q> in - Bengali means everybody. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_49_49" id="Footnote_49_49"></a><a href="#FNanchor_49_49"><span class="label">[49]</span></a> -<p> - It is regarded as of evil omen to call a man back when he has just started - anywhere. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_50_50" id="Footnote_50_50"></a><a href="#FNanchor_50_50"><span class="label">[50]</span></a> -<p> - The indigenous village schools used to be noted for the severity of - discipline in vogue there: various stories are told of the ingenuity of the - village school-masters in devising ever-fresh punishment. One punishment - was adopted from the illustrations of Bala Krishna, who is generally - represented as kneeling on one knee holding something in his right hand, and - something on his head; the poor boy who was to be punished was made to kneel - on one knee, and hold a brick in his upturned hand. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_51_51" id="Footnote_51_51"></a><a href="#FNanchor_51_51"><span class="label">[51]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— - - <q>Day and night there were cries of ‘Let us eat,’ ‘Let us - eat’— To-day we will eat the elephants out of the elephant - stables, and to-morrow the horses out of their stalls.</q> -</p> - - -<p> - The reference is to the popular stories current in Bengal about the - <i lang="bn">Rakshashas</i> and <i lang="bn">Rakshashis</i>, - the ogres and ogresses of our English childhood. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_52_52" id="Footnote_52_52"></a><a href="#FNanchor_52_52"><span class="label">[52]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— <q>Day and night are still with us.</q>— - The idea seems to be that the Universe is still in its place, and that there - is still justice in the earth; the popular tradition apparently being that - justice is gradually disappearing from the earth. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_53_53" id="Footnote_53_53"></a><a href="#FNanchor_53_53"><span class="label">[53]</span></a> -<p> - The reference is to a rich merchant, who, having on one of his journeys seen - Durga sitting in the form of a woman on a lotus, in the sea off Ceylon, was - punished with solitary confinement for some time; he was at length released - through his son’s efforts and returned home with all his wealth. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_54_54" id="Footnote_54_54"></a><a href="#FNanchor_54_54"><span class="label">[54]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>— <q>Their luck is a covering of leaves,</q>— - the idea being that as leaves are easily blown about, so any slight - circumstances may cause an Englishman’s luck to turn: he may be in - bad luck at one moment, but he will be in good luck the next moment. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_55_55" id="Footnote_55_55"></a><a href="#FNanchor_55_55"><span class="label">[55]</span></a> -<p> - There is a reference here to a popular belief that Ravan’s funeral pile is - ever blazing and in Bengal people closing their ears can imagine that they - hear the sound of the blazing and crackling, just as children in England - imagine they can hear the sound of the ocean waves that encircle the island, - when they apply a shell to the ear. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_56_56" id="Footnote_56_56"></a><a href="#FNanchor_56_56"><span class="label">[56]</span></a> -<p> - <q>Don’t talk to me of Khod-kast and Pai-kast: I will make them all - Ek-kast.</q> -</p> - -<p> - The remark shows utter ignorance on the part of Matilall of terms used in - connection with landed property in Bengal. Khod-kast is a cultivator who - cultivates his own land: Pai-kast is one who cultivates land for another: - Ek-kast is simply a term invented by Matilall, and would mean one who - cultivates for one. -</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_57_57" id="Footnote_57_57"></a><a href="#FNanchor_57_57"><span class="label">[57]</span></a> -<p> - These are all signs of poverty in the East: oil has always been regarded in - the East as a sign of prosperity, and we find it constantly referred to in - the Hebrew Bible— - <q>It is like the precious ointment upon the head.</q> -</p> - -<p> - The absence of oil on the head is a distinct mark of poverty in the East. - A thin stomach would also be regarded as a sign of poverty in a country like - Bengal, especially where <q>The fair round belly</q> of Shakespeare, and - <q>The front like the front of Ganesh</q> of the Bengali, is regarded as a - mark of prosperity. A good story is told of an Indian client who had full - confidence in the English barrister to whom he had entrusted his case - because he was a very fat individual. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_58_58" id="Footnote_58_58"></a><a href="#FNanchor_58_58"><span class="label">[58]</span></a> -<p> - There is a reference here to a story, found in the Puranas, a familiar - child’s tale in Bengal, of a sage who was disturbed in his quiet meditation - by seeing a cat pursuing a mouse: he turned the mouse into a tiger that it - might escape from the cat, but he very speedily had to turn the tiger back - into a mouse again, as the beast was about to attack and kill him. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_59_59" id="Footnote_59_59"></a><a href="#FNanchor_59_59"><span class="label">[59]</span></a> -<p> - Many are the stories told of the wariness of the Indian crow. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_60_60" id="Footnote_60_60"></a><a href="#FNanchor_60_60"><span class="label">[60]</span></a> -<p> - There is a beautiful figure taken from a large tree in - <q><i lang="bn">Sakuntala;</i></q> - in reference to a king’s responsibilities, it is said:— - -</p> - - -<div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Honour to him who labours day by day</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>For the world’s weal, forgetful of his - own,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Like some tall tree that with its stately - head</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Endures the solar beam, while underneath</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>It yields refreshing shelter to the - weary.</q><br/></span> - </div> -</div> - -<p style="text-align:right;">Sir M. Monier-William’s Translation.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_61_61" id="Footnote_61_61"></a><a href="#FNanchor_61_61"><span class="label">[61]</span></a> -<p> - The Harinbati was at one time the place where prisoners used to pound - <i lang="bn">soorkey</i>, - and the phrase - <q>Go to the Harinbati</q> is still used in Bengal as equivalent to - <q>Go to jail.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_62_62" id="Footnote_62_62"></a><a href="#FNanchor_62_62"><span class="label">[62]</span></a> -<p> - It is a common tradition that if this expression is whispered in the ear of - any one snoring three times, the snoring will cease. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_63_63" id="Footnote_63_63"></a><a href="#FNanchor_63_63"><span class="label">[63]</span></a> -<p> - The reference is to the stories told of a brother of Ravan who was famous as - a great sleeper: he is said to have slept the whole year, except on one - day, when he would wake, and eat a hearty meal of some thousand animals: - his name is taken from the tradition that his ears were as large as water - jars. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_64_64" id="Footnote_64_64"></a><a href="#FNanchor_64_64"><span class="label">[64]</span></a> -<p> - The first salutation of a Brahman is in the form of a blessing: his hands - are held out before him, palms upward: his second salutation is the - ordinary one with hands folded together against his forehead, the fingers - upwards: this is after his first salutation has been acknowledged. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_65_65" id="Footnote_65_65"></a><a href="#FNanchor_65_65"><span class="label">[65]</span></a> -<p> - The story of these two is found in the Bhagavadgita, which, with the Chandi - or Hymn to Durga, forms the favourite reading of the class of Pundits. Many - Brahmins make a living as itinerary readers of the Bhagavadgita, or - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i>: - they halt for weeks at a time at various places, and erect a temporary - booth, where they read and explain to all who may come to hear them: at the - end of a course of reading they are presented with presents: one man in - Patna is reputed to make as much as five hundred rupees for one course of - reading the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i> - which may take him about six weeks. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_66_66" id="Footnote_66_66"></a><a href="#FNanchor_66_66"><span class="label">[66]</span></a> -<p> - One of the verses I have referred to in note 12. - <q>The Song of the Gambler,</q> runs:— -</p> - - -<div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>The gambler hurries to the gaming table,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>To-day I’ll win, he thinks in his - excitement,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The dice inflame his greed, his hopes mount - higher,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>He leaves his winnings all with his - opponent.</q><br/></span> - </div> -</div></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_67_67" id="Footnote_67_67"></a><a href="#FNanchor_67_67"><span class="label">[67]</span></a> -<p> - The reference seems to be to the last of the divisions of the - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i>: the divisions are called - <i lang="bn">Parba</i>. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_68_68" id="Footnote_68_68"></a><a href="#FNanchor_68_68"><span class="label">[68]</span></a> -<p> - <i>Literally</i>—<q>He is sharp enough in the - <i lang="bn">buri</i>, but blind in the - <i lang="bn">kahan</i>,</q>— - a <i lang="bn">buri</i> - is equal to 20 cowries: - a <i lang="bn">kahan</i> to 1,600 cowries. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_69_69" id="Footnote_69_69"></a><a href="#FNanchor_69_69"><span class="label">[69]</span></a> -<p> - It is a popular tradition that Valmiki, the author of the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i>, - wrote his famous epic before Ram was born: thus the expression practically - means: <q>It was a foregone conclusion.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_70_70" id="Footnote_70_70"></a><a href="#FNanchor_70_70"><span class="label">[70]</span></a> -<p> - There is a popular tradition about a small bird, called in Bengal the - Chátak, which sings in the hot weather months: the tradition is that - it drinks only rain-water, and that its song is a cry to Heaven for rain: - this is only one of the many traditions pointing to the eagerness with - which in India the annual rains are expected. The bird is a small - black-plumaged bird, and its cry exactly resembles <q>Phatik Jal,</q> which - the people interpret as <q>Sphatik Jal,</q>: <q>Water clear as crystal.</q> - It is supposed to drink with its beak raised in the air; a synonym for an - anxious man is— <q>He is like a Chátak.</q> -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_71_71" id="Footnote_71_71"></a><a href="#FNanchor_71_71"><span class="label">[71]</span></a> -<p> - Kankan, the name of the poet, the author of the Bengali Version of the - Chandi, or Hymn to Durga: in the poetical effusion in the Tale the - poetaster assumes the name of Kankan. Valmiki, the reputed author of the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i>. - Vyasa, the reputed author of the - <i lang="bn">Mahabharat</i>. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_72_72" id="Footnote_72_72"></a><a href="#FNanchor_72_72"><span class="label">[72]</span></a> -<p> - A reference to the popular tradition how Hanuman won from Ravan’s - wife the arrow presented by Brahma to Ravan, and how Hanuman presented it to - Ram for Ravan’s destruction. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_73_73" id="Footnote_73_73"></a><a href="#FNanchor_73_73"><span class="label">[73]</span></a> -<p> - The wearing of charms is very common amongst all classes in Bengal: it is - still a matter of popular belief that sickness may be cured, and harm - averted, by their use. The actual charm is often a piece of bark on which a - sacred text is written: this is folded in paper into a very small compass - and is worn on a delicate silk string round the neck, or round the arm. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_74_74" id="Footnote_74_74"></a><a href="#FNanchor_74_74"><span class="label">[74]</span></a> -<p> - The author had doubtless read the lines in ‘Hamlet’:— -</p></div> - - -<div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>And crook the pregnant hinges of the - knee,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Where thrift may follow fawning.</q><br/></span> - </div> -</div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_75_75" id="Footnote_75_75"></a><a href="#FNanchor_75_75"><span class="label">[75]</span></a> -<p> - In Hindu Philosophy, the name given to the third and lowest of the inherent - natural qualities of man,— is - <i lang="bn">Tamas</i>— Gloom or Darkness. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_76_76" id="Footnote_76_76"></a><a href="#FNanchor_76_76"><span class="label">[76]</span></a> -<p> - The most profound salutation that a Hindu can make, and one that denotes - absolute devotion of a man’s whole body to the service of another, is one - <q>with the eight members</q>: the members on which Hindus make religious - marks,— the two hands, the chest, the forehead, the two eyes, the - throat, and the middle of the back. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_77_77" id="Footnote_77_77"></a><a href="#FNanchor_77_77"><span class="label">[77]</span></a> -<p> - Women keep their money tied up in a corner of their - <i lang="bn">saris</i>: - the expression here means literally <q>the riches of your skirt</q>; - men keep their money in a small bag stitched into their waist cloths. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_78_78" id="Footnote_78_78"></a><a href="#FNanchor_78_78"><span class="label">[78]</span></a> -<p> - No orthodox Hindu will commence any undertaking of importance, and some - will not undertake even a short journey, without having first ascertained - whether the day will be an auspicious one or not. The family Guru will be - consulted; and even when an auspicious day has been fixed, the ladies of - the <i lang="bn">zenana</i> - will always insist upon the observance of certain ceremonies. A gentleman - of position, when inviting a guest to visit him, will often send him by - special messenger a slip of paper with the auspicious days for his journey - written down by his Guru either in Sanskrit, or in the current language of - the district. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_79_79" id="Footnote_79_79"></a><a href="#FNanchor_79_79"><span class="label">[79]</span></a> -<p> - Shuka was the author of the Commentary on the Vedas, and has sometimes been - identified as Vishnu himself: he is said to have been the only one amongst - many hundred millions of Hindoos who ever obtained perfect Nirvana: that - is complete absorption into the Deity: the full expression is - <q>Nirvana Mukti,</q> that is, Redemption, a salvation which consists in - perfect absorption into the Deity. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_80_80" id="Footnote_80_80"></a><a href="#FNanchor_80_80"><span class="label">[80]</span></a> -<p> - There are several plays upon words in this concluding passage of the book: - in this particular passage the word - ‘Pani’ - is used both for ’Hand‘ - and for ‘Wife’: - it came to be used in the latter secondary sense because one of the - ceremonies, rendering a Hindu marriage legitimate, is the ceremony in which - the bridegroom takes the bride by the hand. The use of words and phrases - capable of a double meaning, is very common in Sanskrit writings. -</p></div> - - -<div class="footnote"><a name="Footnote_81_81" id="Footnote_81_81"></a><a href="#FNanchor_81_81"><span class="label">[81]</span></a> -<p> - According to a not uncommon custom of ending stories in Bengal, the author - ends his story with the first lines of a song, which in full is:— -</p> - - -<div class="poem"> - <div class="stanza"> - <span class="i0"><q>Thus my story endeth,</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>The Natiya thorn withereth:</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, oh Natiya thorn, dost wither?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why does thy cow on me browse?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, O cow, dost thou browse?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why does thy neat herd not tend me?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, O neat herd does not tend the cow?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why does thy daughter-in-law not give me rice?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, O daughter-in-law, dost not give rice?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why does my child cry?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, O child, dost thou cry?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i0"><q>Why, O ant, dost thou bite?</q><br/></span> - <span class="i2"><q>Koot, koot, koot.</q><br/></span> - </div> -</div> </div> - -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[223]</a></span></p> -<p> </p> <p> </p> -<h2><a name="GLOSSARY" id="GLOSSARY"></a>GLOSSARY.</h2> - -<div class='center'> -<table summary="Glossary"> -<tr><td><i>Amlah</i>. </td><td>A name for the whole establishment of an office; - sometimes simply for a clerk.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Arjuna</i>. </td><td>His story is told in the Bhagavad Gita.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ashar</i>. </td><td>The month corresponding to the English June-July:— - The first month of the rainy season.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Astrologer</i>. </td><td>An important person in Hindu households, - where his chief duty is to cast horoscopes on the birth of children.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Bael</i>. </td><td>A Egle Marmelos. The fruit of this tree has a - very hard rind, almost as hard as the cocoanut.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Bhagirathi</i>. </td><td>A name given to that branch of the Ganges - which lower down becomes the Hooghly. Sometimes used for the Ganges - proper.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Baya</i>. </td><td>A drum played with the left hand only.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Begun</i>. </td><td>Brinjal/Egg-plant.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Bhima</i>. </td><td>A great warrior of the Lunar Race, whose story - is told in the Sanscrit Epic— - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i>.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Bidri</i>. </td><td>The name given to finely-chased metal ware, which - was originally made at Bidri in the Deccan.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Budgerow</i>. </td><td>The name given to a large house-boat used on - the rivers of Bengal.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Champac</i>. </td><td>Michelia Champaka. A flowering tree that - flowers in the rains: it bears large and yellow fragrant flowers, and - is a very popular tree..</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Chowkidar</i>. </td><td>A kind of rural policeman.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Dampati Baran</i>. </td><td>A form of Shraddha.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Dan Sagar</i>. </td><td>Literally <q>Ocean of Gifts.</q> - A form of funeral ceremony where every guest receives some - present.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Darogah</i>. </td><td>An Inspector of Police.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Dewan</i>. </td><td>A government official, minister, or ruler.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Druva</i>. </td><td>A boy of four years old, who went in search of - Vishnu and received a sacred mantra of twelve letters from Narad. Upon - the repetition of this mystic mantra Vishnu appeared to the boy.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Durga Poojah</i>. </td><td>The great Autumn festival in honour of - the goddess Durga, wife of Siva, during which all business is - suspended in Bengal for ten days: it affords an opportunity for a - re-union of families.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Durwan</i>. </td><td>A gate-keeper.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Durryodhan</i>. </td><td>One of the heroes of the - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i> - who was obliged to hide in a Lake called the Dvaipana Lake, to avoid - capture; he was the eldest of the hundred sons of - Dhritarastra.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Eed</i>. </td><td>A Mahomedan Festival.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Ghât</i>. </td><td>The name given to a landing or bathing-place on - the bank of a river, also to a place for burning the dead..</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gosain</i>. </td><td>A class of Hindu religious mendicants..</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gariwan</i>. </td><td>Hackney coachman.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Guddee</i>. </td><td>Literally— Couch. The principal seat at - an assembly of notables. <q>To attain the guddee</q> is a synonym for - succeeding to a title or to estates.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Golden Age</i>. </td><td>The first of the four Hindu Ages. - Literally—The Age of Truth.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gharry</i>. </td><td>Carriage.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ghee</i>. </td><td>Melted butter specially prepared for household cooking purposes.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Gomashtha</i>. </td><td>A land agent, or steward, the headman of the - employees on an estate, or in a factory.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ganga</i>. </td><td>The river Ganges.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td ><i>Hanuman</i>. </td><td>The monkey-god, a great favourite with - Hindus. His story is told in the great epic— the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i>, - which, in its Hindi version by Tulsi Dass, is annually acted in - Northern India.</td></tr> -<tr><td ><i>Hom</i>. </td><td>An offering of ghee, barley-meal, sandal and - rice, fried over a fire.</td></tr> -<tr><td ><i>Hori Bol</i>. </td><td>A cry to Vishnu, as - <q>The Saviour.</q></td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td ><i>Jelabhi</i>. </td><td>A sweetmeat made in twists.</td></tr> -<tr><td ><i>Jemadar</i>. </td><td>Originally an armed official of a zemindar in - charge of fighting and conducting warfare, mostly against the - rebellious peasants and common people who lived on the zemindar's land. - Later, a rank in the Company's military forces.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Kabiraj</i>. </td><td>A Hindu physician.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kalidas</i>. </td><td>The Author of the popular Sanscrit Drama, - <q><i lang="bn">Sakuntala.</i> </q></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kodàli</i>. </td><td>A kind of bread hoe, used for breaking - up the ground.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Kayasth</i>. </td><td>A man of the writer caste.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Krishna</i>. </td><td>The favourite Incarnation of Vishnu.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Lanka</i>. </td><td>A name for Ceylon in the - <i lang="bn">Ramayana</i>.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lakshmi</i>. </td><td>Goddess of fortune and good luck.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Lathial</i>. </td><td>One armed with a heavy stick, often employed - by landlords in disputes with neighbours.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Mohurrir</i>. </td><td>A clerk.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mantra</i>. </td><td>A verse from the sacred hymns of the Vedas.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mahadeva</i>. </td><td>A name of Siva.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mahajan</i>. </td><td>A money-lender.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Machan</i>. </td><td>A platform of bamboo, raised on piles above the ground.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Mallika</i>. </td><td>A species of Jessamine.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Muktar</i>. </td><td>An agent, or broker.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Moulvi</i>. </td><td>A Mahomedan title of respect meaning - ‘Learned.‘</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Nala Raja</i>. </td><td>The hero of the Sanskrit Drama, - <q><i lang="bn">Nala and Damayanti.</i></q></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Naib</i>. </td><td>An agent, or deputy of the landlord of an estate.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Pandit</i>. </td><td>A learned Brahman, learned in Sanskrit - literature. Regular titles are conferred on Pandits according to the - extent of their knowledge, as tested from time to time by an assembly - of Pandits; one of these meets at the old Sanskrit University of - Nuddea, or Navadwip.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Phalgun</i>. </td><td>The month corresponding from February to March.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Paik</i>. </td><td>Originally <q>a runner</q>:— Men employed - by landlords as messengers.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Ryot</i>. </td><td>A cultivator.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Radha</i>. </td><td>The wife of Krishna.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Ramzan</i>. </td><td>The name given to the Mahomedan Lenten Fast.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Shravan</i>. </td><td>The month corresponding to July-August, the - second month of the rainy season, when the rainfall is heaviest.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shástras</i>. </td><td>The name given to some of the Hindu - Sacred Books especially to the Philosophical works.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sari</i>. </td><td>The usual dress of women, made of cotton, or - silk, or muslin.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Suttee</i>. </td><td>A woman who threw herself on her husband’s - funeral pile was known as Suttee, "The Chaste One." Suttee was - abolished under Lord Bentinck.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Satya Pir</i>. </td><td>A Hindu deity regarded by Mahomedans as - one of their saints.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Saraswati</i>. </td><td>The Hindu goddess of learning.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shorash</i>. </td><td>A kind of funeral ceremony where sixteen - different kinds of presents are distributed, six kinds being of silver.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sephalika</i>. </td><td>Nyctantes Arbor Tristis, flowering only at night.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shraddha</i>. </td><td>The Hindu funeral ceremony; see Wilkins’ - <q>Modern Hinduism.</q></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Shal Fish</i>. </td><td>A fish used in religious ceremonies; - it is first roasted.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Sheristadar</i>. </td><td>The Head Clerk in charge of the records - of an office.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Tol</i>. </td><td>The name of the indigenous Sanskrit schools.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tulsi</i>. </td><td>Ocymum Sanctum. The basil honoured by all Hindus.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tauba</i>. </td><td>The Mahomedan cry of grief meaning, - <q>I repent me of my sins.</q></td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Tabala</i>. </td><td>The name for the drum that is played with the - right hand only.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Taluk</i>. </td><td>A portion of an estate, consisting of several - villages.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Udjog Parba</i>. </td><td>One of the cantos of the Mahabharat, - giving the preliminary incidents of the Kurukshetra Battle.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Veda</i>. </td><td>The name given to the oldest sacred books of the - Hindus meaning "Revelation."</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Vaishnava</i>. </td><td>A follower of Vishnu; see Wilkins’ - <q>Modern Hinduism.</q></td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td><i>Yudishthira</i>. </td><td>Surnamed <q>The Incarnation of Virtue.</q> - One of the heroes of the - <i lang="bn">Mahabharata</i>.</td></tr> -<tr><td><i>Yama</i>. </td><td>The Hindu god of Death.</td></tr> -<tr> - <td > </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td ><i>Zemindar</i>. </td><td>A landholder.</td></tr> -<tr><td ><i>Zenana</i>. </td><td>The part of a Hindu or Muslim dwelling that is - reserved for the women of the household.</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p> </p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<div lang='en' xml:lang='en'> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK <span lang='fr' xml:lang='fr'>THE SPOILT CHILD</span> ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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