Part 15 (2/2)

Once a long-haired youth brought inary sister in which she asked me to take underfroinary as herself

The brother was not ih But his sister's letter was as unnecessary fordown a bird which cannot fly

Another young fellow ca for the BA, but could not go up for his examination as he was afflicted with so far from proficient in medical science, or in any other science, I was at a loss what advice to give him But he went on to explain that he had seen in a dream that my wife had been his mother in a former birth, and that if he could but drink soet cured ”Perhaps you don't believe in such things,” he concluded with a sht he could get cured, he elcome, hich I procured him a phial of water which was supposed to have touched my wife's feet He felt immensely better, he said In the natural course of evolution from water he came to solid food Then he took up his quarters in a corner ofparties with his friends, till I had to take refuge in flight froradually proved beyond doubt that his brain ht have been diseased, but it certainly was not weak

After this experience it took no end of proof before I could bring myself to put my trust in children of previous births My reputation hter Here, however, I gently but firmly drew the line

All this tiundar ripened apace Every evening he and Prija Babu would come to this little room of mine and ould discuss literature and ht

Sometimes a whole day would be spent in the same way The fact isand definite personality and so ht and easy as an autumn cloud

(40) _Bankim Chandra_

This was the tiht of hi before The old students of Calcutta University had then started an annual reunion, of which Babu Chandranath Basu was the leading spirit Perhaps he entertained a hope that at soht to be one of them; anyhoas asked to read a poe man I relish which he proposed to recite himself on the day, and came to rehearse it to us full of enthusiasm That a warrior poet's ode to his beloved sword should at one time have been his favourite poem will convince the reader that even Chandranath Babu was once young; and moreover that those ti about in the crush at the Students' reunion, I suddenly cauished beyond that of all the others and who could not have possibly been lost in any crowd The features of that tall fair personage shone with such a striking radiance that I could not contain my curiosity about him--he was the only one there whose name I felt concerned to know that day

When I learnt he was Bankim Babu I marvelled all the more, it seemed to me such a wonderful coincidence that his appearance should be as distinguished as his writings His sharp aquiline nose, his colance all betokened immense power With his arms folded across his breast he see--this is what struck iant, but he had on his forehead theathering remains indelibly i so theali to the audience One of the allusions was not exactly coarse, but so to expound this Banki his face with his hands, hurried out of the room I was near the door and can still see before ure

After that I often longed to see hiet an opportunity

At last one day, when he was Deputy Magistrate of Hawrah, I made bold to call on him We met, and I tried reatly abashed while returning home, as if I had acted like a raw and bu myself upon him unasked and unintroduced

Shortly after, as I added to est of the literary men of the time; but as to be my position in order of merit was not even then settled The little reputation I had acquired was mixed with plenty of doubt and not a little of condescension It was then the fashi+on in Bengal to assign each man of letters a place in comparison with a supposed coal, another the Eal Shelley This was insulting to Shelley and only likely to getPoet My attainre, and both in my poetry and my prose the senti there on which anyone could have based his praise with any degree of confidence

My dress and behaviour were of the saed probably in an ultra-poetical refinement of manner In a word I was eccentric and could not fit myself into everyday life like the ordinary man

At this time Babu Akshay Sarkar had started his monthly review, the _Nabajiban_, New Life, to which I used occasionally to contribute

Bankim Babu had just closed the chapter of his editorshi+p of the _Banga Darsan_, the Mirror of Bengal, and was busy with religious discussions for which purpose he had started the monthly, _Prachar_, the Preacher

To this also I contributed a song or two and an effusive appreciation of _Vaishnava_ lyrics

Froan constantly toin Bhabani Dutt's street I used to visit him frequently, it is true, but there was not e to listen, not to talk I fervently wished we could warot the better of my conversational powers So on his bolster The sight would gladdenand it was a delight to listen to his talk Those who have read his prose writing aily and airily it flows on like the sprightliest of conversation Very few have this gift of conversation, and fewer still the art of translating it into writing

This was the time when Pandit Sashadhar rose into prominence Of hiht Banki him to the public The curious attee with the help of western science soon spread all over the country Theosophy for soround for such a hly identified himself with this cult No shadow of Sashadhar was cast on his exposition of Hinduism as it found expression in the _Prachar_--that was i out of the seclusion of my corner as my contributions to these controversies will show Some of these were satirical verses, some farcical plays, others letters to newspapers I thus caan to spar in right earnest

In the heat of the fight I happened to fall foul of Bankim Babu The history of this remains recorded in the _Prachar_ and _Bharati_ of those days and need not be repeated here At the close of this period of antagonism Bankim Babu wrote me a letter which I have unfortunately lost Had it been here the reader could have seen hat consu out of that unfortunate episode

PART VIII