The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10

with my mother"
IAN right" said Apurba. You may
stay here. hut remember that as long
as YOU dom write to me to come back
I shall never return. Are YOU salts
iied?'
Mrinmayi thought it superfiuous to
, answer such n question and went to
sleep. But Apurba could not sleep at
all. He raised his pillow and sat quiet.
leaning against 1t. Late at night the
moon rose Inc bathed their bed with
its silver rays. Apurba pazed on
Mrinmayi's face by the moonlight and
she .ooked az charming as a princess.
At dawn Apurba woke his wife and
said: "Mrinmayi. II Is about time for
me to leave. Come. let me take you
to your mother"
when Mrlnmayi left the bed and
stood on the fioor Apurba caught hold
of her hands and said: II beg Of You
q gift. ! have helped YOU many times
In more ways than one, and this morn
ing, at my departure. would you just
reward me once for my many acts of
k~indness?"
What is IT," asked Mrinmayi, quite
surprised.
Just give me a kiss, willingly and
lovingly"
Mrinmayi laughed at such n strange
request, and laughed all the more to
see such a eriou look on Apurba's
face. She suppressed her .aughter and
raised her head to kiss Apurba. When
her lips were about to touch those OF
his she simply could not print the kiss
on them and broke into loud laughter.
She tried again to kiss him. but failed.
At last she hid her face behind the
end of her sari and laughed heartily.
Apurba gently shook her by the ears
by way Of punishment.
Our hero had a strong mind. He
deemed II an act of self-abasemeut to
force an act of kindness. Like a deity,
he enjoyed getting voluntary offer
ings: he was quite unwilling to take
anything himself; he never enjoyed
anything that was not offered him
by love.
Mrinmayi did not laugh any more.
Apurba took her TO her mothers home
by the lonely path that vas lit by the
light of the dawn. on his return
home he said 10 his mother: after
due consideration | have come to
think that II take Mrinmayi to Cal
cutta my studies may be disturbed,
and she too has no female companions
there. You don't want to keep her in
this house, so ! have left her with her
mother
The mother and the son parted
thinking that each had wronged the
other.
This time Mrinmayi did not like her
paternal home at all. 1t seemed that
everything in the house had changed.
Tine hung heavy on her hands. She
did not know what to do. wners to go
and whom TO meet. All of "A sudden
she felt as II there was not a single
human being in the home or in the
village.
Even the sun seemed to refuse to
shine for her. She was at "A loss to
make u whence came ;Lis sub
born desire In her h"ar' tn 80 to
Calcutta. ami whe'e dld 10 lie MD the
night before" Sh" did not realize that
her childhood life. which she was
luath to part with. had already UNDER
gone "A transformation. And she most
willingly east aside her past life as
trees part with ripe leaves.
She could not look upon her Old bed
in her mothers homc as her own, for
the g.rl within her that lived there
was no more. Her Imagination began
to rove in auo,hcr'S nome. in auother's
room. and around another bed.
IIenceforth Mriumayl did not like To
be seen outside. No one could hear
her laugh. Eakhal was afraid to go
near her, much less could he think OF
playing with her.
Mother said MrinmaYi, please
! take me back to my mo,her-in-law's
home"
The mother-in-law vs. hear. on the
other hand, was belng rackcd with
sorrow over the sad face of .Apnrha at
his departure. And aCaiu she felt eX-
&c ,dlngly sorry that her s.n. out of
anger. had left his wife with her
mother.
Onc of these days Mrinmayi came
back with "A ven over her face and
y sorrowfully touched the feet of her
mother-in-law by way of saiutation,
The mother-in-law Immediately EN-
braCed her endearing.N ana looked at
her with eyes b"dewcd with tears. In
a both We're ~reCunciled.
Apurha's mother was pleasantly
d, surprised To HOOK III tue NtdlSlbI litu
face Of her daughter-in-law. This
vas a different Mrinmayi altogether.
Such a change but few "A expert
enCe. Great changes necessarily inn
plv great force ~ character.
The mother-in-law once thought of
. correcting Mrinmayi'S faults me by
one. But some unseen force, by some
: unknown short method. caused her to
, bc born anew. MrlnmaNi nuW under
stood her M thcr-in-law II the
muther-in-law MrinmaNi. lust as a
, tree was ~.udisSuiuhlN connected with
It's branches as one organism, SINH
g., larlN the family reunion between the
two was complete.
The deep, serene and vast feeling of
her awakened womanhu"d most fuzzy
permratei every fhro of Ter beng,
auG II caused her pain. Like the new
CT uds of early Ashar, her heart was
softened with IA fearful dignity. This
cast "A shade Of deeper luStre in her
eyes. And She thus spoke to herself:
1t Is true that | did not know my
ser, but why didu't You. my dear hus-
band, understand me? why didn't
! You punish me? why didn't YOU
suidc me- as you liked" when | re-
fused - 30 to Calcutta with YOU
e. naughty girl as was, why didn't
| you take me by force? Why did YOU
do as wanted you t. do? why did
yo,i bear with my disuhcdjenCe?'
Then she 1houubt ,f thai mnrninp