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.