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.