COLLEGE DAYS 25 



and pre-eminently in the minds of the mothers, and in 

 feelings intensified by vagueness ? 



The mother had lost her second son, aged ten, when 

 Jagadis was seventeen, and she continued long to mourn 

 deeply ; but now concentrated her highest hopes and 

 tenderest caresses on her remaining son, as an Indian mother 

 so intensely does. Her nerves were thus doubly shaken^ 

 since after her sorrow there came new and increasing fears 

 for Jagadis' wanderings. The father's affairs went on from 

 bad to worse, so a family council was held, and it decided, 

 for every reason, that Jagadis must not go. To do him 

 justice, he was also ending his own struggle with similar 

 conclusion ; he loyally admitted that under the circum- 

 stances it would be selfish of him to press further. In short, 

 he renounced his projects, and promised to settle down to 

 do his best in India. 



But when all seemed settled, the mother's strength 

 of character came out, and to the full. She thought the 

 whole matter out afresh for herself, and rallied *from her 

 fears her all but nervous breakdown. So coming to 

 Jagadis' bedside one evening, and taking his head in her 

 lap as if he were still the child she felt him, she said : ' My 

 son, I cannot understand much of this going to Europe, 

 but I see your heart's desire is to educate yourself to the 

 utmost ; and so I have made up my mind. You shall 

 have your heart's desire. Though nothing is left of your 

 father's fortune, I have my jewels ; I have even some 

 money of my own. Between these I can manage it. 

 Go you shall ! ' 



With the mother thus decided, there was naturally no 

 more of family council in opposition, nor of father in 

 hesitation. After all, his veto had only been for the Civil 

 Service, and for the Law. He welcomed the idea of his 

 able son's doing well in medicine ; for science as a career 

 was then practically unthought of. His own health im- 

 proved, and he went back to his duties (now at Pubna), 

 which meant an increase of income. Hence the jewels were 



