218 LIFE AND WORK OF SIR JAGADIS C. BOSE 



only from her own literary power in later life, but by her 

 keen observation of nature. At her country house, Fairy 

 Hall, at Dumdum, outside Calcutta, she drew her brother's 

 attention to the peculiar movements of leaflets of Biophytum, 

 which led to his discovery of multiple response, and its 

 continuity with the automatic response of the Telegraph- 

 plant. 



Her husband, Ananda Mohun Bose, also affected his life 

 deeply. A. M. Bose was one of the earliest batch of students 

 from India to Cambridge in 1870, and was the first Indian 

 Wrangler. His oratorical power was of the highest order. 

 Professor Fawcett asked him to address his constituents, 

 and declared that he could not have produced such an 

 influence as had his young Indian friend. After his return 

 to India he became one of the leaders of his countrymen, 

 alike by his ability and by his saintly character. He was one 

 of the founders of the Indian Association, and was President 

 of the National Congress at Madras in 1902. He was a 

 member of the Educational Commission, and founded in 

 Calcutta the City College which has since been one of the 

 most important in the University. He was also one of 

 the founders of an Institution for the Higher Education of 

 Indian Women. Bose's younger sisters have also, each 

 in her own way, followed lives of intellectual activity; 

 and one has trained a son to follow the footsteps of his 

 uncle, as already an active investigator of radio-activity. 



Most important, however, of all these influences from 

 youth onwards has of course been that of his life companion 

 of now some thirty-three years. She had an education in 

 science, having been a medical student for four years. 

 Fortunately too for her, in view of long-continued scanty 

 means and strenuous saving to pay off family debts, 

 she had been trained to skilled and thrifty house-keep- 

 ing : yet here has been no simple housewife's life, but 

 one full of active culture-interests also, not only appre- 

 ciating her husband's many scientific problems and tasks, 

 and hospitality to his students and friends, but sharing all 



