Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/106

82 not know a word of grammar but she got by heart verses from Bhatti Kavya, Raghuvamsa, Kumarsam- bhava, Naishadhacharita and other works with their full explanations. The father saw this and thought that "what will happen will happen" as the adage goes ; so he began to teach her the Mughdhavodha Grammar. Santi began to learn very quickly and astonished her preceptor. He taught her one or two works on litera- ture along with the grammar. And then everything got confused, for her father now died. Santi then became an orphan without a refuge. The tole broke up and the scholars left the place. But they loved Santi and could not leave her behind. One of them very kindly took her to his house. This was the man who later on joined the Society of Children and took the name of Jivananda. We shall call him by his adopted name. Jivananda's parents were then alive. He acquainted them with the whereabouts of the girl. "Now, who is to bear the burden of this girl," they asked. "I have brought her," Jivananda answered, " and I will do it." The parents were agreeable. Jivananda was unmarried and Santi had reached a marriageable age. So Jivananda married her. So soon, however, as the marriage was concluded, every body began to repent of it. Everybody thought it was a bad business, for Santi would not dress like a girl nor make up her hair into a knot. She would not stay within the house but persisted in going out to play with