Page:Anandamath, The Abbey of Bliss - Chatterjee.djvu/66



Bitter in all conscience had been their trials ere they met— of both Kalyani and Mahendra. Kalyani was borne down with her grief as she wept. Mahendra wept more bitterly still. This done, they set them- selves to wiping their eyes. As often as they wiped them, however, tears would roll anew down their cheeks. To stop the flow, Kalyani sought other topics and spoke of taking something. She asked her husband to take the food the celebate's man had left there. It was not rice and curry, for you could not think of them at that time, when famine was raging. Such things as were in the land, however, the Children could easily get. At that time hungry people would eat up every blessed fruit that there might be on the trees ; but this part of the wood was not accessible to common people and its fruits were, therefore, secure from their grasp. The ascetic's man could, therefore, secure for them plenty of fruits and some milk ; for, quite a number of cows formed part of the property of thesvi monks. At Kalyani's request, Mahendra first ate something and then she partook of some of the remains of his dish in private. Of the milk, she gave some to her daughter and laid by the rest, to give her hereafter. They then slept to soothe their fatigue. On waking up the> began to deliberate where to go. Kalyani said : ' We found our home un.^fe and left it. Now we find it is worse