Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/306

 270 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. brothers, of whom Hari Sadhu was the eldest, came to the river side, to take her back to their home. The brothers wept bitterly as they saw the forlorn girl sitting beside acorpse, and said, ‘“‘ We will burn the corpse of the prince with sandal wood, alight on shore. Though you cannot wear shell-bracelets, yet, we will give you golden ones; though sacred vermilion will be refused, yet we can adorn your forehead with red powder; though you may not take fish and meat, we will feed you with all kinds of dainties. You are our only sister. You will be adored in our. home, come then to the bank! How heartless were these people of Champaknagar! they felt no compunction at allowing you to accompany a corpse alone on the bosom of deep waters in ’ Behula could not answer for some this condition.’ time, for tears choked her voice, but when she spoke, she was resolute and firm. ‘She asked them to return and give her respects to her poor parents. She could not bear the idea of living in a world without her husband. Even the dead body of the prince had for her an attraction which nothing else possessed in her eyes. She was determined to restore it to life. Preserved The brothers went away overwhelmed with from harm. ৪ ৪ ৮ 27101, 200 1)90171361015,19,561105 000 50910৮৮1105 9৮০1-101 lot, went on over the waters,—she herself knew not whither. Wicked men amongst whom the chief were Goda, Dhana and Mang became enamoured of the extraordinary beauty of the devoted creature and tried to carry her away by force, but God, who pre- serves the children, preserved her also who was equally helpless, and resigned. They could not touch her person.