Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/308

 Neta strangles her child. The child comes back to life. Behula and Neta 272 BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. [ Chap. horrid shapes dissuading her with threats and men- aces from her extraordinary course, at others angelic faces peeped through the sky trying to win her to a life of ease and luxury, but she sat like a marble statute, unmoved either by fear or by temp- tation—sounding the very depths of suffering and praying with unfaltering faith for the life of her dear ~-husband. Six months passed in this way; the boat touched the ghat of Neta, the washer-woman of the Gods ; and in the fine morning air when she came there, Behula saw Neta washing clothes on the bank of the river Gangoor. Behula felt that she was no human being, for her head was incircled by a halo of light. A beautiful child was teasing her as she washed, and to the wonder of Behula, she strangled the child and kept it beside her. Behula said nothing, but sat on her raft by the skeleton of her husband, silently watching this mysterious woman. When, however, the last rays of the sun faded from the western sky, Neta sprinkled a few drops of water over the face of the child, and lo! it smiled as if just awakened from sleep. Neta was just about to ascend to the divine regions with the clothes and the child, when Behula landed and fell at her feet weeping. She uttered no word, but shed unceasing tears. Neta raised her from the ground and assured the unfortunate maid that she would carry her to the heavenly regions where the gods might be moved to grant her prayer.