Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/358

 for inheritance. Now it is most respectfully submitted to your consideration, whether or not the proposed Act will deprive many rightful heirs of their inheritance, and wholly upset the Hindu law on that subject.

"4thly. That there is the greatest probability of extinguishing the name of many a family by the passing of an Act authorizing the marriage of Hindu widows, and thereby concurring civil rights on the issue of such marriages. For in addition to the sanction of the Shastras, almost every childless man in this country enjoins his wife, in his dying moments, to adopt a son for the perpetuation of the family name. But if the Bill be passed, the desire of worldly enjoyment will induce the widow to take a second husband, and thus slighting the injunctions of her former lord about adoption, she will consign his family name to oblivion.

"5thly. In the event of the Bill being passed many a widow, otherwise disposed to observe the injunctions of her own religion, will, in all probability, by the intrigues of her avaricious kinsmen, sacrifice her honor; for the women of this country being mostly ignorant, and not being accustomed to read, write, and mix in society, it is difficult for them to detect the insidiousness of the cunning and evil disposed. It is therefore that our Shastras have not given them independence in any stage of their lives.

"Manu says:—In childhood must a female be dependent on her father; in youth on her husband; her lord being dead, on her sons; a woman must never seek independence." Moreover, in conformity to Our Shastras, a widow can inherit her husband's estate. Hence if any person die without male issue, leaving a widow, his brothers, through avarice, will use force and intrigue to induce her to take a second husband, that they may come into her rightful possessions. Thus innumerable widows will have cause to bewail the loss of their honour.