Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/75

 Both father and son started on foot, and after walking a distance of more than twelve miles, came to village Patul, where they lodged for that day. This first day Isvar Chandra felt no difficulty. The next morning, they started for Ramnagar, a village twelve miles off from Patul. Annapurna, a younger sister of Thakurdas's, had been married to a respectable Brahman of Ramnagar. At the time, of which we are speaking, she was living with her husband, but was ill. Thakurdas and Isvar Chandra were going to Ramnagar to see her, on their way to Calcutta. When they had walked only six miles from Patul, Isvar Chandra was quite disabled to move farther. His legs and feet were swollen and painful. It was a hot and sultry day of Indian May, and the sun was then in its zenith. Thakurdas was in great peril. What was he to do now? How was he to help his son on? The path was lonely. There was no conveyance available. Thakurdas showed the boy a yonder field of melons, saying that he would feed him with a belly-ful of melons, if he would only walk to the field. Thus encouraged, Isvar Chandra limped slowly towards the field, which he reached with great difficulty. He ate melons there, and appeased his appetite, but his feet became more painful and refused their office. Thakurdas was now exceedingly annoyed. In great vexation he left Isvar Chandra on the spot, and walked on, at which the little boy