Page:Tales of Bengal (Sita and Santa Chattopadhyay).djvu/20

Tales of Bengal style, and replied: "But you could have done one thing. Why did you not replace the stolen pieces with gilt ornaments? You could have escaped the punishment for the moment and might have changed them for gold ones when you had money."

An acquaintance of the old lady thereupon interjected, "You will insist upon giving other people curious advice, sister; can't you do without it even during a journey?" To which the old lady replied: "Ah! it pains my heart to see others in trouble. She was shedding tears in her trouble and I knew the way out; isn't it my duty to tell her? God has given me experience and age that I might help others. I know the remedy for all evils."

There was a young mother who had remained silent up till now in an obscure corner of a bench. Her sick child was also there upon her lap, lying inert and looking more like a dried fish than a human baby. She had a gold circlet hanging from and encircling her nose like the moat of some ancient city. She was dressed to the extent of a cotton sari and a misfitting jacket made of some flimsy stuff. But her poor sick baby was practically smothered in an abundance of flannels and shawls and was on the verge of collapse owing to the excess of wrappings. Every now and then this unfortunate and tortured child opened its eyes and cried as if to protest against the outrage. The fond mother at once took care of her child by putting a few folds more of a dirty shawl over its nose, which was in her opinion the best method of putting a child to sleep.

The young mother was very much impressed when she heard of this remarkable gift of the old lady, and naturally she came forward a bit. This brought her within the vision of the old lady, who yawning, and snapping her finger to avert evil, asked: "How old is the child? How thin the poor thing is! How many months old is he?" Rh