Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 2.djvu/136

 banyan tree. Almost microscopic is the seed from which it sprouts; it continues to grow through countless years, generation succeeding generation, and century added to century, until it attains those marvellous dimensions that make her one of the wonders of creation.

This pledge of ours does not hinge upon those two words, Purity and Temperance, merely in their ordinary narrow acceptation. Really the terms represent for us, as they ought to, many a noble virtue, such as veracity, sincerity, integrity, fair-mindedness, dutifulness and a good many other traits blended into that homogeneous whole, a sound character. Purity does not imply merely the averting of the eye, the closing of the ear and the bridling ,of the tongue. It is the cementing factor in the whole life. Realise the 'mother' all over the world. Learn to say, 'Every woman is represented in my mother! ' and so live out the ancient sacred dictum, Dhanyo mathru mukhassuthah! 'Blessed is the son that reflects (or visions) the face of