Page:Works of Tagore from the Modern Review, 1909-24 Segment 1.pdf/39

Rh known in India is a fact drawn from the existence of terms in Sanskrit literature such as सार (Sara). These were scattered over into the fields for a better or greater yield of crops. Originally i.e., before the manufacture of nitre did actually come into operation, the people might have been engaged in the production of common salt alone out of the nitre efflorescence and they used, most probably, to throw out the mother liquor, after the salt was taken out, into the fields and as a result of this the discovery of a better production of crop in them might have induced the people to use it year after year as manure—a practice which is still carried out in every nitre-producing district by the villagers in the cultivation of tobacco, chillies, rice etc. From an enquiry whether the practice came unto them from the European Indigo Planters within the last two centuries, I have been satisfied that it is inconsistent to give indulgence to any thought in that direction. The idea most probably is of purely indigenous growth. It seems to be an inherited belief of the modern peasantry reigning supreme in their minds. No one could trace as to its true origin, but the methods they adopt even now give it a true ancient native character and the originality we may claim to be our own. The term vajrakshara (वज्रक्षार) an alkali (probably Nitre) identified with Sara (सार) is a support of the theory that nitre was in olden times used in India as manure. From this point of view, viz. the use of nitre as manure in ancient India, we can claim the existence of a nitre-industry in old days of India.

2em

AVING recounted at length the misdeeds of a wicked tyrannical husband of an unfortunate woman of the village, her neighbour Tara very shortly, declared her verdict by saying, "Fire be to such a husband's mouth."

At this Joygopal Babu's wife felt much hurt; it did not become womankind to wish in any circumstances whatever, any other species of fire than that of the cigar in husbandkind's mouth.

When, therefore, she expressed a mild deprecation on the point, hard-hearted Tara cried with redoubled vehemence, "'Twere better to be a widow seven births over than be the wife of such a husband" and saying this she broke up the meeting and left.

Sosi said within herself 'Can't imagine any offence of the husband that could so harden the heart against him.' Even as she was turning the matter over in her mind all the tenderness of her loving soul gushed forth towards her husband now abroad; throwing herself with stretched arms in that part of the bed which used to be accupiedoccupied [sic] by her husband, she kissed the empty pillow and felt in it the smell of his husband's head, and shutting up the door she brought out from a wooden box a very old and almost faded photo of her husband and some letters in his handwriting and sat on with them. That hushed noon-tide thus passed away in the retired chamber in solitary musings amidst old memories, and in tears of sadness.

It was no new conjugality this between Sosikala and Joygopal. They had been married at an early age and had children since then. From prolonged association with each other, the days had passed by in a very easy, commonplace sort of way; on neither side had any symptoms of an excessive passion been visible. Having lived together nearly sixteen years without a break, when her husband was suddenly called away from home on business, a great impulse of love awoke in Sosi's soul. As separation strained the tie, love's knot tightened all the harder, and what in a