HU3LI 81
Earn takes care of His child at every place!
He retraced his steps with these kind friends and spent
the night in their village. Early next morning, long before
dawn, he started again and covered about ten miles by
forenoon. Here he found on his left a big area of culti-
vated fields. In the middle of the farm was a well from
which water was being drawn by pikotah for irrigating
the fields. A farmer and four bullocks were at work-
Ramdas went to the well to quench his thirst and did so by
descending into the well. When he came up the driver
of the bullocks beckoned Raindas to go to him. He
rnatle Raindas sit beside him in the cool shade of a large
tree near the brink of the well. Ramdas smoked a few
puts from his chilam of tobacco.
k*Ntnv, I have a question to ask of you," he said. "Are
you sure, sadhuji, that there is a God? For my part I have
strong doubts about His existence."
RiimditS replied: "God is there for them who have faith,
and sot for them who have not.":
"Listen then to my tale,'" he continued, "my occupation
as you see is agriculture. I have a family consisting of my
wife, three grown-up daughters, a son and his wife. The
green fields around this well are of our cultivation. All the
members of the family are toiling in the fields from morn
till night. These four bullocks also work for long hours for
irrigating the fields. We are all actively at our tasks
throughout the year. With all this you will be surprised to
learn we are not having sufficient to procure bare creature
comforts/' Pointing to his daughters who had by now
assembled near Ramdas, he added with a bitter tone:
"Look, maharaj, at the clothing of my girls. They are in
rags. You say there is God. If there is one, He must be very
cruel; if cruel He is no God."
"For Raindas," Ramdas replied, "God is not a mere
matter of faith or speculation. He is a certainty. In spite
of what you say of your condition, Ramdas can assure you
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