ZC2 IX THE VISION OF GOD
Next day the kind mother motored Mm and the sepoy to
the bias-stand. She made him sit comfortably in the bus. As
the bus moved she turned back on her motor and cast a last
lingering k?ok from eyes that were moist. She must have
felt the separation very keenly. 0 ! mother, what infinite
love yon have in your bosom for your child, Ramdas!
The sepoy friend, vho had a basket of fruits kindly
provided by mother Elizabeth, led him to a third class
compartment and \vas about to open the door of the
carriage \vhen a sadhn, sitting near the door, shouted that
there was no room in the compartment. He firmly pulled
the door in\rards to prevent its being opened. But the
sepoy friend, a strong man, opened it in spite of the
resistance and asked Ramdas to get in. When he was
entering, the sauhu stretched his arm in front to obstruct
his illness. But the sepoy coming up brushed his arm aside
and made way. Both found seats in the train. There was
room sufficient not only for two but for ten!
In the carriage there were about a dozen sadhzis. The
train moved on. It reached a catering station where it
would halt for over half an hour. Here the sadhus ordered
for purees and cnrry from the platform vendor of eatables.
Now they -were busy with their meal when a passenger got
into the compartment with purees and curry, of course, for
his own dinner. The moment he entered, the sadhus rose as
one man with their sticks in hand and threatened him to
leave the carriage at once.
"You polluted wretch! how did you dare to get in with
your rneal in this compartment in which we, sadliuB, are
eating ? Get down at once or we shall telabour you with
our sticks/"1
Th» poor passenger, like a frightened rabbit, jumped
do^wn to the platform and made Ms way towards another
carriage.
"Thig is Mullmism, maharaj," remarked the sepoy friend