322 IN THE VISION OF GOD
bed of the little patient, who was lying quite calm with
looks that seemed to gaze into eternity.
The mother with some emotion said: "God gave this
child to us, but it appears He wants him buck."
"Mother, submit to His will in all matters," assured
Ramdas. "Truly He gives and He takes away. His will is
supreme and He means always well."
The words brought tears into her eyes, and she smiled
in a spirit of complete resignation to God's will.
Some Punjabi friends, who came to see Ramdas, took
him out to the bazar wherefrom he was taken from house
to house, and petted, fondled and led by the love-struck
mothers. During the four days that he remained at the
place, over a dozen mothers went stark-mad over him.
They deluged him with their pure and selfless love.
In the evenings, some friends would lead him to the
river, where on its bank he used to sit with quite a crowd
of visitors around him. Ramdas would then voice in an
impassioned language the glory of divine love. After the
lapse of four days, he broached the subject of leaving the
place for his long journey to Kashmir. He said that he
would go on foot from village to village until he reached
the destination.
Among these newly-acquired friends wore municipal
officers and rich zemindars. They urged him to go by rail
as far as Jammu, and they would provide him with a ticket.
At first he resisted their offer, as he did not wish to forego
the joy of travelling on foot and coming into touch with
the devotees of the Punjab in the villages as he passed
through them. But the friends were bent upon
sending him by train and he had to yield to their loving
protestations against journeying on foot.
Before departing from Shahjahanpur, he paid a last visit
to the house of the postman and spent a night with him,
His wife was in ecstasy over Ramdas1 infinite kindness as
she termed Ms wish to stay with them.