WEIGHING IN THE BALANCE.
The first-born male heir does not inherit all the property of the father among the Hindus excepting in the families of princes in which the law of primogeniture obtains. The property is divided in equal shares among the sons. Babu Bhudeb Mukherji who began the world as a poor school master ended by amassing a respectable fortune to be divided between his two sons. He knew that the two brothers had but one soul in two bodies, they loved each other so tenderly, and that, consequently, they would not quarrel over the division. Yet he parted the property before his death to be taken possesion of by them when he was no more. He had two houses, one finer than the other and with the special advantage of standing on the bank of the Hughly at Chinsura. This one was allotted to the younger son. When he read this in the deed, he went to his elder brother and said, “This should not be; you being our father’s first-born should have the finer house.” Govindadev answered smiling, “No darling, it is at my special prayer that father leaves that house to you. Besides, I see no
