the name of such a great friend struck off that we could not help asking Ramtanu Babu the reason for it. But all he said was, “You need not know the reason, but please understand that I will on no account invite him to the wedding.” We had, however, not to remain long in the dark. We heard from someone that the cause of this exclusion was the fear lest this gentleman should behave irreverently during the solemn marriage service, as he had once behaved at the wedding of one of the daughters of Debendranath Tagore—the irreverent behaviour on that occasion was that he did not join in the worship preceding the marriage, but remained smoking in a side room. Not to be able to invite this beloved friend on this joyous occasion caused Ramtanu sincere grief, but he would sooner a thousand times forgo the pleasure of his dearest friend’s company rather than suffer his God to be insulted.
The second incident was as follows:—Once, a good singer being introduced to him when he was having his tea, he expressed a wish of hearing the man sing a Brahmo hymn. On this the latter commenced humming a tune by way of prelude. But he was too quick for Mr Lahiri, who had not finished drinking his tea, so he stopped the singer, saying, “Pray, sir, excuse me for a moment. I am not ready yet to hear my God praised.” After this he had the tea-cup removed, and then, standing up with his chadar across his shoulders—the humblest and most devout attitude of an Indian when he approaches his Maker—he joined in the devotion with hearty sincerity. And this is the third incident. One day, while returning from his usual morning constitutional, he asked me if I would begin the day by calling on one of God’s saints; and on my answering in the affirmative he, took me to a Christian missionary living close by, whom he embraced most affectionately. I was quite moved at the sight of two of God’s
