Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 1.djvu/410

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.

360

how scrupulous ! He goes back to Calcutta, goes to the Sadharan Samaj and says, ‘‘A watch and a silver plate have baen presented by my friends in Madras, I do not know whether they are for me or for the Sadharan Samaj. Anyhow, it is a very trying situation for me. What is spontaneous may become ’ customary, and yhat is customary may be- come compulsory. Thus the poor begging sanyasin in course of time becomes the J agud- guru Avith a crown of gold and a throne ot silver. You will decide who is to take it, I or the Samaj.” And the Sadharan Samaj says, ” Do accept it, it is meant for you-” Such was the scrupulous honesty of the man — no preseiits to be accepted except with the knowledge and assent of those whose mis- sionary he was ! Once finding he Avas not able to go out for one full month on account of ill- health, he said, “ I cannot receive the monthly allowance.’’ And they could not force him to take it. He spoke the truth as' he felt it, when he was here at Cocanada last in the year 1907—"Mind not money ; do your duty and God will send money.” That was the faith of the man.