Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/289

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slightest disregard of one, either in words or acts, wounds the pride of the other, who takes it to be an affront offered, and enters into dispute with the fancied opponent. Such was the usual occurrence with Vidyasagar's father, Thakurdas, and his mother, Bhagavati Devi. The reader is already aware that the husband, Thakurdas, was of a peevish temperament. His wife, Bhagavati Devi, also easily lost her temper. Consequently, their conjugal dispute was almost a daily occurrence, but it never had a long duration. When the quarrel grew rather serious, Bhagavati Devi used to shut the doors of her room, and lay there, giving vent to her pent up passion by angry words mixed with tears. Thakurdas would then be in great peril, but he had always a remedy, ready at hand. As soon as his beloved consort entered the room, he left the house and went out in search of a big fish. Having procured one to his mind, he returned home with it, and, with a heavy bang, threw it down, with great force, on the ground in front of his wife's room. No sooner did the sound of the big fish reach her ears, than Bhagavati Devi, at once ran cut of the room, and with a large fish-knife began dividing the fish, with a smile in her tearful eyes. How beautiful was the admixture of tears with mirth! Thakurdas, with wilful wickedness, would peremptorily tell her not to touch the fish, but his wife would not pay the slightest heed to his interaction, and thus won the victory. The other