29-October-2015 (Thursday)
Mother As I Saw Her – Second Part
Swami Saradeshananda
13. The Incident of the Palanquin Bearers – 3

There they sat and talked amongst themselves about the experiences of the day, late into the night. It was arranged that the bearers of the palanquin would sleep in the Drawing Room of Bara Mama (the elder uncle). For providing themselves with some refreshment for the night, Swami Bhumanandaji had already given them a rupee. So when the Mother asked a son to arrange for the bearers’ refreshment, she was told that it had already been taken care of.

After all arrangements were made for the comfortable accommodation of all, the Mother went to sleep, happy and peaceful, while the others, sitting around Swami Saradananda in the Drawing Room, went on talking about the reception at the Badanganj School, followed by the great excitement, welcome and the feast at Prabodh Babu’s place at Shyambazar. The night was well advanced when all of a sudden a voice was heard coming from the corner of the front door opening into the Mother’s room, “Oh sirs, have you all retired for the night? What about the refreshments for us?”

Though the voice was not very loud, in the silence of the night it produced a stir in the Drawing Room. Swami Bhumananda at once opened the door, came out and approaching the speaker asked him to keep quiet. The boy whom the Mother had asked to see of the bearers were given refreshments, now ran out through the back door of the Drawing Room, entered the store room, took out the tin of puffed rice (Muri) in one hand and the pot of molasses in the other, and within the twinkling of an eye, placed sufficient quantity of both before the man. Swami Bhumananda accompanied the man to the Drawing Room of Bara-Mama, where the bearers were resting.

[Mother As I Saw Her (Being Reminiscences of Holy Mother Sarada Devi) – Swami Saradeshananda. Translated by Prof. J. N. Dey. Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore Madras-600004: p 218 – 219]

Location: Bangalore