Chitta Ranjan in his private life.

The unfolding of a man\'s character depends to a great extent on the atmosphere created by his family. Brought up by an ideal mother Chitta Ranjan came to regard his country as the other self of his mother. The sweet remembrance of his dear mother brings tears to his eyes and gives him strength to suffer for his country. His mother was a noble lady whose sense of duty was exceptional, whose piety exemplary and fortitude unique. During the evil days of her husband when she could not even meet her house-hold expenses and had no servants to wait on her, she did every house-hold work with her own hands and prepared the meals of her husband and children and other members of the house, while she herself had to fast now and then for want of food; but all this time a sweet smile played on her lips. Of her generosity and liberality we shall here cite an instance. In her house at that time there lived a poor relation of her husband. This man was a habituated drunkard. Almost every day whenever he lost his sobriety he used abusive language to Chitta Ranjan\'s mother. Bhuban Babu was much annoyed and wanted to turn him out of the house, but his wife prevented him by saying that the poor man would then die of starvation and as for herself she did never mind the man\'s conduct. She was an incarnation as it were of sincerity and generosity, to her could justly be applied the maxim of "weeping with them that weep." In fact the knowledge of other men\'s distress drew a flood of tears to her eyes.[20] She was a fountain of affection which was not reserved only for her children. One of her husband\'s friends lost his wife on child-birth. Chitta Ranjan\'s mother took charge of the newly-born baby but unfortunately it did not live long. A few months before her death at Purulia a poor maid servant of her house fell seriously ill and was dying for want of diet, she arranged everything for the proper treatment of the servant and saved the life of the poor woman. She was always at the bed-side of the poor, was ready to give a helping hand to the needy and tried her utmost to allay the distress of the afflicted. No beggar went away disappointed from her door. She never desired for luxury. She gladly parted with all her ornaments to repay her husband\'s debts.

But in the midst of all these softer feelings she had a very strong element in her composition. She was very sensitive. She would not tolerate any injustice done to her. She was equally noted for her liberality and uprightness. Chitta Ranjan\'s character was moulded to a great extent on her mother\'s ideal. He was much devoted to his mother who also loved him very dearly. But unfortunately she could not see her dearest son at the time of her death. She laid on her breast Chitta Ranjan\'s famous work "Sagar-Sangit" and privately told her husband before she breathed her last that if she was to be born a woman again she would like to have such a son. Just at the time of his mother\'s expiry when Chitta Ranjan was coming from Bombay, he saw in a dream in the train his mother appearing before him. Was it a presentiment?

About six months after the death of his mother Chitta Ranjan lost his father. He performed the Sradh ceremony with great eclat, the chief feature of the celebration was the feeding of the poor. Chitta Ranjan was personally[21] present to see the hungry beggars take various sorts of rich food to their entire satisfaction. It was his explicit order that the poor should be given all that was liked by his father. It was even a treat for the gods to see the poor beggars ring the sky with loud shouts of applause and for many months it was a general talk in the localities how Chitta Ranjan had fed the poor.

In his private life Chitta Ranjan had to pass through many tests. He was the eldest son of his father and as such since his father\'s illness the burden of maintaining and educating his brothers and sisters fell upon him. He gladly took up this charge and the result is well-known.

His youngest brother, Basanta Ranjan was a rising Barrister of the Calcutta High Court when his career was cut short by death. His only brother now living is Srijut Profulla Ranjan Das who is a puisne Judge of the Patna High Court, Profulla Ranjan is a renowned writer of English verses some of which are inserted in Mr. Dunn\'s Bengali Book of English verse. His sister Srijukta Amala Devi was famous throughout India as a singer of songs, even the other day at the Besant session of the Indian National Congress at Calcutta she thrilled the audience with her charming voice when she sang the famous song "Bande Mataram." A few years ago Amala Devi started an orphanage at Purulia where with the financial help of her eldest brother she gave shelter to the blind, lame and the suffering. While engaged in this noble work Amala Devi passed away after a short but active career. Chitta Ranjan\'s eldest sister lost her husband at an early age and Chitta Ranjan had to look after her children. Another of his sisters died very young. Chitta Ranjan\'s another sister Srijukta Urmila Devi who has recently lost her husband has dedicated her life and energy to the services of her[22] country and has started an ideal institution for educating Bengali girls on national lines.

In 1897 Chitta Ranjan married Srijukta Basanti Devi, the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the late Babu Barada Halder, Dewan of the Bijni estate. In her Chitta Ranjan has found an ideal house-wife and a noble partner in life. She is the............