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My Reminiscences
PART V   PART V - 26. Loken Palit
Rabindranath Tagore
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       PART V - 26. Loken Palit
       While I was attending lectures on English literature at the University College, Loken Palit was my class fellow. He was about 4 years younger than I. At the age I am writing these reminiscences a difference of 4 years is not perceptible. But it is difficult for friendship to bridge the gulf between 17 and 13. Lacking the weight of years the boy is always anxious to keep up the dignity of seniority. But this did not raise any barrier in my mind in the case of the boy Loken, for I could not feel that he was in any way my junior.
       Boy and girl students sat together in the College library for study. This was the place for our tete-a-tete. Had we been fairly quiet about it none need have complained, but my young friend was so surcharged with high spirits that at the least provocation they would burst forth as laughter. In all countries girls have a perverse degree of application to their studies, and I feel repentant as I recall the multitude of reproachful blue eyes which vainly showered disapprobation on our unrestrained merriment. But in those days I felt not the slightest sympathy with the distress of disturbed studiousness. By the grace of Providence I have never had a headache in my life, nor a moment of compunction for interrupted school studies.
       With our laughter as an almost unbroken accompaniment we managed also to do a bit of literary discussion, and, though Loken's reading of Bengali literature was less extensive than mine, he made up for that by the keenness of his intellect. Among the subjects we discussed was Bengali orthography.
       The way it arose was this. One of the Scott girls wanted me to teach her Bengali. When taking her through the alphabet I expressed my pride that Bengali spelling has a conscience, and does not delight in overstepping rules at every step. I made clear to her how laughable would have been the waywardness of English spelling but for the tragic compulsion we were under to cram it for our examinations. But my pride had a fall. It transpired that Bengali spelling was quite as impatient of bondage, but that habit had blinded me to its transgressions.
       Then I began to search for the laws regulating its lawlessness. I was quite surprised at the wonderful assistance which Loken proved to be in this matter.
       After Loken had got into the Indian Civil Service, and returned home, the work, which had in the University College library had its source in rippling merriment, flowed on in a widening stream. Loken's boisterous delight in literature was as the wind in the sails of my literary adventure. And when at the height of my youth I was driving the tandem of prose and poetry at a furious rate, Loken's unstinted appreciation kept my energies from flagging for a moment. Many an extraordinary prose or poetical flight have I taken in his bungalow in the moffussil. On many an occasion did our literary and musical gatherings assemble under the auspices of the evening star to disperse, as did the lamplights at the breezes of dawn, under the morning star.
       Of the many lotus flowers at _Saraswati's_[43] feet the blossom of friendship must be her favorite. I have not come across much of golden pollen in her lotus bank, but have nothing to complain of as regards the profusion of the sweet savour of good-fellowship. _
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本书目录

Translator's Preface
PART I
   PART I - 1. My Reminiscences
   PART I - 2. Teaching Begins
   PART I - 3. Within and Without
PART II
   PART II - 4. Servocracy
   PART II - 5. The Normal School
   PART II - 6. Versification
   PART II - 7. Various Learning
   PART II - 8. My First Outing
   PART II - 9. Practising Poetry
Part III
   Part III - 10. Srikantha Babu
   Part III - 11. Our Bengali Course Ends
   Part III - 12. The Professor
   Part III - 13. My Father
   Part III - 14. A journey with my Father
   Part III - 15. At the Himalayas
Part IV
   Part IV - 16. My Return
   Part IV - 17. Home Studies
   Part IV - 18. My Home Environment
   Part IV - 19. Literary Companions
   Part IV - 20. Publishing
   Part IV - 21. Bhanu Singha
   Part IV - 22. Patriotism
   Part IV - 23. The Bharati
PART V
   PART V - 24. Ahmedabad
   PART V - 25. England
   PART V - 26. Loken Palit
   PART V - 27. The Broken Heart
PART VI
   PART VI - 28. European Music
   PART VI - 29. Valmiki Pratibha
   PART VI - 30. Evening Songs
   PART VI - 31. An Essay on Music
   PART VI - 32. The River-side
   PART VI - 33. More About the Evening Songs_
   PART VI - 34. Morning Songs
PART VII
   PART VII - 35. Rajendrahal Mitra
   PART VII - 36. Karwar
   PART VII - 37. Nature's Revenge
   PART VII - 38. Pictures and Songs
   PART VII - 39. An Intervening Period
   PART VII - 40. Bankim Chandra
PART VIII
   PART VIII - 41. The Steamer Hulk
   PART VIII - 42. Bereavements
   PART VIII - 43. The Rains and Autumn
   PART VIII - 44. Sharps and Flats
FOOTNOTES
   FOOTNOTES - Footnotes