my companions have all gone away leaving me here. I seem also to have lost my way in the darkness. Would you please help me to reach my companions? Your "son-in-law" is staying at Rasmani's temple at Dakshineswar. I am going to meet him. If you accompany me so far, he will be highly pleased with you.'
By this time the second person also came up. The Holy Mother now understood that it was a woman and the wife of the man with the staff. She, therefore, felt very much encouraged and, approching the woman and holding her by the hand, said, 'Mother, I am your daughter Sarada. I am in great difficulty. Fortunately father and yourself have corne here. Otherwise I do not know what I would have done.'
The Holy Mother's gentle words, her simplicity and innocent behaviour, her perfect trust and fearlessness - all made a deep impression on the man and his wife. They felt a parental affection for her and consoled her as they would their own daughter. As she was very much tired, they did not allow her to proceed that night. They took her to a small shop in the village of Telobhelo and gave her some refreshments. The woman then made a bed for her with her own clothes and protected her the whole night like her own daughter..
Next morning they took her to Tarakeswar and made arrangements for her food and accommodation in a shop. Her companions, who had gone in advance of her the previous evening, met her in that shop. She introduced the couple, her new "father" and "mother," to them and told them of the great service they had rendered her. Some time later, after having finished