On a certain morning in February Ramani Babu sprung a mine on his tenants by circulating a notice among them to the effect that they would have to pay up every pice of rent on or before the 10th prox.  Some hastened to discharge their liabilities, while others ran about asking for loans or sat with downcast eyes, unable to decide what course to take.  The English reader is perhaps unaware that every Bengal landowner is required to pay revenue to Government four times a year, vis., on the 28th January, March, June and September.  Any one failing to do so before sunset on these dates becomes a defaulter, and his estate is put up to auction in order to satisfy the demand, however small it may be.  Property worth many thousands of rupees has often been sold for arrears of eight annas (a shilling) or even less.  The near approach of these kist (rent) days is of course a period of great anxiety to landlords; some of whom are forced to borrow the necessary amount on the security of their wives’ ornaments.

On March 28th, 18—­, Ramani Babu had to pay about Rs. 10,000 as land revenue; but his ryots’ crops had failed, owing to want of rain, and by the end of February he had been able to realise only Rs. 1,000, the greater portion by threats of force.  The Indian peasant’s lot is not a happy one.  He depends solely on the produce of the soil, which yields little or nothing if the annual rains should fail, or there be an excess of moisture.  Millions of cultivators never know what it is to have a good, solid meal.  In order to meet the landlord’s demands they have recourse to a Mahajan (moneylender) whose exactions leave them a slender margin for subsistence.  But religion and ages of slavery render them submissive creatures.  They murmur only when very hard pressed.

Sadhu Sheikh, of Simulgachi, lived by raising vegetables for sale in Kumodini Babu’s market, until he was forbidden to do so by Ramani Babu’s clubmen.  Failing this resource, he abandoned the little trade; and thus got deeper into the books of his moneylender.  At this crisis he received a written notice ordering him to attend Ramani Babu’s kucheri (office) on 17th March without fail.  A visit to the local moneylender was fruitless and only led to a hint that old scores must be cleared off.  So Sadhu returned home crestfallen and determined to abide by his fate.  On obeying the summons, he found Ramani Babu, sitting in his office to receive rent, which was brought him by a crowd of dejected-looking ryots.  A great hubbub was going on; one Bemani insisting that he had paid up to date while Ramani Babu’s gomastha (bailiff) stoutly denied the assertion and called n the objector to produce his receipt.  This was not forthcoming for the simple reason that Ramani had mislaid it.  He asked the bailiff to show him the ledger account, and after spelling through the items laboriously be found that not a pice stood to his credit, although he had paid nearly sixty rupees since the last hist (rent) day.  There are few