THE GOD-MAN The Life, Journeys and Work of Meher Baba with an ...

THE FIRST TEN YEARS 59Baba and party were conducted in an enthusiastic procession headed by a wild medley ofvillage music.Baba's relations with the people in the village deserve further mention. One evening twogoats were run over by a passing goods train. Baba at once sent someone from the mandali tofind them. One was dead and the other badly injured. Baba instructed the latter to be removedimmediately to the hospital and attended to. After some time the goat crushed to death wasreported to have been taken away by some village Mahars, apparently to make a meal. Assoon as Baba came to know of this he set out himself and overtook them at their door. Notonly were they made to throwaway the carcase, but Baba caused them to take oaths not to eatsuch things again under any circumstances. These Mahars were then brought to Meherabadand fed.At the end of the first year, when drill was introduced among the schoolboys, the Maharsgot it into their heads that their children were being prepared to be sent away to war.Consequently, a number of parents and guardians appeared before Baba on 3 April 1926,requesting that their children be sent home for the night. It did not take long for Baba toconvince them of the hollowness of their fears, so that they were satisfied and asked for theboys to remain as usual. However, he insisted on their removal. The matter was discussedfor the whole day. The villagers again and again prayed to be pardoned. Baba at lastgranted them pardon on condition that those who had had the 'fears' should fast for threedays. This was agreed to; on the third day of the fast Baba went to the village and broughtthose who were fasting to the colony and got them served with milk and jowari bread. Onthe day following this, in commemoration of the occasion, the whole village wasentertained to a dinner.But the Arangaon villagers were not the only people who attracted Baba's attention. In fact,people from all parts of the countryside received this kind of detailed personal consideration inone way or another.On 27 February 1926, after having had his bath and made inquiry after the mandali and hisusual round of inspections, Baba was given the post at about twelve o'clock. A telegram fromhis father was found to convey the news of the sudden death of Baba's eldest brother,Jamshedji. Baba immediately sent for the mandali, and when all had assembled the telegramwas read to them. Jamshedji had been a healthy, cheerful man of thirty-five, much liked, and allwere greatly pained. Baba appeared unconcerned at the news. He showed not even the faintestsigns of grief or emotion. On the contrary, when he