THE DEAR DEPARTED – Stanley Houghton

Stanley Houghton's ‘The Dear Departed’ is a social play on the condition of the elderly people who are being abandoned and neglected by their own children. The play is optimistic that even elderly people may chose to live merrily, despite their old age. They can even opt to marry at old age to lead a happy life.

In the beginning of the play Mrs.Slater goes to offer something to grandfather Abel Merryweather and finds him quite cold, not responding at all. He is motionless. So, Mrs.Slater declares that the grandfather is no more.

Accordingly, her sister and her husband, the Jordans are informed about the sudden demise of the grandfather. Mrs.Slater and her husband are busy making arrangement for the mourning. They are expecting the Jordans to join them. They start using the various materials used by the grandfather. Victoria, daughter of Mrs.Slater does not like all these but reluctantly she is helping her parents in these matters. Victoria is asked to keep a watch on the main door to inform her mother about the arrival of the Jordans. Mrs.Slater is not willing to share everything of her father's belongings with Mrs.Jordan. When all these arrangements are being done, the Jordans arrive to join them.

The family members start detailed conversation on the deeds of the grandfather, planning the details of the obituary announcement in the papers and the insurance premium payment. They start discussion over the distribution of grandfather's belongings among them.

Surprisingly, at this point of time, the play witnesses a turn of events. Victoria who has been sent to the grandfather's room, returns very scared. She tells everyone that grandfather is alive. To everybody's surprise, grandfather is seen coming downstairs. He is surprised to find the Jordans. No one dares to tell him that he has been declared 'dead'. While taking tea, the truth comes out and the grandfather gets to know how his daughters have been in a hurry to divide his possessions among them.

On knowing the harsh reality, the grandfather decides not to live with any of his daughters. He even expresses his final intention to change his ‘Will’. He declares that he is going to give everything to Mrs. Shorrocks whom he will marry. He feels that by marrying Mrs. Shorrocks he will have someone to look after him wholeheartedly without considering him to be a burden.

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The Influence of Science – E. N. DA. C. Andrade and Julian Huxley

Part – 1

Ignorance is the root cause of wrong ideas and useless superstitious practices. Among the primitive tribes there was hardly any scientific knowledge which can give them better explanation for all mysterious happenings around. The natural occurrences such as the sun rising, the sun setting, the changing of moon, the droughts, storms, earthquakes, floods and disease are all believed to be the mystery or the influence of good and bad spirits. These beliefs cannot be called superstitions as long as no better scientific explanation is available. When scientific knowledge spreads these beliefs of good or bad spirits influence on natural occurrences can be considered as superstitions. 

Thus, as science progresses, superstitions ought to grow less.  But surprisingly the superstitions are still lingering on in civilized societies.   We need not look down upon savage tribes for holding such beliefs and ideas. But, in the most civilized nations a great many stupid superstitions exist and are believed in by great many people. Even today some people do not want to sit at the thirteenth table; others do not light three cigarettes from a single match stick and some others do not like to start anything important on Fridays. Even today many people buy charms and talismans because they think they will bring them luck.

The most terrible example of superstition is the belief in witchcraft. In Western Europe during 16^th and 17^th centuries millions of people were killed on the charges that they were found guilty of witchcraft. The persons prosecuting them on such charges of practicing witchcraft also acted on superstitious ideas based on false principles. 

In the civilized nations the laws are made on the basis of principles which are unproved assumptions. For instance, it is held as a principle that white people are by nature superior to the people of other colours. The ancient Greeks believed that they were by nature superior to the barbarians of Northern and Western Europe. 

It is, however true that the increase of scientific knowledge reduces superstitions and also baseless guessing and arguments. Civilized people do not argue and get angry about how water is composed of. They may be frightened at a volcanic eruption or an outbreak of plague but they do not try to claim that some mysterious power can stop such calamities or they do not blame somebody on the plotting of witchcraft.

The astronomical science has entirely changed our views about the place of man in nature as well as in cosmos. Scientific knowledge has changed our ideas about heredity, about the disasters like earthquakes and disease and also it has given us strength and ability to sustain them.

Part – 2 

Science not only provides knowledge about nature. It also provides means for controlling nature. Science affects our general ideas and practical affairs of everyday life. The invention of compass and the advanced designs of ships improved sea transport. Then came the steam engine. The ships and railways with steam engines completely changed the business of travel and transport of goods. Of late, the invention of the internal combustion engine (diesel engine) again made possible the fast moving motor cars and then the aeroplane.  Thus advancements in science have brought newer changes in our life-style. 

The railways powered with steam engines and the aeroplanes brought revolution in sending letters and newspapers faster than ever before. Invention of dynamo (electricity producing device) brought rapid change not only in communication systems but also every walk of life in human journey.  First telegraph, then telephone, then radio, wireless communication systems and then television has changed the entire world.

The electric lighting of the houses has replaced the age old methods of lighting of houses like candles, oil-lamps, gas lights etc. Thus, scientific advancement has influenced in all spheres of human life and brought unimaginable change in every day’s life of a man.

The practical applications of science are not always benefitted us. It has made us greedy and selfish. We are recklessly exploiting the natural resources. Our industrial civilization makes new demands for sources of power. Mining provides us this resources. Every day newspapers, we read at our homes demands the reckless cutting down of forests to provide wood for making of newsprint.

Without science modern civilization would not have been possible. Applied science transports people from one place to other place. The factories need a lot fuel. The burning of the huge quantity of fuel has created air pollution causing deadly diseases. Health is another problem of modern city life. The air pollution, water pollution, the insecticides, pesticides have all led to so many health hazards. Again science has been trying to find remedies for all these diseases. Fresh inventions and discoveries create some more problems and that necessiciates further inventions and discoveries. Sanitation is another major problem of our civilized cities.

The way human life has steadily changed. About ten thousand years ago, man lived solely depending on hunting. A settled and civilised life only began when agriculture was discovered. From then to this date, civilization has always been changing. Ancient Egypt – Greece – the Roman Empire – the Middle Ages – The Renaissance – the Age of modern science of modern nations – have succeeded one after the other. History has never stood still. During the last few years the change has been even more than usual. We have now to be more particular about economic and social change, Science and Scientific knowledge will alone help us. We have to learn with the help of science how to control our own destiny.  

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The Judgement-Seat of Vikramaditya – Sister Niveditha

The old palace of Ujjain was ruined and buried under the sand and dust in the course of the time. Trees grew and the people forget about it. The shepherds of the nearby villages to these ruins of Ujjain took their herds of cattle to the forest for grazing.  The boys had leisure time to play when the cows were engaged in grazing. One day the boys found a place very suitable for their childish play. The place is uneven and one end of the beautifully carved stone peeped out form the earth. In the middle there was a green grass mound, looking just like a judge’s seat.

One of the boys ran forward with a whoop and seated himself on it. He called other boys to bring their cases before him and he would have trails. Then he straightened his face and become very grave to act the part of a judge. The other boys thought it was fun and quickly made up some quarrel and appeared before him. When the judge had sat down on the mound, he was just a common boy. He seemed quite different when he had heard the case. He had become very grave and took the case seriously. His tone, his manners sounded strange and impressive.  He gave wise judgement on hearing the trails. They boys still thought it was fun but when they presented another dispute, the judge’s answer was quite impressive and satisfactory to both parties. The judge pronounced the judgement as if it were out of the depth of a long experience with clearly-spelt wisdom. The incident has become a strange experience for all the boys.

Soon the news of these plays of boys spread through the countryside and the people from all villages began to take their disputes to the court of the herd-boy on the grass under the green trees. They were all satisfied with judgements. Thus, all the disputes in the neighbourhood were settled amicably and justly.

The shepherd boy, by chance, seated himself on the mound and not knowing anything about the seat of Judgement, he acted like a judge. He was innocent, and was basically a good-natured boy. He had no cunning thoughts. He was a happy boy, contented and playful. Thus, sitting on the Judgement-seat of Vikramaditya he dealt with the disputes and settled them justly.

After a few days the news of the court in the forest reached to the king’s notice. He thought that the boy must have sat on the Judgement-Seat of Vikramaditya. He spoke that all at once without thinking. The learned men agreed that it was so for they knew that the ruins in yonder meadows were once Vikaramaditya’s palace. The king had always desired to be possessed with the spirit of law and justice. He thought of digging the place to find the Judgement-Seat. So, the work began and they discovered the Judgement-Seat below the mound.  It was a black marble slab supported on the hands of twenty-five stone angles. It was surely the Judgement-Seat of Vikramaditya.

With great rejoice, the Judgement-Seat was brought to the palace of the king. It was put in the chief place in the hall of justice. Then the nation was ordered to observe three days of prayer and fasting and on the fourth day the king would ascent the new throne publicly.

People gathered in large numbers to see the taking of the seat. When the king was about to sit on the Judgement-Seat, one of the twenty-five angels spoke: “Stop, do you think you are worthy to sit on the Judgement-seat of Vikramaditya? Have you not desired to rule over the kingdoms that are not yours?”

The king knew that his own life was unjust. He confessed that he was not worthy. The angel asked him to fast and pray for another three days. With these words, the angel spread its wings and flew away into the blue. The king saw that the seat was supported only by twenty-four angles.

Three days passed. This time another angel asked the king if he did not covet the riches of another? He confessed that he had. The angel asked him to fast for another three days and flew away. This went on for ninety-six days and he observed fasting for three days more. It was the hundredth day. As he was about to occupy the seat, the last angel spoke. It asked the king if he was pure in his heart. The king confessed he was not. The last angel too flew away into the sky bearing the slab on its head.

The king realized the truth. Only when he was pure in heart, like a little child, could be perfectly just. That was why the shepherd boy in the forest could sit on the Judgement-Seat of Vikramaditya.

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