My Mother — Page 5
Background 5 handicap upon him when it came to the study of the law, as some of the textbooks were available only in English. On one occasion he travelled as far as Hissar, where Lala Lajpat Rai, a lawyer well versed in English, had kindly offered to coach him. Hissar was not then served by the railway. Despite his handicap, he topped the list of successful candidates in both law examinations, in competi- tion with candidates whose medium was English, winning a silver and a gold medal respectively. His qualification in the first exami- nation, under the system then prevailing, entitled him to practise law in subordinate courts, and he started practice in Daska. When he passed the final law examination he moved to Sialkot and set- tled there as a full-fledged lawyer. At that stage he started learn- ing English and acquired enough competence in it to build up a library of textbooks and law reports in English. While still a student in Lahore, he married his cousin Husain Bibi, eldest daughter of his younger maternal uncle, Chaudhri Ilahi Bakhsh of Data Zaidka. They were of about the same age, the wife being the husband’s junior by ten days. The wedding took place when they were between 17 and 18 years of age. ’s family was comparatively well off. As the eldest child of the younger brother of the head of the family, she was everyone’s favourite and was indulged in every way. Her uncle, the head of the family, was very fond of her. He had a son and two daughters of his own, but his eldest niece was his favourite. She was followed by three sisters, a brother, and a fourth sister. Her mother was a woman of great piety and high spirituality, whose father had arranged for her to be instructed by a physician in the elements of the treatment of diseases of children. learnt somewhat of it from her mother.