And so it was. On hearing Krishna's request, they themselves hastened to Him, in spite of the protestations and threats of the men of the families, and brought food of the finest sorts unto Him, and prostrating themselves before Him, spake: "O Krishna! Thou Maker of all there is! Blessed are we and ours that Thou hast called upon us to serve Thee I We know Thee, O Krishna, as one greater and nearer to us than our husbands, brothers and fathers; and even at the risk of their displeasure to us, we come to Thee to lay at Thy feet our poor offerings and our hearts." Krishna answered: "O women! Noble and true are ye to Me. Ye in your devotions have learned to know Me as your soul! Dearer to ye am I, even than father, husband and friends, hence at the risk of even their displeasure do yet seek to serve Me. "I draw unto Me all that reach towards Me! Blessed are ye among men! Go back to those who are performing the ceremonies and aid them in their rituals. Kindly shall they receive ye, and unto them will ye take My love even as unto ye all I bestow it." When He saw the reluctance with which they departed from Him, He said: "Know that in the Kingdom of Love separation cannot be, and whatever heart doth meditate on Me, in that heart I dwell in all My glory. "Again, oh know, that by deeds I reckon ever and not by words. Ye have served Me by deeds, your husbands in their ignorance by words alone. But do ye go unto them and they too shall know and love the Name of Krishna." And the women returned unto their husbands who received them with demonstrations of pleasure, and they too worshipped Krishna in their homes and hearts. CHAPTER XXII. When the summer was over, one day Krishna saw that great preparations were being made for the celebration of ceremonies in honor of one of the gods. Clothed in seeming ignorance, Krishna said to Nanda: "Why these preparations, O father, and for whom are they made, and what is the potency thereof? Is it a custom that through all time hath been observed, or, tell me, do the Scriptures demand that these ceremonies be held?" Then Nanda, answering, said: "We offer to-day sacrifices to him, the god of the clouds, to him who watereth our hill-sides and giveth drink to our crops and out cattle, to him, Indra, the god who promoteth all growth by the blessing of rain, which he doth supply. A jealous god is he, O my Krishna, and desires that ceremonials and sacrifices often are made; and we in all humbleness strive to appease him, that in his wrath he may not withhold the moisture from our land, nor yet flood us with over much rain." Then Krishna replied: "My father, He, who is the Author of All, doth give unto all what is needed. "He that in wrath withholdeth a blessing, he never the love of creation hath known; nor doth he destroy what he hath created. "For the Creator doth ever love His creation; for that, which from Him hath come, must forever belong to Hint and the part is of His Great Whole.