In the early years, Mrs. Khera used to say to Mateshwari:
“Bachchon ko lukaa chhupaa ke paal lo! Bring up the children without exposing them to the public gaze.”
Pran Nath was very fair complexioned and handsome, and looked like a European child. His complexion had taken after Shri Nathji’s fair skin. He was brilliant without compare in his studies. Also, since he was the elder child of Shri Nathji, he had become the cynosure of all eyes. Many a person had remarked that the boys were becoming fairly tall and were speaking beautiful English.
Never before had the boys lived so close to the public as at the crowded quarters of Shri Vaidraj. Pran Nath had already undergone severe strain in his studies at Allen Memorial, especially after the betrayal by his teacher, Mr. Jobe. He had always stood first in all his courses, and, failing in one of them because he had not been told he had been enrolled for the course, had come as a great shock to him. All these events, plus the great distance to Allen Memorial and the vitiated atmosphere there, had weakened his health and strained his nerves greatly. The crowded quarters at Shri Vaidraj’s house appeared to be the last straw. Maharaja Sarila had warned Shri Nathji and Mateshwari of the consequences of taxing the children’s health beyond endurance. The long distances back and forth from Allen, and the load of studies had taken their toll. On the whole, both the boys had begun to look weak and sickly, as Shri Bhutt, too, had had occasion too observe.
Shri Nathji wished to leave the house as soon as possible, and it was decided that a return to Mussoorie would be most desirable, since the month of March had already come upon them.
Shri Nathji bade farewell to Delhi and left for Mussoorie in the Ford car along with Mateshwari and the boys.