Judgement

Mahajan, J. - One Lakshminarayana Iyer, a Hindu Brahmin, who owned considerable properties in the Trirunelveli district, died on 13-12-l924, leaving him surviving a widow Ranganayaki, and a married daughter Ramalakshmi. Ramalakshmi had married the plaintiff and had a number of children from him. They were all alive in December 1924 when Lakshminarayana died. Before his death he executed a will on 16-11-1924, the construction of which is in controversy in this appeal. By this he gave the following directions :

"After my lifetime, you. the aforesaid Ranganayaki Ammal, my wife, shall till your lifetime, enjoy the aforesaid entire properties, the outstandings due to me, the debts payable by me, and the chit amounts payable by me. After your lifetime Ramalakshmi Ammal, our daughter and wife of Rama Ayyar Avergal of Melagaram village, and her heirs shall enjoy them with absolute rights and powers of alienation such as gift, exchange, and sale from son to grandson and so on for generations. As regards the payment of maintenance to be made to Chinnammal alias Lakshmi Ammal wife of my late son Hariharamayyan, my wife Ranganayaki Ammal shall pay the same as she pleases, and obtain a