Page:A General Biography of Bengal Celebrities Vol 1.djvu/34

 HIS FAMILY LIFE AND IDEAS. 25 situation. The natural serenity of his temper, his courteous manners, and above all his thorough insight into human nature, have contributed, not a little, to the marvellous success of his career. There is no chance either for a hostile or a dishonest witness', " or for a stubborn and obstinate Judge to escape from the charming influence of this great Indian Barrister. CHAPTER V. HIS FAMILY LIFE AND IDEAS. Mr. Ghose is one of the best men of our society. He is a loving husband, a dutiful son, an. affectionate brother and a worthy and respected citizen of Calcutta. His love towards his mother, sisters and brothers is unbounded, and he tries his best to keep them in com- fort. In August 1885 he took his son Mr. Mahi Mohun then aged 13, to England where he is now studying for the Civil Service. Mr. Ghose is a great patron of Native Newspapers to almost all of which he subscribes. He is courteous, affable and accessible to all. Pride and hauteur engendered by wealth and high position he has none ; and the poor- est of his neighbours are as accessible to him as the - highest in social rank and position. His respect to- wards his mother borders on worship. His ideas about religion may be summed up in one sentence, namely that the highest religion consists in being a useful member of society, and in serving one's fellow-crea- tures to the best of his power. The spirit of asceti- cism inherent in the life of Hindoos, should in his opini- on, be discouraged, and man should try to be useful to society, for the best way to serve God, is, according to him, to serve mankind. As regards his political ideas, he has a firm faith in the justice and honesty of British Rulers, but the Anglo- Indian idea of exclud- ing the people from offices of great trust and res- 4