Page:Henry Derozio, the Eurasian, poet, teacher, and journalist. With appendices (IA henryderozioeura00edwarich).pdf/23

 writers of antiquity and in the power of independent thinking. This culture and power of independent thought, Drummond seems to have had the power of imparting in an unusual degree, and on none of his pupils did he more distinctly impress his own individuality than on the young Derozio.

Amongst many of the orthodox inhabitants of Calcutta the Scotch Schoolmaster was looked on as, if not an open disciple of David Hume, nevertheless, a very doubtful person in whose hands to place their children, lest some of the independence of thought which characterised the master should imbue the pupil, and lead him to reason on subjects which they had been taught to accept with implicit faith. We do not mean to imply that Drummond was charged with open atheism; but the feeling amongst many parents was that, on the whole, there was some danger of the faith, implict, unreasoned faith, of their fathers being unsettled by the fearless and independent thinking for themselves which characterised some of Drummond's pupils. In a house in the Chitpore Road, near what is now the Adi Brahmo Samaj, Mr. Sherbourne, a Eurasian, the son of a Brahmin mother, conducted one of the most successful schools in Calcutta. Sherbourne was proud of this parentage, and received from his pupils, the yearly offering, puja burik, made to Brahmins. At his school nearly every distinguished native of a former generation