Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/108

Rh youngest in age, but the best in proficiency. He won the admiration of all. In one year, he finished the Sahityadarpana, Kavyaprakasa, Rasagangadhar, and other works on rhetoric. At the annual examination, he stood first and won the highest prizes, both in books and money. The Raghuvansa, Sahityadarpana, Ratnabali, Malatimadhava, Mudrarakshasa, Vikramorvvasi, Mrichchatika,—these were the prize books, he was awarded this year.

But, for this examination, he had to work very hard. He had to sit up night after night, and read his books, for in the day-time, he had to do everything of the household work, as we have said before. He had not a wink of sleep for several nights in succession. After the examination was over, he fell ill with acute dysentery of a very severe type. The stools were very frequent and bloody. All sorts of treatment in Calcutta failed, and he was removed to Birsingha, as on the former occasion. No sooner did he recover from his illness, than he again returned to Calcutta, and took over charge of the usual household duties.

Previous to this, Isvar Chandra, on his way home from the College, used daily to visit Pandit Taranath Tarkavachaspati's house, and there read the Sahityadarpana. One day, the then famous