Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/115

76 when that father wished him not to go, how could Isvar Chandra accept the post, against his father's will? He was so much devoted to his parents, that he considered them to be his only objects of worship. He had no other gods or goddesses before them. He could not act against their wishes.

He had still two subjects to learn,—Vedanta (Theology) and Philosophy. He entered the Vedanta class at the age of nineteen. Sambhu Chandra Vachaspati, the learned professor of that class, was highly amazed at the merits of Isvar Chandra, and loved him as dearly as if he was his own son.

According to the practice then obtaining in the Sanskrit College, a separate examination on essay-writing, both prose and poetry, was held every year at the annual examinations of the Vedanta and Philosophy classes, and a prize of one hundred rupees in cash was given to each of the best essayists. Three hours were allowed for each essay,—10 A.M. to 1 P.M. for prose, and 1 P.M. to 4 P.M. for poetry. Isvar Chandra, fancying his inability, was absent from this examination. Prem-Chand Tarkavagis, the teacher of the Rhetoric class, not finding Isvar Chandra among the examinees, began to look for him. The teacher, at last, discovered him sitting in a corner of his class-room. He remonstrated with his favourite pupil on his shyness, and after much persuasion