Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/171

130 instantly ran out and clasped him in her arms, and pressed kisses on his forehead. Then mother and child both fell a-crying. When the outbursts of their feeling had somewhat subsided, they sat down to their meals. None of them had eaten any food that day till then.

The reader has, no doubt, heard and read many anecdotes of children's love for their mothers. The affectionate, filial devotion of Napoleon, Washington, Johnson, and some other great men are reputed to be unparalleled in the annals of history. But, sweet reader, can you conscientiously say, that the filial love of any of these men could approach the filial love of this poor Indian? We think, not. It is said of Julius Cæsar that when, with a view to conquer England, he had shipped his army, and was ready to weigh anchor, a great storm arose, threatening to sink all his ships laden with the army and himself. Every one of his followers importuned him not to dare his valuable life, and tried to dissuade him, but he headed them not. When Vidyasagar was about to plunge into the Damodar, some men, who were working in the neighbouring fields, tried to dissuade him from his attempts, which they considered to be nothing but rash and foolish. There is a good deal of similarity between the acts of these two great men. Both were heroes, though of different sorts. Both risked their valuable lives, the one for conquest of another's kingdom, and the other,