Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/207

166 Babu. The cause of this sad disagreement was that, the mode of instruction instituted by him did not meet with the Secretary's approbation. When Vidyasagar saw that his official superior had begun to oppose his measures and policy, he resigned his office. Both Babu Rassomoy Dutt and Dr. Mouat tried their best to persuade him not to resign, but the firm and resolute Vidyasagar would not move a hair from his determination. His friends and relations remonstrated with him strongly on what they considered as a rash, hasty step on his part, but Vidyasagar was a man of great spirit and fixedness of purpose, and he would not yield in the slightest degree. They were all very anxious about him as to how he would manage to maintain his large family. His idea was, he said, that he would rather turn a peddler of potatoes and other vegetables, or open an ordinary grocer's shop, than work in a post which was damaging to his dignity and self-respect. It was quite against his nature to blindly obey any one, or depend on another, or look for favours by flattery. He came into this world to leave a high model of noble heroism, for the benefit of his fellow-brethren.

He never lost heart, or was dejected for a single moment, at the loss of his appointment. He was never heard to regret the step he had taken. He was as cheerful as ever. He did not send away the many poor school boys, whom he had given shelter in his own house and whom he had been