Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/217

176 On the resignation of Durga Charan Babu, Mr. Marshall appointed Vidyasagar to the vacant post on a monthly salary of 80 rupees. He was now in comparatively easy circumstances. He again found time to apply himself diligently to the acquisition of English, in which he acquired a great proficiency. He could now write decent English. Even European Civilians were pleased at, and admired, the beauty of his style. His English penmanship was also beautiful.

In the same year, appeared the "Subhakari," a Bengali periodical, contributed to by some of the students of the Hindu College. Vidyasagar was enlisted one of the writers for the paper. It is said that Vidyasagar's able pen soon made the magazine successful. Some say, that its success was no less due to the contributions of Pandit Madhav Chandra Tarkasiddhanta, another of the writers. The Journal however, did not live long. At the request of some of his friends, Vidyasagar wrote in it an article on the evil consequences of early marriage.

In this year, Vidyasagar was appointed examiner of Bengali for the senior scholarship examination. The subject of the Bengali essay was 'Female education.' At this examination, Nil Kamal Bhaduri, a student of the Krishnaghar College, stood first and won a gold medal. In this connection, Vidyasagar had an opportunity of making intimate acquaintance of J. E. D. Bethune, the