Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/366

 myself before you. You may now carry out your wishes.' The audience bowed down their head in shame, and apologised for their ill conduct.

Several amusing stories are told in connection with the abusive language thrown at him by his opponents. On one occasion, when he was returning to Calcutta from Burdwan, a Pandit got up into Vidyasagar's compartment from the Pandua Station. This Pandit happened not to know Vidyasagar personally, but had merely heard his name. In course of conversation, the Pandit began to talk of widow marriage, and abused Vidyasagar (not knowing that the man, he was talking to, was Vidyasagar in person) in the filthiest language possible. Subsequently when he alighted at the Hugli Station, he was told that the man, he had talked to, was Vidyasagar himself. The news gave him such a shock, that he fell down senseless on the platform. Vidyasagar nursed him with good care, and gave him some money, besides, for his treatment.

About the time that the country was in great commotion on account of Vidyasagar's movement, Mr. Pratt, an Inspector of Schools, asked him one day, whose was the best protest of all that had appeared against his paper. By way of joke, Vidyasagar named one, who had abused him the most. Pratt could not grasp the joke. He took down the name of the man, and in a short time, made him a Deputy Inspector of Schools. When