Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/408

Rh hands of Swinhoe & Co., Solicitors, who settled the affair and cleared off the debt, thus releasing the property of an ancient respectable family. All the country admired Vidyasagar's noble, disinterested exertions. But, unfortunately, for want of proper management, the estate failed to prosper, and the debt grew heavier. At last, the property was sold at auction, and the widows of Siva Narayan Chaudhuri and his brother were in great distress. Vidyasagar settled on each of them a monthly allowance of 30 rupees. Shortly after this, one Kasi Nath Ghosh of Monpur sued them for 800 rupees. Vidyasagar settled the debt on 150 rupees, which he paid out of his own pocket, thus relieving the poor widows of their embarrassments.

Even after the legislation of the remarriage of Hindu widows, several means were devised by Vidyasagar's friends to keep the movement alive. With this view, Umes Chandra Mitra, brother of the Hon'ble Sir Rames Chandra Mitra, one of the late native Justices of the Calcutta High Court, composed a drama, titled Bidhava-Bibaha Natak. The first performance of this play was opened to the public in the beginning of 1859. Keshub Chunder Sen, one of the greatest orators of Bengal, was intrusted with the management of the stage, and some of his friends and co-adjutors, such as Narendra Nath Sen, Krishna Vihari Sen, Protap Chunder Mozoomdar, and others played the different parts.