Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/425



In the year 1862, Michael Madhusudana Datta went out to England to study the Law and become a Barrister-at-law. Before he left India he had let his patrimony to a well-reputed Vakil of Calcutta. It had been arranged, at the time, that the pleader should pay the consideration money by instalments to a certain Raja of the Kayastha caste, who, as go-between, would remit the amounts to Madhusudana at stated intervals. The Raja sent him only a few instalments, and then stopped remittance. Not only did he stop remittance, but even would not take the trouble to reply to Michael's letters. Madhusudana was now in the greatest misery in a foreign land. He was not alone there. His wife and children had accompanied him. His painful situation rose to such a climax, that he was on the threshold of gaol, when he suddenly recollected an Indian friend, to whom he addressed a long, pitiful letter, as the last resource, imploring his assistance. Dear reader, can you guess who was the Indian friend, to whom he appealed for rescue? He was no other than the great philanthropic Pandit Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar. We cannot forbear quoting some portions of the long letter:—