Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/494

Rh and even Mr. Sutcliffe, the Principal of the Presidency College and Registrar of the Calcutta University was fain to admit that "the Pandit has done wonders." When the result of the examination was out, Vidyasagar was not in Calcutta; he was at his sanitarium, Karmatar. No sooner did he see the result in the Government Gazette, than he hastened to Calcutta, and first of all repaired to the house of the youth, Jogendra Chandra Basil, who had topped the list of successful candidates from the Institution. He congratulated Jogendra Chandra on his eminent success, and asked the youth to call at his own house. When the student appeared before him, he opened his Library, and taking out a complete set of Scott's Waverley Novels, bound in leather adorned with gilt letters of his name, made a gift of it to the youth as prize. He inscribed on the book, with his own hand, as follows:—

"Awarded

"To Jogindra Chandra Bose at the close of his brilliant career as a student in the Metropolitan Institution, (Sd.) "Isvar Chandra Sarma, "8th January, 1875."

The exceptionally brilliant success of the Metropolitan attracted many students from other colleges, and the school gradually rose to a very high eminence and prosperity, which encouraged Vidyasagar to raise it to the highest standard. In