Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/519

 3 o'clock in the morning of the 19th July, 1866. The deceased Raja was a great friend of Vidyasagar's. Before his death, he had requested his friend to be a Trustee of his estate, but Vidyasagar declined. The Hindoo Patriot of the 23rd July of the same year thus spoke of the Raja:—"He (i.e. Raja Pratap Chandra) was one of the principal supporters of the female schools established and managed by Pandit Issur Chandra Vidyasaghar." Vidyasagar was heartily grieved at the untimely death of his dear friend.

On the death of the Raja the state of his family and estate was most deplorable. For arrears of land revenue the estate was about to be put to auction. At the request of the deceased Raja's grandmother (father's mother), Rani Katyayani, Vidyasagar, accompanied with the Raja's minor sons, interviewed Sir Cecil Beadon, the then Lieutenant-Governor of Bengal. At his earnest solicitation, Beadon saved the estate from revenue sale and placed it under the management of the Court of Wards. It was at the instance of Vidyasagar, that the minor sons of the Raja were saved from the hands of the Wards' Institution. They were placed under the care of Rani Katyayani, and several European and native gentlemen were appointed their guardians, among whom Vidyasagar was one.

He had thus to visit the Raj-bati often. One day, on his way thither, he was confronted by a