Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/552

Rh cently, that the shawl was of real Benares make, and cost him 500 rupees, and at the same time began admiring the qualities of the texture. Vidyasagar smiled and said:—'Why have you spent so large an amount on this shawl, when an ordinary blanket might keep you equally warm? What is the good of the valuable gold chain to fasten your watch with, when the purpose might be sufficiently served by a piece of strong thread? You are no less crazed than myself.' The visitor was dumb-founded, and could make no reply.

On his recovery from the injuries of his fall at Uttarpara, Vidyasagar first went to Chandernagore for a change, but the place being found to be uncongenial to his improvement, he left it for Burdwan. Burdwan was at that time one of the best sanitariums in Bengal. The dangerous Malaria, which subsequently ravaged it, had not then set in, and people from different quarters resorted to it for renovation of their damaged health. At Burdwan, he put up with Babu Pyari Chand Mitra, who was then the Serishtadar of the local Judge's Court-office. Pyari Chand had married a sister of Vidyasagar's intimate friend, Syama Charan. Although he took a second wife after the death of the first, his love for his former brother-in-law did not lessen. He often visited the latter's house, as formerly during the life-time of his first wife. On one of these occasions, Syama Charan had introduced him to Vidyasagar, and the two had since formed a great friendship.