Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/563

516 The party at Comergunge consisted of about 66 families, who with the exception of 4 or 5 families have been obliged to leave the party. If those, who joined the cause at my solicitation and are suffering from their act, are not relieved and if the oppressors are not punished, I must leave the world, for what is the good of my remaining in it when there is no chance of success of the cause. I have resolved to devote my existence to it and if it fails, life would have no charm to me and existence would be useless."

We have said before, that latterly our hero had to seek healthy places for renovation of his impaired health, and that he generally resorted to Burdwan, which was one of the best sanitariums of the day. Vidyasagar had an old cook, by name Harakali Chaudhuri, who used to accompany his master in his sojourns. It is said, that one day, while at Burdwan, this Harakali reprehended a beggar woman, who had received alms from Vidyasagar in the shape of coins and cloth several times, for her impudence in coming to his master often for help. The kind-hearted Vidyasagar overheard this, and at once ordered retirement of the old servant on a monthly pension of two rupees. It is also said, that though the cook implored his master's