Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/580

Rh contributed one thousand rupees to the aid of Mahendra Lal's Science Association. But latterly the two had a great difference. It is said, that it originated on the occasion of the illness of Vidyasagar's youngest daughter. Vidyasagar wrote to the Doctor requesting his attendance to the girl; but the latter put aside the letter without opening it at the moment. After the lapse of several hours, he opened the note and called. When Vidyasagar heard from him the cause of his unusual delay in attending to such a serious case, he was deeply pained and a little offended. Thus originated the difference, which ultimately grew so serious, that the two hardly met, and if ever they met by accident, their four eyes never met. They met only again for the last few days of Vidyasagar's life, when Mahendra Lal willingly forgot the difference and called to see the great man in his sick-bed.

In the year 1874, Vidyasagar lost one of his greatest friends and supporters in the demise of Maharaja Mahatap Chand Bahadur of Burdwan. He was a staunch advocate of all of Vidyasagar's movements.

About this time, he displayed a noble heroism which showed to the world that he was no hypocrite. Some people had been insinuating that Vidyasagar was a double shuffler—that he, who was the father of the widow marriage movement and was forward to consummate such alliance in