Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/589

 that very rarely, only on occasions of his illness, when he was too weak to do the cooking himself; he gave up wearing shoes; he did not use umbrella; he slept on a rug on the floor; in short, he renounced all luxuries and comforts of life. He did not visit Benares, the scene of her last days, for two years after the mournful incident.

In November 1873, Thakurdas was again ill. No sooner did the news reach Vidyasagar, than he hurried to Benares. He nursed his father most tenderly, who recovered in a fortnight. Every morning he walked about the holy city with a purseful of silver coins of all values, which he gave away in alms to the poor and the needy. He had a great aversion for the Bengali Brahmans of Benares; but he had a very high opinion of the Mahratta Brahmans, whom he treated with much respect. He even washed their feet with his own hands. Whenever he had an occasion for feeding Brahmans, it was the Brahmans of Mahratta whom he entertained most sumptuously. He never feasted those of his own country. His main duty in Benares was to do the marketing and cooking for his father with his own hands, and to eat the Prasad (the remains of a meal) left by his parent. The reader is aware that in his early years want made him do all the cooking himself. He had thus acquired a great proficiency in the art of preparing food. Not only did he cook his father's meal, but he took a great delight in feeding people