Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/61

24 He secured the warmest love and esteem of his pupils, and sincere friendship and patronage of their guardians. Such was the village school-master, who was introduced into Birsingha, and into the hands of this worthy teacher was Isvar Chandra placed by his father, at the early age of five years.

The boy, Isvar Chandra, had uncommon parts, which began to develop early in this elementary school. He finished the course of study taught in this kind of school in three year's time, and at this early age of eight, he wrote a very good hand. Good handwriting had a very high place at that time, and was taken to be the best recommendation, a bride could have. The teacher, Kalikanta, was greatly surprised at the degree of intelligence and memory displayed by young Isvar Chandra, and he was often heard to say that this boy would become a great man in his after-life.

After he had been one year with Kalikanta, Isvar Chandra was seriously ill with Enlargement Spleen and Dysentery. He had, therefore, to be removed to the house of his maternal uncle at village Patul, for treatment. His younger brother, Dinabandhu, accompanied him. Here he was placed under the treatment of Ram Lochan Kaviraj, a native physician of Kothra, which is a village close to Khanakul Krishnanagar in the Hugli district. Under the treatment of this able physician, he was soon cured perfectly. When he regained strength enough to be able to undertake a journey, he came