Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/625

578 with your request. Numbers of people come to consult me whether they should subscribe to the Fund. I am then put to a great dilemma. Under the present state of the Fund, I think, it would be wrong to advise any one to subscribe to it; while it would be equally wrong to deter any body from subscribing to it. The reason is, that it would be deceiving a man to induce him to subscribe to it, when a conviction has grown upon me that in future the Fund might be in a state of disorder; while to deter him would be acting in opposition to the Fund. To deceive a man wilfully, and to act in opposition to it while continuing in its connection, both are equally very wrong. If I keep any further connection with the Fund, I must commit either of the wrongs. It is this dilemma that disables me to comply with your request, for which I crave your indulgence.

'In fact, I am an unimportant person; yet you relied on me and charged me with such an important trust; I therefore pour forth my heartfelt gratitude to you. In the course of the period I held the important trust, I must have committed some errors; you will, please, be good enough to excuse me for them. So long that I was one of your trustees, I tried my best to do good to the Fund. I never cognisantly or wilfully showed the slightest disregard, indifference or inattention to it. I hope, you would be graciously pleased to give me leave to retire.'