Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/633

586 his feet with a pair of English-made shoes. Surendra Nath was also very fashionably clothed. When they arrived at the gates of the building, Vidyasagar was prevented by the porter to enter into the rooms; he was told to leave his shoes behind, as an Uriya like him could not be permitted to go in with his native slippers on. His two companions were allowed to go in without objection. Vidyasagar felt himself quite affronted, but thought fit not to utter a word of remonstrance. He at once left the place and stepped into his carriage, that was waiting outside the gates. No sooner did the news of the incident reach the ears of Babu Pratap Chandra Ghosh, the Assistant Secretary to the Asiatic Society, than he ran with all haste to Vidyasagar, and urgently requested him to come in, but our hero was a man of strong mind, and refused to re-enter the building, until he received a satisfactory reply to his letter, which, he said, he would soon write to the authorities. He then returned home, followed by his two companions.

On the 5th February, he addressed to the Secretary to the Trustees to the Indian Museum a long letter, some portions of which are quoted below:—

"To

"Sir,

"Having had occasion to visit the library of