Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/648

Rh A secluded and retired life in some salubrious climate was now absolutely necessary for him. About this time, a Bungalow was notified for sale at Deoghur, a most healthy place in upper Bengal. He offered to purchase it, but the terms being immoderately high, he gave up the idea. He then rented a plot of land, very close to Karmatar, a Station midway between Jamtara and Madhupur on the East Indian Railway Line. The place lies in the Santhal Pergunnas. It had, at that time, a somewhat jungly appearance, being covered on all sides with dense woods, and was, in consequence, very well suited to the purpose. He laid out the land, and erected there a nice Bungalow to his mind. In its compound he planted flower plants and fruit trees, and thus turned it to a most comfortable habitation. The poor, savage Santhals were his only neighbours. The Santhals are believed to be one of the aboriginal tribes of India. They are honest and truthful They soon perceived the flow of natural kindness and benevolence of their new neighbour, and became his objects of love and endearment—his friends and relations. In fact, some of them addressed him father, some brother, some uncle, and so forth. Their poor huts of leaves were overflooded with the flow of Vidyasagar's genial kindness and assumed a gay, cheerful aspect Vidyasagar supplied them with food in hunger, clothes in nudity, medicine in sickness. He fed them with