Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/718

Rh sagar. In one part of the paper, he said;—'We begin a thing, but never finish it; we make a great show, but never do anything; what we commence we do not believe; what we believe, we never perform; we can compose largest sentences, but we cannot sacrifice self in the least.' The Hon'ble President, in deep despondency, said;—'I see no harm in that we have failed to erect a monument; Vidyasagar himself is engraved in the heart of every native of Bengal.' This was no doubt an expression of helpless consolation arising out of heart-rending disappointment. But even taking it in a serious light, the noble deeds and works of Vidyasagar are no doubt his best monuments. Oil painting, metal statue, marble image—nothing can escape the destructive hands of age. But the name and fame of a man never perish; they are ever-lasting.

After his death, many poems, odes, and elegies, both long and short, appeared in the different vernacular periodicals,—daily, weekly, fortnightly, and monthly. They testify to the degree of veneration and love with which he reigned in the hearts of his country-men.