Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/74

 frequent and bloody. His father, Thakurdas, nursed him, and removed the soil with his own hands. He was placed under the treatment of Durgadas Kaviraj, a neighbouring native physician of great repute. But the foul disease grew more serious every day, and, at last, his life was despaired of. No sooner did the news of his illness reach Birsingha, than his old grandmother hurried to Calcutta, and was soon by the bedside of her dear, little grandson. She nursed him tenderly for a few days, but when she saw that the disease was growing worse every day, she took him away to his native village, Birsingha, where he soon recovered even without any medical help.

To regain his former health, Isvar Chandra had to stay at his home for three months. By the end of May he returned to Calcutta in company with his father, who had gone home to bring him back. They resolved to travel by land as before. On the former occasion, they were accompanied by a menial servant, Ananda Ram Guti, who, at intervals, bore the boy Isvar Chandra on his shoulders. Thakurdas now asked Isvar Chandra whether he would be able to walk such a long distance, or Ananda Ram should accompany them, to which the boy replied with great enthusiasm that he would be able to walk, and that Ananda Ram would be an unnecessary accompaniment. Isvar Chandra was fearless and enthusiastic from his very childhood.