Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/112

 Digambar Mitra (on whom the title of Raja was afterwards conferred) were admitted on the same day into the fourth class. The well-known Mr Henry Vivian Derozio was the master of this class. This young man was gifted with extraordinary talents, and we intend giving a short history of his career in the Appendix. This much we say now, that he introduced a new epoch in the intellectual and moral history of Bengal, and moulded, when they were boys, the character of men like Ramtanu Lahiri, Krishnamohan Banerji, Ram Krishna Mullick, Dakhinaranjan Mukerji and Ram Gopal Ghosh. Though he taught the fourth class alone, he was friendly with almost all the students of the college.

Every day after school he helped them to get up the next day’s lessons, and entertained them with his amusing and instructive conversation. His house again was the favourite resort of many among them, who, when there, received every courteous attention as guests. Ram Gopal Ghosh, Dakhinaranjan Mukerji, Mahes Chandra Ghosh, and a few others who afterwards distinguished themselves as men of deep erudition and great ability, received their early training from him not only while in the college but also when in his own home.

Mr Derozio’s house had a great attraction for these young lads. There they learnt much and enjoyed much. Ideas quite novel were so presented before their minds that they could easily grasp them. Not only were their intellects sharpened, but their views with regard to their moral duties too were expanded under his influence. The hitherto impregnable stronghold of prejudice and superstition was adroitly attacked by him; and Hindu lads, brought up from infancy in the belief that the society of a Christian is contaminating, and that the food touched by him or prepared in his house is so defiling as to hurl him