Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/47

 “in 1243 or 1244 of the Bengali era, the lover of his country, Sriprasad Lahiri, established a free English School in his own house. He threw himself, heart and soul, into the work of teaching, and supplied the poor among his pupils with books, paper, and pens. In a short time the Institution attained a very flourishing condition, and sent out numbers to fill important positions in Society.”

Sriprasad’s philanthropic spirit found a full development in after years. To relieve the poor, and thus to help them to forget their afflictions, was his chief end in life. From the salary of eighty rupees a month, which he got as Sheristadar of the Court of Krishnagar, he would help the poverty-stricken to the best of his ability. The Durga Puja season is to the Hindus what Christmas is to the Christians. The poorest of the poor even are at this time accustomed to appear in their best costume. There were many families known to Sriprasad who could not afford holiday attire; but they had a friend in this kind man to help them in their difficulty. He made presents of money and clothes to them. Besides this, he held his purse open to relieve the needy whenever he came across them. He distributed his charities in an admirable way, never letting his left hand know what his right hand gave. He is said once to have given half his monthly salary to a friend in distress, with the strict instruction that he would not say a word of this to anybody.

Sriprasad was deeply learned in Sanskrit, Persian and English; and his abilities were of a very high order. He filled the Sheristadarship with so much credit, that he was soon appointed as a Deputy Collector; but the hand of death snatched him away, and thus prevented him from enjoying his promotion.

One word more about this great man. He could have