Page:Ramtanu Lahiri, Brahman and Reformer - A History of the Renaissance in Bengal.djvu/56

 their own purses, so as to straiten themselves considerably. Besides this, they spent almost all their earnings in such works of public utility as the excavation of tanks, and the building of temples, and in feeding and making gifts to the Brahmans, and the poor in general; and many of them possessed such noble traits of character as to command our admiration. One of these was Babu Tarakanta Rai; and Dewan Kartik Rai, his nephew, writes of him:

“My uncle, the elder brother of my father, was matchless in the excellence of his character. His language was full of sweetness; and never did he talk disrespectfully to anybody. He was so bountiful, that all applying to him for help were listened to and relieved to the full extent of his power. He was the master of his passions: and equally kind to friend or foe. Some of his spiteful relations had done him great harm, and had caused him great trouble; but never was he wanting in kindness to them. He helped them in distress, watched by their beds of sickness, had them carried to the banks of the Ganges to ensure them a peaceful death, and, when they were no longer on this earth, saw to the decent performance of their Sraddha. For the benefit of my sons, I give here two incidents displaying the largeness of his mind. Once he got a young Kayasta, living in great poverty near our house, employed in the palace. In a short time, the Kayasta became the Raja’s pet Khansama, and grew into a man of substance. He no longer remembered what the Dewan had done for him, and, in his cupidity, tried to deprive us of a few bighas of land. On this my eldest brother with his friends went to chastise him, and he in fear sought the protection of my uncle, who strictly commanded my brother not to molest the man. But the ungrateful wretch in a short time forgot this act of kindness, and sought, through the Civil Court, to dispossess us of a part of our landed property.