Page:Sir Henry Lawrence, the Pacificator.djvu/146

Rh feeling was not shown to natives only. It was of the essence of the man, and it affected his relations all round. Especially was he careful to avoid being credited with what was due to others instead of to himself. Writing to his sister of a family fund, he says, 'I dunned John into aiding it at first, but I mistook my man, for, instead of requiring to be urged he has put me to shame.' His charities far exceeded what was in ordinary estimation thought justifiable, considering his family circumstances, while the thought and care he devoted to such considerations, in addition to actual money, are evinced by the establishment of the Lawrence Asylum and other similar institutions.

A few words here respecting the Lawrence Asylum will not be out of place. Struck by the neglected state and the great mortality of the children of the English community in India, especially in the Plains, he had first proposed that the Calcutta Orphan Asylum should be removed to the Hills, and had offered a very large contribution in aid of the scheme; but the offer was declined and the proposal rejected. He then, in 1845, proposed to Government the establishment of a school in the Hills for soldiers' children, offering a donation of £500 and a yearly subscription of £100, and pointing out how existing funds and grants might be justly utilized for such an institution. Private support to the scheme was secured, and the regimental commanders were then addressed. After much discussion, inquiry, and consideration, sufficient funds and support for a start were obtained, and the