Page:Sketches of some distinguished Indian women.djvu/145

 more lasting value, and which must be held to entitle her, without question, to honour and respect.

Three months after Miss Sorabji's appointment as Fellow, she received an acting appointment as Professor of English in the college. The work of this appointment is usually performed by the English Principal of the College, but owing to the absence of this gentleman, a vacancy occurred for about six months, during which time Miss Sorabji performed the duties and received the salary of the English professor.

It was a great honour to be awarded to one so young, and it was doubly welcome, as it enabled her to put by some money towards the expenses of a visit to England, on which she had set her heart. Not content with the successes she had already gained in India, Miss Sorabji desired to prosecute her studies still further, and her great ambition was, if possible, to go through a course at some college preparatory to passing the Degree Examination of one of our universities.

The Government of India, in order to encourage students to go to England, have established several scholarships, and Miss Sorabji hoped to be able to obtain one of them. But although her qualifications in other respects would have fully entitled her to it, the Government decided that it could only be held by a man. It was a cruel disappointment, and when, in