Page:The Message and Ministrations of Dewan Bahadur R. Venkata Ratnam, volume 1.djvu/23

 calling, Shubedar Appaya Naidu brought up Ills son in strictly conservative ways; and to the end of his life, in spite of sharp divergence of belief and practice, the masterful temper of the father always held the meek-spirited son in almost physical dread. During the early days of his association with the Brahma Samaj, Venkata Ratnam was, on one occasion, coutnied by his stern-natured father within a closed room, well-nigh starving for two days for the disobedience of persistent attendance at prayer-meetings. His interest in that great religious movement of modern India was first awakened at the Banda High School. The name of Rajah Rammohan Roy, found mentioned in a small text-book of Indian History as primarily responsible for the abolition of Sati, prompted his side-enquiry in the class as to who that good man was. The teacher, hailing from the Rajah’s own province but no Brahmo himself, briefly described him as the founder of a new religions sect believing in One Only God and opposing itself to idolatry. This incidental hint set the thoughtful youth seriously a-thinking; he