Page:Vidyasagar, the Great Indian Educationist and Philanthropist.djvu/17

 to admit him, holding that he would not appreciate Sanskrit poems. He let his objections subside, finding him precocious and of great promise. Both in the first and second year classes he was by far the best boy. He wrote a very pretty hand and could speak Sanskrit with fluency. He also composed some Sanskrit poems, thoughtful and elegant for his age; while his skill in essay-writing was excelled by none.

At fourteen while still in the literary section he, submitting to the will of his parents, took to wife Dinamayi, a charming girl of eight. Her father was endowed by nature with herculean strength of body and was universally admired for his liberal disposition. She proved a capable wife and an affectionate mother

Marriage did not interfere with his studies and he never ceased to be diligent and painstaking. In the Rhetoric class he worked harder than ever, often reading far into the night. Though he scored a brilliant success, illness seized hold of him. He