Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/145

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ISVAR CHANDRA TIDYASAGAR.

examination of 1843-44, and passed it creditably with a second grade scholarship of fifteen rupees a month. Two years after this, he won a first grade scholarship of twenty rupees. He had a great mind to appear at the next higher (i. e., final) examination, but, unfortunately, his health having been very much impaired by his excessive toils, he was obliged to forego his design, and remove to a sanitarium to recruit his broken health.

The news of this unparalleled success soon spread like bonfire, and surprised even the learned professors of the Sanskrit College. People of all classes daily crowded Vidyasagar's house, with an eager desire to have a sight of the unusually intelligent and hardworking pupil and of his ingenious and clever teacher. In fact, the mode of instruction adopted by Vidyasagar was quite novel, and was a conspicuous proof of his inventive genius. Was it very strange then, that the people were so curious about it? When the famous Scotch author Carlyle devised his new plan, and books were published under the novel device, many learned and wise men of the time hurried to the farm of Dumfrey in the hilly tracts of far Scotland to have a sight of the famous author. Even Emerson, the great philosophical writer of America, visited Scotland, and satisfied his curiosity by seeing Carlyle with his own eyes. Such is the fascinating attraction of all novel, ingenious plans and methods.

Madan Mohan Tarkalankar was one of Vidya-