Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/251

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ISVAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR.

"To

"Pundit Ishwar Chunder Shurma
"Dated Fort William, the 22nd January, 1851.
"Sir,

"I am directed by the Deputy Governor of Bengal to inform you that His Honour has been pleased this day to appoint you to be Principal of the Sanscrit College on a salary of Rs. 150 per mensem.

I have &c.

Sd. W. Seton Karr,


Vidyasagar's chief aim now was to improve the College. He applied himself, heart and soul, to remodel it and bring in proper method and regularity in all respects. First of all, he directed his attention to regulate the punctual attendance of the professors, who had again fallen into their old habits, since he had left the College on the former occasion. They observed no fixed hour of attending the College; most of them were generally late. Nay, some of them came half an hour, or even a full hour, later. Almost all of them were Vidyasagar's teachers, and he had a great respect for them. But, at the same time, he had a keen sense of duty. He saw, that unless and until the teachers could be made regular and punctual, there was no hope for the College. He felt shy to tell them anything openly. But he must anyhow enforce regularity and punctuality in them, however painful the task might be. He tried various indirect means to bring them round, but without success. He then devised a new plan. He had at