Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/394

taries to the Government of India, may be named foremost He cherished sentiments of respectful regard and esteem for Vidyasagar, and had an implicit faith in him. To prove this, we will narrate an incident which happened some time before Vidyasagar's retirement. The reader is aware that shortly after Act XV of 1856 (Hindu Widow Marriage Act) had been passed, and it had become a Law for the country, whole India and even England were in a state of great commotion and anxiety on account of the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. Some say that the Widow Marriage Act was one of the incentive causes of the rebellion. Be that as it might, this is not the place to enter into a discussion upon that point. After the mutiny had been quelled and the rebels subdued, the Queen of England (Victoria) issued a Proclamation. When this Proclamation came into the hands of the Government of India, it had to be translated into the different vernacular languages of the country. Beadon intrusted Vidyasagar with its Bengali translation. On this subject he wrote a letter to Vidyasagar on the 22nd October, 1858, to the following effect—I wish you to translate the Proclamation into Bengali. It would be better, if you could look in here to-morrow at 11 a. m. It is quite irregular to send out papers, or I would have sent them to you. Do not let any body know that you are charged with this translation. Is this not a clear proof of Beadon's trust in Vidyasagar?