Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/582

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Sambhu Chandra wrote to Vidyasagar, who thereupon settled a bridegroom for the girl. In the meantime, Narayan Chandra, who was at home then, fell in love with the fair girl, and expressed a desire to marry her himself. Information of this proposal was sent to Vidyasagar, and he received the news with utmost delight and rejoicing. He sent for the bride and bridegroom, and when they arrived, he performed the ceremony with great eclat. The marriage was celebrated in the house of Kali Charan Ghosh of Mirzapore in Calcutta. Narayan Chandra was, at this time, aged 21 years. Vidyasagar had not fetched his wife at the nuptials, for fear lest she should stand in the way and prevent the alliance. All the members of his family, particularly his brother Sambhu Chandra, were against the union. Before the celebration of the marriage, Narayan Chandra had said to his father; 'Sir, I have no such merit, whereby I could add to the glory of your name. I know full well that your life-long aim is to relieve the miseries of virgin widows by giving them away in re-marriage; in the achievement of that aim you have the chiefest pleasure. That lies in the power of this unworthy son. I shall never turn my back to that. If I can thereby contribute my small mite to minister to your pleasure of heart, I shall consider myself most fortunate; and your opponents will then have no cause to cast innuendoes at your honest, bene-