Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/667

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ISVAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR.

infinite good to their father-land. To demonstrate the truth of our statement, we could give an exhaustive catalogue of the names of those gentlemen, but out of respect for their departed souls, we forbear.

Babu Pyari Charan Sarkar was profoundly grieved at this state of things, and he was firmly resolved upon adopting some means to uproot this baneful vice, which was slowly undermining the Indian Society. It was mainly through his exertions, that "The Bengal Temperance Society" was formed at Calcutta in the beginning of 1864. Vidyasagar and some other influential and leading personages joined the Society since its very foundation. Raja Radha Kanta Dev Bahadur, in a letter addressed to the Secretary of the Society, congratulated him on its establishment. He "hailed with joy the inauguration of this Society, promised to take the deepest interest in its progress, and to give his cordial concurrence to all measures it may adopt for the eradication of the dreadful vice, and the reclaiming of those who have succumbed to its influence."

At the inauguration meeting of this Society, were present Woodrow, Dall, Vidyasagar, Pyari Charan Sarkar, the Hon'ble Sambhu Nath Pandit, Dr. Gurudas Banarji, and a number of respectable gentlemen of station and influence, European, American and Indian. After several gentlemen had delivered their speeches, Pyari Charan re-