The Calcutta Review, 3rd Series/Volume 16/Notes of Academic Orphan of the Storm

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The Calcutta Review, 3rd Series/Volume 16

Notes of an Academic ”Orphan of the Storm”

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4210444The Calcutta Review, 3rd Series/Volume 16 — Notes of an Academic ”Orphan of the Storm”

NOTES OF AN ACADEMIC “ORPHAN OF THE STORM”

Little did the Orphan dream that the “tempest over the teapot” which blew in May last will continue to rage for all times to come. My one consolation is

“Blow, blow, thou winter wind
Thou art not so unkind
As man’s ingratitude.”

The statutory Appointments Board has, on the suggestion of Mr. Secretary to the Government of Bengal, Education Department, been graciously pleased to extend the period of the flickering life of the Post-Graduate teachers for a further term of three months to end on the 31st of December, 1925. How magnanimous of the Statutory Commission! And Mr. Secretary to the Government of Bengal can merely say “noblesse oblige.” The lecturers in the Post-Graduate department, who were characterised by two members of the I.E.S. on a previous occasion as forming themselves into a super-caste, will have the privilege of trembling in their shoes for a further period of three months listening to the “pax vobiscum” of the Senate in deep meditation and with religious attention. Their position is like that of the famous hero in Mother Hubberd’s tale :

“To speed to-day, to be put back tomorrow :
To feed on hope, to pine with sorrow.
To fret thy soule with crosses and with cares ;
To eate thy heart through comfortlesse despaires ;
To fawne, to crowche, to waite, to ride, to ronne
To spend, to give, to want, to be undonne.”