HIS EDUCATION AND STRUGGLES IN EARLY LIFE. 59 This was indeed the turning point in his re- markable career. ' In this office he worked till his lamentable death in 1861, and the decent in* come earned from this office varying from Rs. 25 to Rs. 400 a month, supplied him with the sinews of war with which he fought for the cause of his country- men during the Sepoy Mutiny and the Indigo crisis; Here he came tn contact with Colonels Champneys, the Deputy, and Goldie, the Auditor-General, who, to quote the words of the late: Babu Kris to Das Pal,, at once "discovered his latent powers, intelligence, and extraordinary business capacity,, and never failed to encourage him with friendly advice, reward, and hope." It was these noble, hearted English gentle- men who supplied him with books and newespapers and periodicals from their own private library, and encouraged him in. every possible way to acquire a knowledge of politics, of history, of jurispru- dence and of law. Far from discouraging him in his journalistic career, as is now unfortunately done by officials in general, Messrs, Champneys and Goldie gave him every possible encouragement consis- tent with their high official position. Since leaving the Union School Hurish Chunder had been carrying on private studies with the diligent devo- tion of an ardent student, and preparing himself for a prominent place among men of " light and leading " in Bengal. Hurish Chunder was not a man to be chilled by the damping influence of the dull drudgery of a Karanee's life ; and with, admirable self-sacrifice, diligence, and perseverance, he not- only rose, step by step*, in. the ranks of the ministerial service then open to the natives- of the country,, but stored his mind with, varied knowledge to take lead as a great journalist and politician in the dark days x>i the Sepoy Mutiny, and the Indigo crisis. Colonels Goldie and Champneys were not slow in discerning his high intellectual powers, and readily conferred
