Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/252

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ISVAR CHANDRA VIDYASAGAR.
209

that time, his quarters on the second floor of the College-building. As soon as the clock struck 10-30 A. M., which was the hour fixed for the commencement of business, he went round all the classes; and if he found that some of the teachers were not yet come (which, unfortunately was a daily occurrence.), he at once went out to the gates of the College, and there paced up and down in front of them. No sooner did the teachers approach him, one by one, than he saluted each with a greeting, asking, at the same time,—'Do you come now, Sir?' This, of course, put the teachers to great shame, and had. the desired effect of rectifying their bad habits of late attendance.

He then bestowed his thoughts on the internal improvement of the College. He firmly believed, that the success of an educational institution depended mainly on the co-operation and good-will of the students. He also believed, that their good-will and co-operation could be secured only by kind and gentle treatment, which would serve to make them regular and punctual in attendance and more attentive to their studies. It was with this conviction, that he treated the students as if they were his own children. Referring to his treatment of the scholars, one of his pupils said one day to one of his friends:—"When we were students of the Sanskrit College, we saw Vidyasagar generally living in the College building.[1]


  1. It is said, that during the great wide-spread agitation