Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/498

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THE METROPOLITAN INSTITUTION.
455

you may fail in your own duty.' If he saw any boy slumbering in the class, he would at once remove him from the class and provide for his sleep in some seperate place. These surprise visits had the effect of keeping both the teachers and the students always alert and attentive to their respective works. Whenever a teacher or student called on him at his residence after school hours, he would leave everything aside, and first of all feed him with refreshments. It is said that on such occasions he would peel and divide Mangoes and other fruits with his own hands, and feed his visitor with them sumptuously. If any of the servants of the Institution was ill, he would take great care of him and provide for his proper medical treatment. When Kasi, the old porter of the Institution died of Carbuncle, Vidyasagar was very sorry, for he had not been told of his illness, and consequently no provisions had been made for the poor man's treatment. Henceforth he engaged a medical practitioner for the teachers and other servants of the Institution.

We have already said that the monthly rate of tuition-fee in this Institution was 3 rupees per head. But those poor boys who could not afford to pay even this small fee, were allowed by him to read as free-students. Sometimes unscrupulous persons took undue advantage of his kindness and deceived him in this respect. On one occasion, a wealthy man of Calcutta falsely recom-