Page:Isvar Chandra Vidyasagar, a story of his life and work.djvu/674

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CONSTRUCTION OF VIDYASAGAR'S HOUSE.
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to return to Calcutta. Here he recovered in a few days, and at the end of the prescribed period, performed the usual rites of his father's Sraddha. He then led a secluded life for some time. When he regained sufficient strength to undertake a journey, he again went to Benares and there fulfilled the last wishes of his dear parent—performed his Sraddha with great pomp, feasted many Brahmans and the hungry, and distributed alms to the poor and the needy.

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Loss of Consort.

By the end of 1876, the construction of his own house at Sukea's Street was brought to perfection. The neat, nice building with a small garden attached to it cost him a good round sum. In the beginning of the next year (1877), he removed himself to this comfortable abode with only his Library. But no suitable house being available in the neighbourhood for the accomodation of the other members, he was at last obliged to live with all his family in the new building.

In this year, he married his fourth daughter, Sarat Kumari Devi, to Kartik Chandra Chattopadhyay. Both the daughter and her husband lived in the same house and mess with Vidvasagar, who loved them and their children very dearly.

About this time, his health, which had already