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ness of his explanation and analysis against the authoritative interpretation of passages, was not destined to finish his education-not destined to go beyond the meagre elements of a charity-school, and come in contact with those elevated and refined minds who are capacitated to take us to

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"Drink deep, not merely taste the Piræan spring." The boy could not hold himself out longer in school: the means of support at home were very scant and precarious; the cry for bread became urgent and piteous; and he humanely determined to sacrifice his embellishments to the natural wants of a starving family. He left his school at the early age of thirteenwhen the faculties are said just to commence developing, to dash himself into the world, for the purpose of supplying his own and a beloved family's animal wants; though it must at the same time be borne in mind, that, with the school, as he subsequently proved to the world, he did not leave his books. When he left the school, to procure a livelihood, he begged for a common clerkship everywhere that he could persuade himself to hope for one; but he found

* Pope, with a verbal alteration.

STRUGGLE WITH POVERTY.

15

no charity in men to respond to his dutiful endeavours; and wherever he applied he had the mortification to find his merit, learning, and school-passport ridiculed and rejected by heads and assistants, who were always found to be guided in their selection by stiff-necked old keranee subordinates, who had slowly risen to position and fortune by the help of neither. The only passport then, as even now, to any situation, however mean, was a letter of recommendation. But poor Harris, born of beggarly parents, was as beggarly, as concerned that contemptible but indispensable commodity, as his parents. He was therefore obliged to betake himself to the business, as vicarious as uncertain, of drawing up petitions, letters, bills, &c., which brought him, no doubt, a stray rupee now and then, but it could not certainly be sufficient to give to him his livelihood; and he became desperate in position. On one unfortunate day, when he had not a grain of rice in his house for a simple dinner, and the call of nature could not be unattended to, he thought, poor soul, of mortgaging a brass plate to buy his simple fare. It was raining hard and furious, and there was no umbrella to go out under. Pensive and sad did the famished youth sit in the

house, meditating upon his unfortunate lot not, however, without a full reliance in the providence of Him who oversees the needy wants of all, providing with an unsparing hand for the poor and the destitute. He looked down upon Harris, sitting alone and grievous, and rescued the unfortunate victim of cruel fate from sheer starvation, by sending to him, just in the very nick of time, the mookhtyar of a rich zemindar with a document for translation. The fee was but two rupees-but it was a godsend: like the manna in the wilderness to the wandering Israelites, it proved to be the providential supplying of his pressing wants; and Harris, receiving it, offered up his thanks to Him who had so mysteriously saved his life, feeling at once the full truth of those trite but wholesome lines

"For young and old, the stout, the poorly,
The eye of God be on them surely."

But leaving this scene of early penury and wretchedness, we will now turn to the latter end of his life-to within a year of the present time, to June 1861. Let us imagine ourselves placed before the residence of a Baboo gentleman-a Calcutta mansion in Bhowaneepore, a mansion with a decent verandah and look-out; with its

THE CONTRAST.

17

spacious halls and tall stories, decked out with mirrors, and glasses, and chandeliers, and carpets, with all the other signs of the respectable social position of its possessor. We will draw near, enter, and observe; and we find all our expectations from the outer appearance -realised in the substance, elegance, and refinement within, with even a shade or two more, displaying talents, accomplishments, and patriotism. But where are we? Are we in the social parade and joy of a rich Native family? No!-hush, and walk gently; for we are in the very midst of the dark shadows of death, and are drawing nigh the chamber of a dying man! The master, the life and soul of the spacious mansion, is drawing his last breath. His family and friends are near him; the doctors are sent for, but to no avail; and the hand that moved so powerfully before, in struggles for the whole country, now falls motionless. The pulse sinks down; and he is lulled into sleep. All is over! The spirit has gone-gone to the bosom of its Maker, to regain its freedom from the temporary lease of the nether world; and there it is, in holy communion with the Father, who is in heaven, enjoying full felicity for a life of love. and labour-love to God above and labour

towards alleviating the sufferings of His creatures on earth-men.

But now we will leave the house, and the dark scene within it, and observe the subsequent events passing in the world outside. The death of this man is an event of national interest. He is spoken of in the newspapers, English and Native, as one who had passed a life of love and energy; whose heart was set on rescuing the helpless ryot from oppression and cruelty, and protecting the nation from a political thraldom which was only too ready to overtake them; whose name, in one word, was identified with whatever was of constitutional opposition to abuse of power and prostitution of influence; and whose death, therefore, is painfully announced as a calamity that will be deplored from one end of the country to the other. His memory is honoured with public notices: the Phoenix, the ablest of the Calcutta English journals, opens its columns in eulogy, and hopes that "the memory of such a man cannot be allowed to pass away with the present generation," and is glad "to see his Native friends bestirring themselves suitably in the matter." The hint is taken; subscriptions are set on foot in different parts of the

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