श्री ईश्वरचन्द्र विद्यासागर अपने मित्र श्रीगिरीशचन्द्र विद्यारत्नके साथ बंगालके कालना नामक गाँव जा रहे थे। मार्गमें उनकी दृष्टि एक लेटे हुए मजदूरपर पड़ी। उसे हैजा हो गया था। मजदूरकी भारी गठरी एक ओर लुढ़की पड़ी थी। उसके मैले कपड़ोंसे दुर्गन्ध आ रही थी। लोग उसकी ओरसे मुख फेरकर वहाँसे शीघ्रतापूर्वक चले जा रहे थे। बेचारा मजदूर उठनेमें भी असमर्थ था। ‘आज हमारा सौभाग्य है।’ विद्यासागर बोले।
‘कैसा सौभाग्य ?’ विद्यारत्नने पूछा। विद्यासागरने कहा- ‘किसी दीन-दुखीकी सेवाका अवसर प्राप्त हो, इससे बढ़कर सौभाग्य क्या होगा। यह बेचारा यहाँ मार्गमें पड़ा है। इसका कोई स्वजन समीपहोता तो क्या इसको इसी प्रकार पड़े रहने देता। हम दोनों इस समय इसके स्वजन बन सकते हैं।’ एक दरिद्र, मैले-कुचैले दीन मजदूरका उस समय स्वजन बनना, जब कि हैजे-जैसे रोगमें स्वजन भी दूर भागते हैं- परंतु विद्यासागर तो थे ही दयासागर और उनके मित्र विद्यारत्न भी उनसे पीछे कैसे रहते। विद्यासागरने उस मजदूरको पीठपर लादा और विद्यारत्त्रने उसकी भारी गठरी सिरपर उठायी। दोनों कालना पहुँचे। मजदूरको रहनेकी सुव्यवस्था की, एक वैद्यजीको चिकित्साके लिये बुलाया और जब मजदूर दो-एक दिनमें उठने-बैठने योग्य हो गया, तब उसे कुछ पैसे देकर वहाँसे लौटे।
Mr. Ishwarchandra Vidyasagar was going to a village called Kalna in Bengal with his friend Mr. Girishchandra Vidyaratna. On the way, his eyes fell on a lying laborer. He had cholera. The laborer’s heavy bundle was lying rolled to one side. Foul smell was coming from his dirty clothes. People were leaving from there quickly turning their faces towards him. The poor laborer was unable to even get up. ‘Today is our good fortune.’ Vidyasagar spoke.
‘What luck?’ Vidyaratna asked. Vidyasagar said- ‘What can be more fortunate than getting an opportunity to serve the poor. This poor man is lying here on the way. Had any of his relatives been near, would he have allowed him to remain like this? We both can become his relatives at this time. To become a relative of a poor, dirty laborer at a time when even relatives run away in diseases like cholera – but Vidyasagar was anyway, how could Dayasagar and his friend Vidyaratna stay behind him. Vidyasagar carried that laborer on his back and Vidyarattra lifted his heavy bundle on his head. Both reached Kalna. Arrangements were made for the laborer to stay, a doctor was called for treatment and when the laborer was able to get up and sit in a day or two, he returned from there after giving him some money.
