years to remain unsatisfied. Then, on glancing through a Bengali book, which contained sketches of famous Indian women, I found one of Toru Dutt. It was, however, so incomplete that it merely served to whet my appetite for still further knowledge. A few years later, on scanning the titles of the books in my father's library, I found a beautiful volume entitled A Sheaf gleaned in French Fields by Toru Dutt. Seizing it eagerly, I found in it a prefatory memoir written by her father. Even this was not full enough to allay my thirst for a thorough acquaintance with the biography of my heroine, and at this juncture the idea of writing myself what I could not find elsewhere began to take shape in my mind. In December 1911, I began the task of collecting materials for the biography, and was fortunate in obtaining an introduction to some of Toru Dutt's relatives in Calcutta. Through them I was placed in touch with Miss Martin, who had known Toru intimately in Cambridge. In reply to my request for reminiscences, she wrote, I am much interested in hearing that you are wishing to bring out a memoir of my dear friend, Toru Dutt; I have already begun my notes for it. It is very wonderful after these many years of silence, that people should be beginning to think of her again.' Miss Martin's visit to India in the winter of 1913 gave me an invaluable opportunity of gaining the information I sought. Through her kindness I am able to publish Toru's letters, which had been treasured with zealous care for so many years. My indebtedness to Miss Martin for her unvarying kindness in giving me access to all the available material in her possession, in addition to her constant and stimulating encouragement, cannot be over-estimated. Suffice it to say, that without this help the biography would never have been written. The correspondence between Toru and Mlle Bader concerning her La Femme dans l'Inde Antique has been translated and added to the appendix. I should like to thank my friends, Mr. and Mrs. Barun Chunder Dutt, and other members of the Dutt family who have supplied me with useful information. Grateful acknowledgements too are due to another friend, Principal E. J. Thompson, B.A., M.C., of the Wesleyan College, Bankura, Bengal, who has revised the MS. and written the supplementary review which appears in this book. Mr. P. C. Lyon, C.S.I., sometime Member for Education on the Bengal Executive Council, the late Bishop Lefroy of Calcutta, and my friend Mr. G. C. Ghose, President, Christian Convention League, Bengal, have also laid me under a debt by their kindness in giving advice, encouragement, and many valuable suggestions. I have also to thank Mr. Edmund Gosse for permission to quote from the Introductory Memoir to the Ancient Ballads of Hindustan, and the following publishers for permission to quote from the books mentioned after their names: Messrs. Longmans, Green & Co. (The Dutt Family Album); Messrs. Kegan Paul & Co. (Ancient Ballads of Hindustan); and Messrs. T. Fisher Unwin, Ltd. (Mr. R. W. Frazer's Literary History of India). 'Read no history: nothing but biography, for that is life without theory,' said Disraeli, and I venture to commend this Memoir to my readers, in the hope that they may find in it an illustration of the truth of that maxim. LONDON. January 20, 1920. H. DAS. |
