371
with the narrative of Prathaba's childhood and education; the character of his easygoing father and his indulgent grand mother are admirably delineated. English readers cannot fail to learn much from the author's glimpses of the inner life of a “Hindu” family.
The following extract is taken from "Harvest Field" (a Bangalore Magazine specially devoted to Missionary topics) published in March 1886, at page 267.
A chapter from the first Tamil Novel, "Prathaba Mudaliar" the first Tamil Novel, was first published seven years ago, and has, until lately, been for some time out of print. Its author, S. Vedanayagam Pillai, is perhaps the foremost Tamil Writer of the present time, and is master in Poetry as well as in Prose. He is a Christian, and withal a true Tamil man as he ought to be. This book is an indication of a clear advance both in Tamil thought and literature for in it the spirit of the west often clothes itself in Tamil speech. It is an eminently healthy and homely book and is well planned and ably written.
The Hindu
24th July, 1889
The Late Mr. S. Vedanayagam Pillai,
We regret to record the death of Mr. VEDA- NAYAKAM PILLAI pensioned District Munsiff, a resident of Mayavaram, on the night of the 21st from dropsy. As District Munsiff, he was very popular and discharged his
