The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-07-01
Charlie. Lamb.


Charles Lamb was by nature of a seri-
Gus and reflective turn: and the accidents of
his life, acting upon sensitive oTganiza-
ton, made him peculiarly alive to the tragic
Inducements which flowed beneath the
grOtesque and larcical incidents and charac-
acters passing before him. Little did the
majority Of those who saw this social pun
ming, gentle, frolicksome, stammering,
quaint humoriSt, imagine the awful shadow
which forever rested upon his spirit, ming
ling with and deepening by contrast the
brightness OF its sunshine. Yes, in that
overlooking clerk-in the delicate Ella,
underneath the lightsome wit and playful
iancy, there was shrouded dark tragedy.
such as would have broken many a robust
spirit. The story is known but to few. and
those few have hitherto, from obvious mo.
tlves OF delicacy, RETAINED from speaking
Of II. The time hiss now come, We believe,
when the grave having closed over all
whom 1t may concern, the story ought to
be Iold as noble example Of unobtrusive
beroism.
Lambs parents were very poor. Lamb
himself, al the time We speak OF, being q
mere clerk, and unable TO afford them much
assistance, the weight OF their maintenance
fell upon ms sister, the well-known Mary
Lamb. BY her needle she contrived TO
support them. She had taken young girl
into the house as an apprentice, and things
went on smoothly enough till the increas-
ing inhmities of the old lady, and the in
cessanI watching thereby rendered necessa-
ry made great inrosds upon Mary Lambs
health. Having in the earlier part Of her
life suffered temporary insanity from har-
assment, Mays present state was alarm
ing, and her brother went to DR.. Pitcairn
in the morning to consult about her, but
unfortunately did not find him at home.
On that very afternoon-it was the 22d
Sept, 1796-while the family were pre-
pairing Tor dinner, Mary seized a knife
which lay on the table, and making rush
at her little apprentice, pursued her round
the room with fearful menaces. Her in
firm old mother, with eager and terrified
calls upon her to desist, attempted to inter
fere. With wild shrieks Mary turned up-
on her mother and stabbed her to the heart
She then msdly hurled the knives and forks
about the room, one Of which struck her
helpless old father on the forehead. The
shrieks Of the girl, and her own wild cries.
brought up the landlord of the house; but
il was TOO late; he stood aghast at the ter
rible spectacle Of the old woman lifeless on
the chair, her daughter fercely standing
over her with the fatal knife still In her
hand; her father bleeding at the forehead.
and weeping by the side Of his murdered
wife; the girl covering in corner!
An inquest was held next day, at which
the jury, without hesitation, brought in the
verdict Of lunacy. Here there is a blank in
our narrative. We do not know whether
Mary Lamb was confined for any period in
an asylum, and released on being pronoun-
ced sane, or whether Charles from the first
undertook that watchful care of her which
formed the heroism Of bis subsequent life.
Ii is difficult to get at the details of an
event which occurred fifty years ago, and
which even at the time seems 10 have been
carefully hushed up; Tor in the account OF
the inquest reported in the annual Regis
ter" Of that year, from some inexpIicable
cause, no name tchateUer is mentioned. ex.
cept DR.. Pitcairn. 1t merely says. ssThe
coroner's jury sat on the body of an old la.
dy, in the 1leighborhood Of Holborn. %
But that the matter was not wholly an.
known, is proved by the curious fact OF the
name being mentioned in the indez to the
"Annual Register" compiled in 1896
that is TO say, thirty years after the account
was originally published where il stands
thOs-"Murder Of Mrs. Lamb by her in.
sane daughter"
This CHASTITY incident gave new shape
to all Lambs subsequent career. At that
time ne was IN love-the only time he ever
felt the Passion-andit inspired ga few son.
nets OF very delicate, feeling, and exquisite
music" but he felt that his sister demanded
all his care, and to her he sacrificed love
marriage, everything, Like a brave. suf
ienng. nnseifsh man, he, at twenty-one. re-.
nounced the dream of love for the Stern an.
terity Of duty:
al. And let nm sr1eve who cannot choose but er,ex.
Thai ne hath been an Elm without his Vine e'""
=. se.t ooNcf OF clustering charities
t4enc ms uunk and branches nigh; have clups
Enncning and adoruine Unto thee s'"As
No. NO. % enriched. not 80 adorned, 70 thee
was gwen sister, $50
10 whom thy reason and Intelligent hesrt
roeno-iof 81 Interests, hopes anf tender e.r..
a. sonenmg, h1maniEing, ksnowine powers-
MORE than safheient recompense.
II angieness Of heart, and unshaken con-.
siancy OF affection, could make any recon-
'hhLsms whom Wordsworth Is sadresaas.