New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-26
MR. READE AND HIS HERO.

The story which makes our Thanksgiving
number memorable, is in some respects the
most remarkable ever written by Mr. Charles
Readc. He has long held the attention of the
world by bis vigorous and spirited fctions,
but he is likely to produce more immediate
and powerful effect by this narrative of James
Lambert, which is merely prodlgiously sue
ccssful feat of reporting. lie guarantees IFS
entire exactness, and his word is sufficient for
that purpose. He made a journey to Glasgow
to seek ont the hero of a paragraph which i'm
pressed him years ago, and when nc Ia"
found him, with that irresistible energy and
thoroughness which characterize aii his work,
he got out of him all the shy music which had
been stored up in his nature during a
lifetime bungling visitor would have
frozen the current Of those wonderful
"reminiscences into awkward commonplace.
But this consummate master touched the keys
so skllfully that the story rippes on with the
easy sparkle Of wit and sentiment and humor
which marks the talk of clever friends 10y the
firesde. The intoerant dlctum of Balzlc is
again contradicted and it is shown once more
that real life sometimes does produce per-
feet story, with a beginning, middle, and end.
But it must be admitted that the world does
not often see a reporter who can tell "A perfect
story without damaging it,
Every one will read this marvellous tale Of
heroi,m in humble life, and we hope that
every one will draw some moral from it. To
us it seems an exceedingly attractive and COM
prehensive sermon, suitable to be read to-
day after church. and read again az intervals.
The more obvious teaching which will be found
in it is that taught by the example of the
strong swimmer of Glasgow himself, his
courage, his unselfshness, his cheerful patience,
his intense love and passion for his work Of
saving life, so that at last she went prOwling
"about watching for victims" The habit of
doing good grows as invcterate as that
of dong evil. The ingratitude of those
Won save does not in the least dimin-
ish the pleasure of saving them. These
truths take new light in the words Of this
simple, wholesome, unaffected lover OF his
kind. The shadow Of blindness in which he
sits is illumincd by the clear memory of his
good deeds, which he recalls without vanity,
but with such glow of genuine delight that
the sagacious observer, furtiyely feeling his
wrist finds the pulse of the old man beating
with the fury of fever, as he tells of the
pleasure he had in saving drowning child.
1t is worth any mans while to lay up such
treasures of emotion for the years of age and
apathy.
But the great use and significance of this
story is the example of the author. James
Lambert's career ended twenty years ago.
He lost his eye-sight in his good works, and
sank into poverty and Obscurity. 1t was no.
body's business to preserve the record Of his
exploits, and the memory Of them faded away
among his fellow-citzens. He would have
died unknown, and his heroic example would
have been lost to the world, which has need
of it, if Mr.. Reade, hearing by accident
of his name and character, had not kept
them in his mind, and resolved to learn
more of HIM. When after the lapse
of many years he went to Glasgow to look for
this neglected hero, he needed the interven-
ton of the police to find him. But lie came
upon him at last, and the story of his mag
nificent life is safe forever. From the moment
that this siugularly vivid and graphic history
is printed in England, there will be no further
possibility that the exploits of James Lambert
will not be duly recognized. The pen of a
great writer is more effective in Fighting
wrongs Of this kind than the lance of any
medieval champion. There may be danger
indeed that the blind swimmer may be made
even too conspicuous, and treated with fatal
kindness. But this is risk which
cannot be avoided. The example was
too precious to throw away; and literature
Is enriched by this extraordinary picture of
courage, strength and generosity. 1t was found
l. - hv
energy and intelligence. This is tho true APP
plication of the story to every one who reads
it. If we were as careful to look for the good
in our fellow mortals as we are to look for
the evil. how much cleaner would Life and