The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-01-21

De sure 10 Sink, anu T6HutI IlldI LupOooi-
bic. Nota word about the gripping Lam
bert, and gripping each other, and taking
him down; not word about the use he
made of the ground; in short here is an
impossihility, with certain air of com
monplace, substituted for remarkable
truth, and the real features of an unriv-
aled act utterly washed away; and all be-
cause this worthy man, with all his desire
to serve James Lambert, took the account
at second hand, instead of going, like
Jupiter Carlyle, to the fountain head
The same biographer relates the saving
of the old woman and what followed on
the bank. He says that the woman sank.
that Lambert diVed and recovered her;
and then he gives some dialogue, the
topics If which are absolutely correct, but
the phrases adulterated and more or less
booky and English, therefore fictitious.
Now, the woman never sank. Lambert
was most precise on that point. She
foated with her head down, and he said
he never saw that happen before. Mr..
McDonalds article does honor to his
heart the generalities are correct, the
sentiments are sound and far in advance
of his time; but see the consequence of
false method He has only gone into de-
tail twice; and yet in both instances he
has vitally misrepresented eacn incident,
and robbed it of all its value by removing
its distinctive feature. Item; although a
Scotchman, he has Anglicised the dia-
logue, every syllable of which was far be-
yond any writer's power to improve.
And this is how nearly all biography is
written. ....
Let me now explain the method pur-
sued. My narrative consists OF two bran
ches In the first am witness, admis-
sible to the winess box upon every state
ment | make. In the second, James
Lambert is such a witness, and | am a
sort of commissioner taking evidence,
cross-examining, and reporting faithfully.
AS to the preliminary gossip and all the
things l declare | said and saw, | could
depose to their exact truth on the Cos
pels. As to the cream of the narrative
this was my method: listened to no
evidence but Lambert's ltook his words |
down in a sort Of short hand, and tested |
each narrative bygettingi from him twice
--once in the house and once by the Clyde |
at the site Of each exploit. am by ma
ture drudge, and take rare pains to set |
at the truth. | watched James Lambert,
and | crsss-exa.4 ined him, and on one |
occasion | applied test which might be
calleda physical examination. Ofcourse |
nobody noticed that passage, 1t is the
custom to skim my work and never to
study it. But ifthe readers of "Scepticus'
will be 50 obliging as to imagine that
am dead, and by that stroke of genius
have become worth studying, and theni if
they will study that passage, i which !
tell how | felt the pulse Of James Lam
bert as he related the saving of the boy
near the dead-house, and the insight
obtained by that novel means, they will
see that not only have particular pains
been taken, but also some caution and sa-
gacity applied, to learn the truth. But
truth of biography lies not only in the
facts but the words. To secure this ele-
ment of truth took copious notes, and,
as | rossess two humble but useful gifts,
and appreciation, l never let
slip racy paragraph, or line, or word. l
otted them all down swiftly and en-
Oalmed them. Thenumber ofparagraphs
sentences and lines that are Lambert's
% syllable is remarkable. This is how
he biography of living men ought always
De written or else let alone. 1t is not SO
written. With few well known excep-
ions it never was so written; and, there
ore, to "Scepticus" and every other mat
eDtive reader of my lines, this is my re-
,ly: My narrative is little piece Of BIZ {
,graphy, narrow in its compass, and not
complete picture of human life; but as
o its fidelity l have no doubt it is about
he truest piece of biography that exists
n the whole compass of letters, a"cient
n modern.
AS to the fctions have written at
roper times and in proper places, it has
lothing in common with them, except
rider and construction. twill disentan
lie itself from that ridiculous association
" mighty simple process; it will outlive
hem a hundred years; and if it should
utlive them thousand, l shall not be
urprised.
l am, Sir, with many apologies for
and SELF, your obedient SER
ant, CHARLES READE.
Knightsbridge, London, Dec. %, 1874.