Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1883-09-09


hat and looking tenderly and compassion
ately on his dying master. The dying mar
put forth his hand saying"come here, Tom
take my hand. Tom can you pray fol
your dying master?" Tom poured out hi
soul in earnest prayer. What a rebukt
this, to the worldly minded professor, b,
he priest or layman.
TIE genial humor of Charles Lamb II
radiates some of the brightest pages o.
English literature. He was witty without
coarseness, and comical without buffoon
cry, The flashing scintillations of hii
wit, by its abruptness and unexpectedness
gave keen edge to his humor. In the
midst of a life darkened by sorrow, pow
erty and the drudgery of a clerkship in tht
East India house, with the care
of a half lunatic sister, he yet
contri outed some of the most
lively and relishable pages to literature,
and never failed to enliven social life by
the irresistible drollery of his salIies. A
new biography of his sister, Mary Lamb
has just been produced, but it is also as
much of history of himself as of his sis
ter, for their lives were inseparable. He
gave himself up to her Care with singular
self-sacrifce and unfagging affection, on
account of her sal mental malady. She
was continually lowering between sanity
and lunacy, and her safety required the
utmost care and vigilance. This devotion
touched with most tender sympathy all
who knew them. There was a pathos in
their strange, weird existence. Poor Mary
in one of her fits of madness killed her
mother, and this dire calamity ever cast a
deep shade of sorrow over their lives. But
Charles devotion knew no abatement He
wrote his most brilliant tales and essays
while performing his dreary routine in the
East India house, and caring carefully for
his unfortunate sister. Excitement or
over fatigue would bring on her paro1ysms
of madness, and the utmost caution was
required to keep her III q placid, equable
frame of mind. The following account of
her malady and its treatment is given:
If any exciting talk occurred Charles
had to dismiss his friend with whisper.
If any stupor or any extraordinary silence
was observed, then he had to rouse her in.
stantly. He has been seen to take the ket.
tie from the fire and place it for moment
on her head-dress. in order to startle her
into recollection. Once the sudden an.
nouncement of the marriage of young
friend, whose welfare she had at heart, re.
stored her in moment after protracted
illness, 'as if by an electric stroke, to the
entire possession OF her senses" But il
no precaution availed to remove the pre-.
monitory symptom, then would Mary ''as
gently as possible prepare her brother fol
the duty he must perform; and thus, unless
he could stave off the terrible separation
till Sunday, oblige him to ask leave
of absence from the Office, as if for {
days pleasure bitter mockery! Or
one occasion Mr.. Charles Lloyd met them
slowly pacing together little footpath in
Hoxton fields, both weeping bitterly, and
found on joining them, that they were tax
ing their solemn way to the accustomed
asylum. Holiday trips were almost al
ways followed by a seizure; and never did
Mary set out on one but with her own
hands she packed a straight waistcoat.
Charles never married, but gave himself
up TO the care of his unfortunate sister
She was ten years his senior, and survived
him thirteen years. When he died the
East India company pens;oned her as il
shehad been his widow, SO close, SO tender
had been their union and so devoted G
brother had he been. The biographer OF
Mary Lamb touchingly says: ''The story
of her life, is mainly the story of brother
and sisters love; OF how it sustained then
under the shock of terrible calamity (ths
tragic death of their mother,) and made
beautiful and even happy life which
must else have sunk into desolation and
despair