[Footnote 1: It is curious that a quarter of a century later, when
writing of his brother in "Dream Children," Lamb speaks of his being
lame-footed, and of having his limb actually taken off.]

The story is best told in the poignant simplicity of Lamb's first
letter to Coleridge after the calamity:

MY DEAREST FRIEND,

White, or some of my friends, or the public papers, by this
time may have informed you of the terrible calamities that
have fallen on our family. I will only give you the
outlines: My poor dear, dearest sister, in a fit of
insanity, has been the death of her own mother. I was at
hand only time enough to snatch the knife out of her grasp.
She is at present in a madhouse, from whence I hear she must
be moved to an hospital. God has preserved to me my senses,
I eat and drink and sleep, and have my judgment, I believe,
very sound. My poor father was slightly wounded, and I am
left to take care of him and my aunt. Mr. Norris of the
Blue-Coat School, has been very kind to us, and we have no
other friends; but, thank God, I am very calm and composed,
and able to do the best that remains to do. Write as
religious a letter as possible, but no mention of what is
gone and done with. With me "the former things are passed
away," and I have something more to do than to feel.

God Almighty have us all in His keeping!

C. LAMB.