that Bridget was a homicidal maniac; what he does tell you is
that she was faithful. Another reason of his success is his continual regard
for beautiful things and fine actions, as illustrated in
the major characteristics of his grandmother and his brother,
and in the detailed description of Blakesware House and the gardens thereof.


Then, subordinate to the main purpose, part of the machinery
of the main purpose, is the picture of the children--real children
until the moment when they fade away. The traits of childhood are accurately
and humorously put in again and again: "Here John smiled, as much as to say,
'That would be foolish indeed.' " "Here little Alice spread her hands."
"Here Alice's little right foot played an involuntary movement, till,
upon my looking grave, it desisted." "Here John expanded all his eyebrows,
and tried to look courageous." "Here John slily deposited back upon the plate
a bunch of grapes." "Here the children fell a-crying...and prayed me
to tell them some stories about their pretty dead mother." And the exquisite:
"Here Alice put out one of her dear mother's looks, too tender
to be upbraiding." Incidentally, while preparing his ultimate solemn effect,
Lamb has inspired you with a new, intensified vision of the wistful beauty
of children--their imitativeness, their facile and generous emotions,
their anxiety to be correct, their ingenuous haste to escape
from grief into joy. You can see these children almost as clearly
and as tenderly as Lamb saw them. For days afterwards you will not be able
to look upon a child without recalling Lamb's portrayal of the grace
of childhood. He will have shared with you his perception of beauty.
If you possess children, he will have renewed for you the charm
which custom does very decidedly stale. It is further to be noticed
that the measure of his success in picturing the children is the measure
of his success in his main effect. The more real they seem,