Charles Lamb.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 184, 25 December 1886, Page 8

Charles Lamb.

Lamb's letters from first to last, are full ol the philosophy of life ; ho was as sensible a man as Dr Johnson. One grows sick of the expressions, " poor Charles Lamb," "gentle Charles Lamb," aa if ho were one of those grown-up children of the Leigh Hunt type, who are perpetually begging and borrowing through the round of every man's acquaintance. Charles Lamb earned his own living, paid his own way, was the helper, not the helped ; » man who was beholden to no one, who always came with gifts in bis hand, a shrewd man capable of advice, strong in counsol. Poor Lamb, indeed ! Poor Coleridgo, robbed of hia will ; poor Wordsworth, devoured by bis own ego ; poor Soutboy, writing his tomes and deeming himself a classic"; poor Carlyle, with his nine volumes of memoirs where he Lies like hedgehog roller! tip the wrong way, Tormenting himself with his prickles Call these poor men, if you feel disposed to do so, but not Lamb, who was rich in all that makes life valuable or memory sweet. But he used to get drunk. This explains all. Be untruthful, unfaithful, unkind ; darken ihe lives of all who have to live under your shadow, rob youth of joy, take peace from it, livoto ago, unsought for, die unmourned — and remaining sober you will > escape the curse of men's pity and be spoken of a? an unworthy person. But if ever, amid what Burns called " social • noiee," you co far icngsr you»\solf aa to get drunk, think n®t to plead a spotless life spent with those for Avhom you have laboured and saved ; talk not cf the love of friends or of help given to the needy ; least of all moke reference to a noble aelf-aacrifice passing the love of wottien, for all will avail you nothing. You get drunk, and the hoarders, and the selfish, and the lewd crave the privilege of •« pitying you and receiving your name with , an odious smile. It is really too bad.