" "No," replied Lamb, "certainly not; I
never could hate any man that I have once seen."--Being asked how he felt
when amongst the lakes and mountains of Cumberland, he replied that he was
obliged to think of the Ham and Beef shop near Saint Martin's Lane; this
was in order to bring down his thoughts from their almost too painful
elevation to the sober regions of every-day life.
In the foregoing little history, I have set forth such facts as tend, in
my opinion, to illustrate my friend's character. One anecdote I have
omitted, and it should not be forgotten. Lamb, one day, encountered a
small urchin loaded with a too heavy package of grocery. It caused him to
tremble and stop. Charles inquired where he was going, took (although
weak) the load upon his own shoulder, and managed to carry it to
Islington, the place of destination. Finding that the purchaser of the
grocery was a female, he went with the urchin before her, and expressed a
hope that she would intercede with the poor boy's master, in order to
prevent his being overweighted in future. "Sir," said the dame, after the
manner of Tisiphone, frowning upon him, "I buy my sugar, and have nothing
to do with the man's manner of sending it.
Pages:
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211