ple to learn
to keep their fingers out of the fire by having them burned."

"I always forgive people the minute they tell me the truth of their own
accord."

"But even they were no foolisher than some hundred scores of papas and
mamas; who fetch the rod when they ought to fetch a new toy, and send to
the dark cupboard instead of to a doctor."

VII. _Life-like Characters._ The great storyteller makes his characters
seem like human beings. The reader can almost see them; at any rate, he
feels that he knows them and that they are real, not merely life-like.
It is hard to understand how the author accomplishes the wonderful feat
(for it is the most wonderful thing about story writing), and it is much
more difficult to tell how it is done. One word here, a clear
descriptive phrase there, and Tom, or the Squire, or the old
schoolmistress, or Mrs. Bedonebyasyoudid with her awkward name, has
become so much of a personality that you cannot forget if you would.
Certainly one of the fine things about _Tom, the Water Baby_ is the
living reality of its characters, which appeals universally to young and
old, even in the first reading of the story.

VIII. _The Writer's Art._ It will add something to a child's interest in
the story if his attention is called to the skilful way in which
Kingsley handles his plot. It is high _art_ to throw into the early part
of the story the conversation between the keeper and Grimes. It shows
that Grimes is a poacher and known to be one. The keeper is inclined to
wink at the offense, but still he feels that a warning is necessary.
Nothing more is said about poaching till much later, where Tom, the
Water Baby, sees Grimes meet a poacher's death.

Again, it is early evident that Grimes has done other wicked things and
that the poor Irishwoman knows of one at least. She even mentions
Vendale, but the reader attaches no importance to it. Tom flees to
Vendale and is pitied and kindly treated by the old Schoolmistress, but
it is not until Tom finds Grimes suffering his punishment in the chimney
flues that the reader learns what the poor Irishwoman knew about Grimes,
and that the schoolmistress was Grimes's poor ill-treated mother.

Once more, Kingsley's art is seen in the selection of incidents and the
arrangement of influences which bring to Tom the conviction of his
dirtiness and create in him the overpowering desire to be clean.

But this interpretation of _Tom, the Water Baby_ has already reached