And this is a scene in Peace-pool: “There were moths with pink heads and wings and opal bodies, that flapped about slowly; moths with brown wings that flapped about quickly; yellow shrimps that hopped and skipped most quickly of all; and jellies of all the colors in the world that neither hopped nor skipped, but only dawdled and yawned.”
Here are a few descriptive phrases taken at random: “Two great, grand blue eyes, as blue as the sea itself”; “his little whirl-about of a head”; “long curls floating behind her like a golden cloud, and long robes floating all round her like a silver one”; “came paddling and wriggling back to her like so many tadpoles”; “the shadows of the clouds ran races over the bright blue sky”; “the river widened to the shining sea”; “such enormous trees that the blue sky rested on their heads.”
VI. Good Lessons. Through all the fun, the burlesque, the amusing exaggerations and the bombastic humor runs a scheme of advice and instruction. Sometimes it takes the form of a direct caution to the reader, again it may be shown by inference, and lastly the events speak for themselves and give their own lesson. The author meant to teach adults as well as children. The graphic history of the Doasyoulikes is rather a clear-cut study in degeneracy for older people, as well as a lively warning for youngsters. But what is the author’s main theme? Is his real text in the advice the poor Irishwoman gives to Grimes and Tom? “Those that wish to be clean, clean they will be; and those that wish to be foul, foul they will be. Remember.” (page 225). Perhaps a second text or at least a corollary to this is expressed in the name of the cuddly lady, Mrs. Doasyouwouldbedoneby. This may mean the same as the advice she gives on page 328: “Those who go there must go first where they do not like, and do what they do not like, and help somebody they do not like.” Besides these leading ideas there are several others that run through the story. Meanness and wickedness are made unattractive and bring punishment. The punishment grows logically out of the offense and has a direct relation to the misdeed. Persons are not rewarded for their good deeds but they are happy in being good. It is not a credit to do right, but wrongdoing is discreditable. Little meannesses stand in the way of happiness though they may not bring any definite punishments. Evil is ugliness, goodness is beauty. Friendship is made attractive and filial love is strongly inculcated. The strong appeal made to the sympathy of the reader by the very real and very human Tom, the chimney sweep, is a strong influence for good, and progress toward character in the clever little water baby is a continuous refining influence on the reader.
The bits of advice, the little asides, are slipped into the text so naturally that they are never repulsive or calculated to raise antagonism in the minds of those who naturally dislike advice. Taken from the text they seem more formal and less helpful, but here are a few of them as illustrations:
“Let well alone, lad, and ill too at times.”
“You must expect to be beat a few times in your life, little man, if you live such a life as a man ought to live.”
“Ah, first thoughts are best, and a body’s heart’ll guide them right, if they will but hearken to it.”
“It was not quite well bred, no doubt; but you know, Tom had not finished his education yet.”
“For salmon, like other true gentlemen, always choose their lady and love her, and are true to her, and take care of her, and work for her, and fight for her, as every true gentleman ought.”
“What has been once can never come over again.”