What are two things the reader learns about Atticus's character in chapters 24, 25, and 26 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird?

In chapters 25 and 26 of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, one thing we learn about Atticus's character is that he strikes a balance between being supportive and giving people space as the need arises. As a result, people continue to trust him, like his children and the citizens who continue to elect him to state legislature unopposed.

Atticus's supportiveness is particularly demonstrated in Chapter 25, when Scout recalls what Dill described for her of Atticus's actions concerning informing Helen Robinson of her husband's death. According to Dill, Helen had fallen to the ground the moment she had greeted Atticus, without Atticus even saying a word. Then, also according to Dill, Atticus, together with Calpurnia, had "lifted Helen to her feet and half carried, half walked her to the cabin" (Ch. 25). Atticus's action of lifting and partially carrying Helen to her cabin represents Atticus's typical uplifting, supportive behavior. In raising Helen to her feet and helping her inside the house, he is giving her emotional support, just as he gave her husband emotional support by putting his all into her husband's defense. We see Atticus display similarly uplifting, supportive behavior towards his children, such as when he allows Scout to climb into his lap in Chapter 26, even though he says she is getting too big.

Yet, Atticus is not the sort of person who smothers another person with unwanted support. Instead, he is also the sort of person who knows when to give another person needed space to grow and thereby strikes a balance between being supportive and granting space. We see him strike this balance in Chapter 26 when he intimates he knew all along that his children were pulling antics, such as trespassing on the Radleys' property, to try and get a look at their neighbor Arthur Radley. Yet, he intentionally left them to their own devices because he knew they needed room to grow and learn from their mistakes. We learn that Atticus knew far more about their antics than he had let on to knowing when he tells Scout not to get caught up in her obsession about Arthur again and gives her the following warning:

I'll tell you right now: stop it. I'm too old to go chasing you off the Radley property. Besides, it's dangerous. You might get shot. You know Mr. Nathan shoots at every shadow he sees, even shadows that leave size-four bare footprints. You were lucky not to be killed. (Ch. 26)

Atticus's above speech astonishes Scout because it not only lets her know how much he really knew, it also lets her know just how much Atticus let the children get away with. In other words, through Atticus's above speech, both Scout and the reader learn just how much room Atticus gives his children to grow while at the same time being emotionally supportive when they need him to be.