speeches-literary & social-第17节

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Government　failed　in　his　duty　in　not　anticipating　it　by　a　brighter

and　a　better　one！　　Name　you　the　day；　First　Lord；　make　a　day；　work

for　a　day　beyond　your　little　time；　Lord　Palmerston；　and　History　in

return　may　then　…　not　otherwise　…　find　a　day　for　you；　a　day　equally

associated　with　the　contentment　of　the　loyal；　patient；　willing…

hearted　English　people；　and　with　the　happiness　of　your　Royal

Mistress　and　her　fair　line　of　children。〃







SPEECH：　　SHEFFIELD；　DECEMBER　22；　1855。







＇On　Saturday　Evening　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　read　his　Christmas　Carol

in　the　Mechanics'　Hall　in　behalf　of　the　funds　of　the　Institute。



After　the　reading　the　Mayor　said；　he　had　been　charged　by　a　few

gentlemen　in　Sheffield　to　present　to　Mr。　Dickens　for　his　acceptance

a　very　handsome　service　of　table　cutlery；　a　pair　of　razors；　and　a

pair　of　fish　carvers；　as　some　substantial　manifestation　of　their

gratitude　to　Mr。　Dickens　for　his　kindness　in　coming　to　Sheffield。

Henceforth　the　Christmas　of　1855　would　be　associated　in　his　mind

with　the　name　of　that　gentleman。＇



MR。　CHARLES　DICKENS；　in　receiving　the　presentation；　said；　he

accepted　with　heartfelt　delight　and　cordial　gratitude　such

beautiful　specimens　of　Sheffield…workmanship；　and　he　begged　to

assure　them　that　the　kind　observations　which　had　been　made　by　the

Mayor；　and　the　way　in　which　they　had　been　responded　to　by　that

assembly；　would　never　be　obliterated　from　his　remembrance。　　The

present　testified　not　only　to　the　work　of　Sheffield　hands；　but　to

the　warmth　and　generosity　of　Sheffield　hearts。　　It　was　his　earnest

desire　to　do　right　by　his　readers；　and　to　leave　imaginative　and

popular　literature　associated　with　the　private　homes　and　public

rights　of　the　people　of　England。　　The　case　of　cutlery　with　which　he

had　been　so　kindly　presented；　should　be　retained　as　an　heirloom　in

his　family；　and　he　assured　them　that　he　should　ever　be　faithful　to

his　death　to　the　principles　which　had　earned　for　him　their

approval。　　In　taking　his　reluctant　leave　of　them；　he　wished　them

many　merry　Christmases；　and　many　happy　new　years。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　FEBRUARY　9；　1858。







＇At　the　Anniversary　Festival　of　the　Hospital　for　Sick　Children；　on

Tuesday；　February　the　9th；　1858；　about　one　hundred　and　fifty

gentlemen　sat　down　to　dinner；　in　the　Freemasons'　Hall。　　Later　in

the　evening　all　the　seats　in　the　gallery　were　filled　with　ladies

interested　in　the　success　of　the　Hospital。　　After　the　usual　loyal

and　other　toasts；　the　Chairman；　Mr。　Dickens；　proposed　〃Prosperity

to　the　Hospital　for　Sick　Children；〃　and　said：…＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　It　is　one　of　my　rules　in　life　not　to

believe　a　man　who　may　happen　to　tell　me　that　he　feels　no　interest

in　children。　　I　hold　myself　bound　to　this　principle　by　all　kind

consideration；　because　I　know；　as　we　all　must；　that　any　heart　which

could　really　toughen　its　affections　and　sympathies　against　those

dear　little　people　must　be　wanting　in　so　many　humanising

experiences　of　innocence　and　tenderness；　as　to　be　quite　an　unsafe

monstrosity　among　men。　　Therefore　I　set　the　assertion　down；

whenever　I　happen　to　meet　with　it　…　which　is　sometimes；　though　not

often　…　as　an　idle　word；　originating　possibly　in　the　genteel

languor　of　the　hour；　and　meaning　about　as　much　as　that　knowing

social　lassitude；　which　has　used　up　the　cardinal　virtues　and　quite

found　out　things　in　general；　usually　does　mean。　　I　suppose　it　may

be　taken　for　granted　that　we；　who　come　together　in　the　name　of

children　and　for　the　sake　of　children；　acknowledge　that　we　have　an

interest　in　them；　indeed；　I　have　observed　since　I　sit　down　here

that　we　are　quite　in　a　childlike　state　altogether；　representing　an

infant　institution；　and　not　even　yet　a　grown…up　company。　　A　few

years　are　necessary　to　the　increase　of　our　strength　and　the

expansion　of　our　figure；　and　then　these　tables；　which　now　have　a

few　tucks　in　them；　will　be　let　out；　and　then　this　hall；　which　now

sits　so　easily　upon　us；　will　be　too　tight　and　small　for　us。

Nevertheless；　it　is　likely　that　even　we　are　not　without　our

experience　now　and　then　of　spoilt　children。　　I　do　not　mean　of　our

own　spoilt　children；　because　nobody's　own　children　ever　were

spoilt；　but　I　mean　the　disagreeable　children　of　our　particular

friends。　　We　know　by　experience　what　it　is　to　have　them　down　after

dinner；　and；　across　the　rich　perspective　of　a　miscellaneous　dessert

to　see；　as　in　a　black　dose　darkly；　the　family　doctor　looming　in　the

distance。　　We　know；　I　have　no　doubt　we　all　know；　what　it　is　to

assist　at　those　little　maternal　anecdotes　and　table　entertainments

illustrated　with　imitations　and　descriptive　dialogue　which　might

not　be　inaptly　called；　after　the　manner　of　my　friend　Mr。　Albert

Smith；　the　toilsome　ascent　of　Miss　Mary　and　the　eruption

（cutaneous）　of　Master　Alexander。　　We　know　what　it　is　when　those

children　won't　go　to　bed；　we　know　how　they　prop　their　eyelids　open

with　their　forefingers　when　they　will　sit　up；　how；　when　they　become

fractious；　they　say　aloud　that　they　don't　like　us；　and　our　nose　is

too　long；　and　why　don't　we　go？　　And　we　are　perfectly　acquainted

with　those　kicking　bundles　which　are　carried　off　at　last

protesting。　　An　eminent　eye…witness　told　me　that　he　was　one　of　a

company　of　learned　pundits　who　assembled　at　the　house　of　a　very

distinguished　philosopher　of　the　last　generation　to　hear　him

expound　his　stringent　views　concerning　infant　education　and　early

mental　development；　and　he　told　me　that　while　the　philosopher　did

this　in　very　beautiful　and　lucid　language；　the　philosopher's　little

boy；　for　his　part；　edified　the　assembled　sages　by　dabbling　up　to

the　elbows　in　an　apple　pie　which　had　been　provided　for　their

entertainment；　having　previously　anointed　his　hair　with　the　syrup；

combed　it　with　his　fork；　and　brushed　it　with　his　spoon。　　It　is

probable　that　we　also　have　our　similar　experiences　sometimes；　of

principles　that　are　not　quite　practice；　and　that　we　know　people

claiming　to　be　very　wise　and　profound　about　nations　of　men　who　show

themselves　to　be　rather　weak　and　shallow　about　units　of　babies。



But；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　spoilt　children　whom　I　have　to

present　to　you　after　this　dinner　of　to…day　are　not　of　this　class。

I　have　glanced　at　these　for　the　easier　and　lighter　introduction　of

another；　a　very　different；　a　far　more　numerous；　and　a　far　more

serious　class。　　The　spoilt　children　whom　I　must　show　you　are　the

spoilt　children　of　the　poor　in　this　great　city；　the　children　who

are；　every　year；　for　ever　and　ever　irrevocably　spoilt　out　of　this

breathing　life　of　ours　by　tens　of　thousands；　but　who　may　in　vast

numbers　be　preserved　if　you；　assisting　and　not　contravening　the

ways　of　Providence；　will　help　to　save　them。　　The　two　grim　nurses；

Poverty　and　Sickness；　who　bring　these　children　before　you；　preside

over　their　births；　rock　their　wretched　cradles；　nail　down　their

little　coffins；　pile　up　the　earth　above　their　graves。　　Of　the

annual　deaths　in　this　great　town；　their　unnatural　deaths　form　more

than　one…third。　　I　shall　not　ask　you；　according　to　the　custom　as　to

the　other　class　…　I　shall　not　ask　you　on　behalf　of　these　children

to　observe　how　good　they　are；　how　pretty　they　are；　how　clever　they

are；　how　promising　they　are；　whose　beauty　they　most　resemble　…　I

shall　only　ask　you　to　observe　how　weak　they　are；　and　how　like　death

they　are！　　And　I　shall　ask　you；　by　the　remembrance　of　everything

that　lies　between　your　own　infancy　and　that　so　miscalled　second

childhood　when　the　child's　graces　are　gone　and　nothing　but　its

helplessness　remains；　I　shall　ask　you　to　turn　your　thoughts　to

THESE　spoilt　children　in　the　sacred　names　of　Pity　and　Compassion。



Some　years　ago；　being　in　Scotland；　I　went　with　one　of　the　most

humane　members　of　the　humane　medical　profession；　on　a　morning　tour

among　some　of　the　worst　lodged　inhabitants　of　the　old　town　of

Edinburgh。　　In　the　closes　and　wynds　of　that　picturesque　place　…　I

am　sorry　to　remind　you　what　fast　friends　picturesqueness　and　typhus

often　are　…　we　saw　more　poverty　and　sickness　in　an　hour　than　many

people　would　believe　in　a　life。　　Our　way　lay　from　one　to　another　of

the　most　wretched　dwellings；　reeking　with　horrible　odours；　shut　out

from　the　sky；　shut　out　from　the　air；　mere　pits　and　dens。　　In　a　room

in　one　of　these　places；　where　there　was　an　empty　porridge…pot　on

the　cold　hearth；　with　a　ragged　woman　and　some　ragged　children

crouching　on　the　bare　ground　near　it　…　where；　I　remember　as　I

speak；　that　the　very　light；　refracted　from　a　high　damp…stained　and

time…stained　house…wall；　came　trembling　in；　as　if　the　fever　which

had　shaken　everything　else　there　had　shaken　even　it　…　there　lay；　in

an　old　egg…box　which　the　mother　had　begged　from　a　shop；　a　little

feeble；　wasted；　wan；　sick　child。　　With　his　little　wasted　face；　and

his　little　hot；　worn　hands　folded　over　his　breast；　and　his　little

bright；　attentive　eyes；　I　can　see　him　now；　as　I　have　seen　him　for

several　years；　look　in　steadily