speeches-literary & social-第31节

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duty　the　same　as　if　it　had　never　been　done　before；　and　to　ask

whether　there　is　any　just　cause　or　impediment　why　these　two　parties

…　the　institution　and　the　public　…　should　not　be　joined　together　in

holy　charity。　　As　I　understand　the　society；　its　objects　are　five…

fold　…　first；　to　guarantee　annuities　which；　it　is　always　to　be

observed；　is　paid　out　of　the　interest　of　invested　capital；　so　that

those　annuities　may　be　secure　and　safe　…　annual　pensions；　varying

from　10　to　25　pounds；　to　distressed　railway　officers　and　servants

incapacitated　by　age；　sickness；　or　accident；　secondly；　to　guarantee

small　pensions　to　distressed　widows；　thirdly；　to　educate　and

maintain　orphan　children；　fourthly；　to　provide　temporary　relief　for

all　those　classes　till　lasting　relief　can　be　guaranteed　out　of

funds　sufficiently　large　for　the　purpose；　lastly；　to　induce　railway

officers　and　servants　to　assure　their　lives　in　some　well…

established　office　by　sub…dividing　the　payment　of　the　premiums　into

small　periodical　sums；　and　also　by　granting　a　reversionary　bonus　of

10　pounds　per　cent。　on　the　amount　assured　from　the　funds　of　the

institution。



This　is　the　society　we　are　met　to　assist　…　simple；　sympathetic；

practical；　easy；　sensible；　unpretending。　　The　number　of　its　members

is　large；　and　rapidly　on　the　increase：　　they　number　12；000；　the

amount　of　invested　capital　is　very　nearly　15；000　pounds；　it　has

done　a　world　of　good　and　a　world　of　work　in　these　first　nine　years

of　its　life；　and　yet　I　am　proud　to　say　that　the　annual　cost　of　the

maintenance　of　the　institution　is　no　more　than　250　pounds。　　And　now

if　you　do　not　know　all　about　it　in　a　small　compass；　either　I　do　not

know　all　about　it　myself；　or　the　fault　must　be　in　my　〃packing。〃



One　naturally　passes　from　what　the　institution　is　and　has　done；　to

what　it　wants。　　Well；　it　wants　to　do　more　good；　and　it　cannot

possibly　do　more　good　until　it　has　more　money。　　It　cannot　safely；

and　therefore　it　cannot　honourably；　grant　more　pensions　to

deserving　applicants　until　it　grows　richer；　and　it　cannot　grow　rich

enough　for　its　laudable　purpose　by　its　own　unaided　self。　　The　thing

is　absolutely　impossible。　　The　means　of　these　railway　officers　and

servants　are　far　too　limited。　　Even　if　they　were　helped　to　the

utmost　by　the　great　railway　companies；　their　means　would　still　be

too　limited；　even　if　they　were　helped　…　and　I　hope　they　shortly

will　be　…　by　some　of　the　great　corporations　of　this　country；　whom

railways　have　done　so　much　to　enrich。　　These　railway　officers　and

servants；　on　their　road　to　a　very　humble　and　modest　superannuation；

can　no　more　do　without　the　help　of　the　great　public；　than　the　great

public；　on　their　road　from　Torquay　to　Aberdeen；　can　do　without

them。　　Therefore；　I　desire　to　ask　the　public　whether　the　servants

of　the　great　railways　…　who；　in　fact；　are　their　servants；　their

ready；　zealous；　faithful；　hard…working　servants　…　whether　they　have

not　established；　whether　they　do　not　every　day　establish；　a

reasonable　claim　to　liberal　remembrance。



Now；　gentlemen；　on　this　point　of　the　case　there　is　a　story　once

told　me　by　a　friend　of　mine；　which　seems　to　my　mind　to　have　a

certain　application。　　My　friend　was　an　American　sea…captain；　and；

therefore；　it　is　quite　unnecessary　to　say　his　story　was　quite　true。

He　was　captain　and　part　owner　of　a　large　American　merchant　liner。

On　a　certain　voyage　out；　in　exquisite　summer　weather；　he　had　for

cabin　passengers　one　beautiful　young　lady；　and　ten　more　or　less

beautiful　young　gentlemen。　　Light　winds　or　dead　calms　prevailing；

the　voyage　was　slow。　　They　had　made　half　their　distance　when　the

ten　young　gentlemen　were　all　madly　in　love　with　the　beautiful　young

lady。　　They　had　all　proposed　to　her；　and　bloodshed　among　the　rivals

seemed　imminent　pending　the　young　lady's　decision。　　On　this

extremity　the　beautiful　young　lady　confided　in　my　friend　the

captain；　who　gave　her　discreet　advice。　　He　said：　　〃If　your

affections　are　disengaged；　take　that　one　of　the　young　gentlemen

whom　you　like　the　best　and　settle　the　question。〃　　To　this　the

beautiful　young　lady　made　reply；　〃I　cannot　do　that　because　I　like

them　all　equally　well。〃　　My　friend；　who　was　a　man　of　resource；　hit

upon　this　ingenious　expedient；　said　he；　〃To…morrow　morning　at　mid…

day；　when　lunch　is　announced；　do　you　plunge　bodily　overboard；　head

foremost。　　I　will　be　alongside　in　a　boat　to　rescue　you；　and　take

the　one　of　the　ten　who　rushes　to　your　rescue；　and　then　you　can

afterwards　have　him。〃　　The　beautiful　young　lady　highly　approved；

and　did　accordingly。　　But　after　she　plunged　in；　nine　out　of　the　ten

more　or　less　beautiful　young　gentlemen　plunged　in　after　her；　and

the　tenth　remained　and　shed　tears；　looking　over　the　side　of　the

vessel。　　They　were　all　picked　up；　and　restored　dripping　to　the

deck。　　The　beautiful　young　lady　upon　seeing　them　said；　〃What　am　I

to　do？　　See　what　a　plight　they　are　in。　　How　can　I　possibly　choose；

because　every　one　of　them　is　equally　wet？〃　　Then　said　my　friend　the

captain；　acting　upon　a　sudden　inspiration；　〃Take　the　dry　one。〃　　I

am　sorry　to　say　that　she　did　so；　and　they　lived　happy　ever

afterwards。



Now；　gentleman；　in　my　application　of　this　story；　I　exactly　reverse

my　friend　the　captain's　anecdote；　and　I　entreat　the　public　in

looking　about　to　consider　who　are　fit　subjects　for　their　bounty；　to

give　each　his　hand　with　something　in　it；　and　not　award　a　dry　hand

to　the　industrious　railway　servant　who　is　always　at　his　back。　　And

I　would　ask　any　one　with　a　doubt　upon　this　subject　to　consider　what

his　experience　of　the　railway　servant　is　from　the　time　of　his

departure　to　his　arrival　at　his　destination。　　I　know　what　mine　is。

Here　he　is；　in　velveteen　or　in　a　policeman's　dress；　scaling　cabs；

storming　carriages；　finding　lost　articles　by　a　sort　of　instinct；

binding　up　lost　umbrellas　and　walking　sticks；　wheeling　trucks；

counselling　old　ladies；　with　a　wonderful　interest　in　their　affairs

…　mostly　very　complicated　…　and　sticking　labels　upon　all　sorts　of

articles。　　I　look　around　…　there　he　is；　in　a　station…master's

uniform；　directing　and　overseeing；　with　the　head　of　a　general；　and

with　the　courteous　manners　of　a　gentleman；　and　then　there　is　the

handsome　figure　of　the　guard；　who　inspires　confidence　in　timid

passengers。　　I　glide　out　of　the　station；　and　there　he　is　again　with

his　flags　in　his　hand　at　his　post　in　the　open　country；　at　the　level

crossing；　at　the　cutting；　at　the　tunnel　mouth；　and　at　every　station

on　the　road　until　our　destination　is　reached。　　In　regard；

therefore；　to　the　railway　servants　with　whom　we　do　come　into

contact；　we　may　surely　have　some　natural　sympathy；　and　it　is　on

their　behalf　that　I　this　night　appeal　to　you。　　I　beg　now　to　propose

〃Success　to　the　Railway　Benevolent　Society。〃







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　SEPTEMBER　17；　1867。







＇On　presiding　at　a　public　Meeting　of　the　Printers'　Readers；　held　at

the　Salisbury　Hotel；　on　the　above　date；　Mr。　Dickens　said：…＇



THAT　as　the　meeting　was　convened；　not　to　hear　him；　but　to　hear　a

statement　of　facts　and　figures　very　nearly　affecting　the　personal

interests　of　the　great　majority　of　those　present；　his　preface　to

the　proceedings　need　be　very　brief。　　Of　the　details　of　the　question

he　knew；　of　his　own　knowledge；　absolutely　nothing；　but　he　had

consented　to　occupy　the　chair　on　that　occasion　at　the　request　of

the　London　Association　of　Correctors　of　the　Press　for　two　reasons　…

first；　because　he　thought　that　openness　and　publicity　in　such　cases

were　a　very　wholesome　example　very　much　needed　at　this　time；　and

were　highly　becoming　to　a　body　of　men　associated　with　that　great

public　safeguard　…　the　Press；　secondly；　because　he　knew　from　some

slight　practical　experience；　what　the　duties　of　correctors　of　the

press　were；　and　how　their　duties　were　usually　discharged；　and　he

could　testify；　and　did　testify；　that　they　were　not　mechanical；　that

they　were　not　mere　matters　of　manipulation　and　routine；　but　that

they　required　from　those　who　performed　them　much　natural

intelligence；　much　super…added　cultivation；　readiness　of　reference；

quickness　of　resource；　an　excellent　memory；　and　a　clear

understanding。　　He　most　gratefully　acknowledged　that　he　had　never

gone　through　the　sheets　of　any　book　that　he　had　written；　without

having　presented　to　him　by　the　correctors　of　the　press　something

that　he　had　overlooked；　some　slight　inconsistency　into　which　he　had

fallen；　some　little　lapse　he　had　made　…　in　short；　without　having

set　down　in　black　and　white　some　unquestionable　indication　that　he

had　been　closely　followed　through　the　work　by　a　patient　and　trained

mind；　and　not　merely　by　a　skilful　eye。　　And　in　this　declaration　he

had　not　the　slightest　doubt　that　the　great　body　of　his　brother　and

sister　writers　would；　as　a　plain　act　of　justice；　readily　concur。

For　these　plain　reasons　he　was　there；　and　being　there　he　begged　to

assure　them　that　every　one　present　…　that　every　speaker　…　would

have　a　patient　hearing；　whatever