speeches-literary & social-第15部分

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memoranduming；　and　despatch…boxing；　on　this　mighty　subject。　　The

sticks　were　housed　at　Westminster；　and　it　would　naturally　occur　to

any　intelligent　person　that　nothing　could　be　easier　than　to　allow

them　to　be　carried　away　for　fire…wood　by　the　miserable　people　who

live　in　that　neighbourhood。　　However；　they　never　had　been　useful；

and　official　routine　required　that　they　never　should　be；　and　so　the

order　went　forth　that　they　were　to　be　privately　and　confidentially

burnt。　　It　came　to　pass　that　they　were　burnt　in　a　stove　in　the

House　of　Lords。　　The　stove；　overgorged　with　these　preposterous

sticks；　set　fire　to　the　panelling；　the　panelling　set　fire　to　the

House　of　Lords；　the　House　of　Lords　set　fire　to　the　House　of

Commons；　the　two　houses　were　reduced　to　ashes；　architects　were

called　in　to　build　others；　we　are　now　in　the　second　million　of　the

cost　thereof；　the　national　pig　is　not　nearly　over　the　stile　yet；

and　the　little　old　woman；　Britannia；　hasn't　got　home　to…night。



Now；　I　think　we　may　reasonably　remark；　in　conclusion；　that　all

obstinate　adherence　to　rubbish　which　the　time　has　long　outlived；　is

certain　to　have　in　the　soul　of　it　more　or　less　that　is　pernicious

and　destructive；　and　that　will　some　day　set　fire　to　something　or

other；　which；　if　given　boldly　to　the　winds　would　have　been

harmless；　but　which；　obstinately　retained；　is　ruinous。　　I　believe

myself　that　when　Administrative　Reform　goes　up　it　will　be　idle　to

hope　to　put　it　down；　on　this　or　that　particular　instance。　　The

great；　broad；　and　true　cause　that　our　public　progress　is　far　behind

our　private　progress；　and　that　we　are　not　more　remarkable　for　our

private　wisdom　and　success　in　matters　of　business　than　we　are　for

our　public　folly　and　failure；　I　take　to　be　as　clearly　established

as　the　sun；　moon；　and　stars。　　To　set　this　right；　and　to　clear　the

way　in　the　country　for　merit　everywhere：　　accepting　it　equally

whether　it　be　aristocratic　or　democratic；　only　asking　whether　it　be

honest　or　true；　is；　I　take　it；　the　true　object　of　this　Association。

This　object　it　seeks　to　promote　by　uniting　together　large　numbers

of　the　people；　I　hope；　of　all　conditions；　to　the　end　that　they　may

better　comprehend；　bear　in　mind；　understand　themselves；　and　impress

upon　others；　the　common　public　duty。　　Also；　of　which　there　is　great

need；　that　by　keeping　a　vigilant　eye　on　the　skirmishers　thrown　out

from　time　to　time　by　the　Party　of　Generals；　they　may　see　that　their

feints　and　manoeuvres　do　not　oppress　the　small　defaulters　and

release　the　great；　and　that　they　do　not　gull　the　public　with　a　mere

field…day　Review　of　Reform；　instead　of　an　earnest；　hard…fought

Battle。　　I　have　had　no　consultation　with　any　one　upon　the　subject；

but　I　particularly　wish　that　the　directors　may　devise　some　means　of

enabling　intelligent　working　men　to　join　this　body；　on　easier　terms

than　subscribers　who　have　larger　resources。　　I　could　wish　to　see

great　numbers　of　them　belong　to　us；　because　I　sincerely　believe

that　it　would　be　good　for　the　common　weal。



Said　the　noble　Lord　at　the　head　of　the　Government；　when　Mr。　Layard

asked　him　for　a　day　for　his　motion；　〃Let　the　hon。　gentleman　find　a

day　for　himself。〃





〃Now；　in　the　names　of　all　the　gods　at　once；

Upon　what　meat　doth　this　our　Caesar　feed

That　he　is　grown　so　great？〃





If　our　Caesar　will　excuse　me；　I　would　take　the　liberty　of　reversing

that　cool　and　lofty　sentiment；　and　I　would　say；　〃First　Lord；　your

duty　it　is　to　see　that　no　man　is　left　to　find　a　day　for　himself。

See　you；　who　take　the　responsibility　of　government；　who　aspire　to

it；　live　for　it；　intrigue　for　it；　scramble　for　it；　who　hold　to　it

tooth…and…nail　when　you　can　get　it；　see　you　that　no　man　is　left　to

find　a　day　for　himself。　　In　this　old　country；　with　its　seething

hard…worked　millions；　its　heavy　taxes；　its　swarms　of　ignorant；　its

crowds　of　poor；　and　its　crowds　of　wicked；　woe　the　day　when　the

dangerous　man　shall　find　a　day　for　himself；　because　the　head　of　the

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　ve