speeches-literary & social-第25章

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below；　and　that　he　was　perfectly　prepared　to　accommodate　Mr。　James

Mace　if　he　meant　business。　　Nevertheless；　he　could　recollect　that

he　had　turned　out　for　a　spurt　a　few　years　ago　on　the　River　Thames

with　an　occasional　Secretary；　who　should　be　nameless；　and　some

other　Eton　boys；　and　that　he　could　hold　his　own　against　them。　　More

recently　still；　the　last　time　that　he　rowed　down　from　Oxford　he　was

supposed　to　cover　himself　with　honour；　though　he　must　admit　that　he

found　the　〃locks〃　so　picturesque　as　to　require　much　examination　for

the　discovery　of　their　beauty。　　But　what　he　wanted　to　say　was　this；

that　though　his　〃fireman　waterman〃　was　one　of　the　greatest　humbugs

that　ever　existed；　he　yet　taught　him　what　an　honest；　healthy；　manly

sport　this　was。　　Their　waterman　would　bid　them　pull　away；　and

assure　them　that　they　were　certain　of　winning　in　some　race。　　And

here　he　would　remark　that　aquatic　sports　never　entailed　a　moment's

cruelty；　or　a　moment's　pain；　upon　any　living　creature。　　Rowing　men

pursued　recreation　under　circumstances　which　braced　their　muscles；

and　cleared　the　cobwebs　from　their　minds。　　He　assured　them　that　he

regarded　such　clubs　as　these　as　a　〃national　blessing。〃　　They　owed；

it　was　true；　a　vast　deal　to　steam　power　…　as　was　sometimes　proved

at　matches　on　the　Thames　…　but；　at　the　same　time；　they　were　greatly

indebted　to　all　that　tended　to　keep　up　a　healthy；　manly　tone。　　He

understood　that　there　had　been　a　committee　selected　for　the　purpose

of　arranging　a　great　amateur　regatta；　which　was　to　take　place　off

Putney　in　the　course　of　the　season　that　was　just　begun。　　He　could

not　abstain　from　availing　himself　of　this　occasion　to　express　a

hope　that　the　committee　would　successfully　carry　on　its　labours　to

a　triumphant　result；　and　that　they　should　see　upon　the　Thames；　in

the　course　of　this　summer；　such　a　brilliant　sight　as　had　never　been

seen　there　before。　　To　secure　this　there　must　be　some　hard　work；

skilful　combinations；　and　rather　large　subscriptions。　　But　although

the　aggregate　result　must　be　great；　it　by　no　means　followed　that　it

need　be　at　all　large　in　its　individual　details。



＇In　conclusion；　Mr。　Dickens　made　a　laughable　comparison　between　the

paying　off　or　purification　of　the　national　debt　and　the

purification　of　the　River　Thames。＇







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　JUNE　5；　1867。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Ninth　Anniversary

Festival　of　the　Railway　Benevolent　Society；　at　Willis's　Rooms；　and

in　proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening；　made　the　following　speech。＇



ALTHOUGH　we　have　not　yet　left　behind　us　by　the　distance　of　nearly

fifty　years　the　time　when　one　of　the　first　literary　authorities　of

this　country　insisted　upon　the　speed　of　the　fastest　railway　train

that　the　Legisture　might　disastrously　sanction　being　limited　by　Act

of　Parliament　to　ten　miles　an　hour；　yet　it　does　somehow　happen　that

this　evening；　and　every　evening；　there　are　railway　trains　running

pretty　smoothly　to　Ireland　and　to　Scotland　at　the　rate　of　fifty

miles　an　hour；　much　as　it　was　objected　in　its　time　to　vaccination；

that　it　must　have　a　tendency　to　impart　to　human　children　something

of　the　nature　of　the　cow；　whereas　I　believe　to　this　very　time

vaccinated　children　are　found　to　be　as　easily　defined　from　calves

as　they　ever　were；　and　certainly　they　have　no　cheapening　influence

on　the　price　of　veal；　much　as　it　was　objected　that　chloroform　was　a

contravention　of　the　will　of　Providence；　because　it　lessened

providentially…inflicted　pain；　which　would　be　a　reason　for　your　not

rubbing　your　face　if　you　had　the　tooth…ache；　or　not　rubbing　your

nose　if　it　itched；　so　it　was　evidently　predicted　that　the　railway

system；　even　if　anything　so　absurd　could　be　productive　of　any

result；　would　infallibly　throw　half　the　nation　out　of　employment；

whereas；　you　observe　that　the　very　cause　and　occasion　of　our　coming

here　together　to…night　is；　apart　from　the　various　tributary

channels　of　occupation　which　it　has　opened　out；　that　it　has　called

into　existence　a　specially　and　directly　employed　population　of

upwards　of　200；000　persons。



Now；　gentlemen；　it　is　pretty　clear　and　obvious　that　upwards　of

200；000　persons　engaged　upon　the　various　railways　of　the　United

Kingdom　cannot　be　rich；　and　although　their　duties　require　great

care　and　great　exactness；　and　although　our　lives　are　every　day；

humanly　speaking；　in　the　hands　of　many　of　them；　still；　for　the　most

of　these　places　there　will　be　always　great　competition；　because

they　are　not　posts　which　require　skilled　workmen　to　hold。　　Wages；

as　you　know　very　well；　cannot　be　high　where　competition　is　great；

and　you　also　know　very　well　that　railway　directors；　in　the　bargains

they　make；　and　the　salaries　which　they　pay；　have　to　deal　with　the

money　of　the　shareholders；　to　whom　they　are　accountable。　　Thus　it

necessarily　happens　that　railway　officers　and　servants　are　not

remunerated　on　the　whole　by　any　means　splendidly；　and　that　they

cannot　hope　in　the　ordinary　course　of　things　to　do　more　than　meet

the　ordinary　wants　and　hazards　of　life。　　But　it　is　to　be　observed

that　the　general　hazards　are　in　their　case；　by　reason　of　the

dangerous　nature　of　their　avocations；　exceptionally　great；　so　very

great；　I　find；　as　to　be　stateable；　on　the　authority　of　a

parliamentary　paper；　by　the　very　startling　round　of　figures；　that

whereas　one　railway　traveller　in　8；000；000　of　passengers　is　killed；

one　railway　servant　in　every　2；000　is　killed。



Hence；　from　general；　special；　as　well；　no　doubt；　for　the　usual

prudential　and　benevolent　considerations；　there　came　to　be

established　among　railway　officers　and　servants；　nine　years　ago；

the　Railway　Benevolent　Association。　　I　may　suppose；　therefore；　as

it　was　established　nine　years　ago；　that　this　is　the　ninth　occasion

of　publishing　from　this　chair　the　banns　between　this　institution

and　the　public。　　Nevertheless；　I　feel　bound　individually　to　do　my

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　sud