speeches-literary & social-第37章

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known。　　The　members　have　now　got　before　them　a　plain　statement　of

fact　as　to　these　charges；　and　it　is　for　them　to　say　whether　they

are　justifiable；　becoming；　or　decent。　　I　beg　most　earnestly　and

respectfully　to　put　it　to　those　gentlemen　who　belong　to　this

institution；　that　must　now　decide；　and　cannot　help　deciding；　what

the　Literary　Fund　is　for；　and　what　it　is　not　for。　　The　question

raised　by　the　resolution　is　whether　this　is　a　public　corporation

for　the　relief　of　men　of　genius　and　learning；　or　whether　it　is　a

snug；　traditional；　and　conventional　party；　bent　upon　maintaining

its　own　usages　with　a　vast　amount　of　pride；　upon　its　own　annual

puffery　at　costly　dinner…tables；　and　upon　a　course　of　expensive

toadying　to　a　number　of　distinguished　individuals。　　This　is　the

question　which　you　cannot　this　day　escape。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　NOVEMBER　5；　1857。







＇At　the　fourth　anniversary　dinner　of　the　Warehousemen　and　Clerks

Schools；　which　took　place　on　Thursday　evening；　Nov。　5th；　1857；　at

the　London　Tavern；　and　was　very　numerously　attended；　Mr。　Charles

Dickens　occupied　the　chair。　　On　the　subject　which　had　brought　the

company　together　Mr。　Dickens　spoke　as　follows：…＇



I　MUST　now　solicit　your　attention　for　a　few　minutes　to　the　cause　of

your　assembling　together　…　the　main　and　real　object　of　this

evening's　gathering；　for　I　suppose　we　are　all　agreed　that　the　motto

of　these　tables　is　not　〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we

die；〃　but；　〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we　live。〃　　It　is

because　a　great　and　good　work　is　to　live　to…morrow；　and　to…morrow；

and　to…morrow；　and　to　live　a　greater　and　better　life　with　every

succeeding　to…morrow；　that　we　eat　and　drink　here　at　all。

Conspicuous　on　the　card　of　admission　to　this　dinner　is　the　word

〃Schools。〃　　This　set　me　thinking　this　morning　what　are　the　sorts　of

schools　that　I　don't　like。　　I　found　them　on　consideration；　to　be

rather　numerous。　　I　don't　like　to　begin　with；　and　to　begin　as

charity　does　at　home　…　I　don't　like　the　sort　of　school　to　which　I

once　went　myself　…　the　respected　proprietor　of　which　was　by　far　the

most　ignorant　man　I　have　ever　had　the　pleasure　to　know；　one　of　the

worst…tempered　men　perhaps　that　ever　lived；　whose　business　it　was

to　make　as　much　out　of　us　and　put　as　little　into　us　as　possible；

and　who　sold　us　at　a　figure　which　I　remember　we　used　to　delight　to

estimate；　as　amounting　to　exactly　2　pounds　4s。　6d。　per　head。　　I

don't　like　that　sort　of　school；　because　I　don't　see　what　business

the　master　had　to　be　at　the　top　of　it　instead　of　the　bottom；　and

because　I　never　could　understand　the　wholesomeness　of　the　moral

preached　by　the　abject　appearance　and　degraded　condition　of　the

teachers　who　plainly　said　to　us　by　their　looks　every　day　of　their

lives；　〃Boys；　never　be　learned；　whatever　you　are；　above　all　things

be　warned　from　that　in　time　by　our　sunken　cheeks；　by　our　poor

pimply　noses；　by　our　meagre　diet；　by　our　acid…beer；　and　by　our

extraordinary　suits　of　clothes；　of　which　no　human　being　can　say

whether　they　are　snuff…coloured　turned　black；　or　black　turned

snuff…coloured；　a　point　upon　which　we　ourselves　are　perfectly

unable　to　offer　any　ray　of　enlightenment；　it　is　so　very　long　since

they　were　undarned　and　new。〃　　I　do　not　like　that　sort　of　school；

because　I　have　never　yet　lost　my　ancient　suspicion　touching　that

curious　coincidence　that　the　boy　with　four　brothers　to　come　always

got　the　prizes。　　In　fact；　and　short；　I　do　not　like　that　sort　of

school；　which　is　a　pernicious　and　abominable　humbug；　altogether。

Again；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of　school　…　a

ladies'　school　…　with　which　the　other　school　used　to　dance　on

Wednesdays；　where　the　young　ladies；　as　I　look　back　upon　them　now；

seem　to　me　always　to　have　been　in　new　stays　and　disgrace　…　the

latter　concerning　a　place　of　which　I　know　nothing　at　this　day；　that

bounds　Timbuctoo　on　the　north…east　…　and　where　memory　always

depicts　the　youthful　enthraller　of　my　first　affection　as　for　ever

standing　against　a　wall；　in　a　curious　machine　of　wood；　which

confined　her　innocent　feet　in　the　first　dancing　position；　while

those　arms；　which　should　have　encircled　my　jacket；　those　precious

arms；　I　say；　were　pinioned　behind　her　by　an　instrument　of　torture

called　a　backboard；　fixed　in　the　manner　of　a　double　direction　post。

Again；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of　school；　of　which　we　have　a　notable

example　in　Kent；　which　was　established　ages　ago　by　worthy　scholars

and　good　men　long　deceased；　whose　munificent　endowments　have　been

monstrously　perverted　from　their　original　purpose；　and　which；　in

their　distorted　condition；　are　struggled　for　and　fought　over　with

the　most　indecent　pertinacity。　　Again；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of

school　…　and　I　have　seen　a　great　many　such　in　these　latter　times　…

where　the　bright　childish　imagination　is　utterly　discouraged；　and

where　those　bright　childish　faces；　which　it　is　so　very　good　for　the

wisest　among　us　to　remember　in　after　life　…　when　the　world　is　too

much　with　us；　early　and　late　…　are　gloomily　and　grimly　scared　out

of　countenance；　where　I　have　never　seen　among　the　pupils；　whether

boys　or　girls；　anything　but　little　parrots　and　small　calculating

machines。　　Again；　I　don't　by　any　means　like　schools　in　leather

breeches；　and　with　mortified　straw　baskets　for　bonnets；　which　file

along　the　streets　in　long　melancholy　rows　under　the　escort　of　that

surprising　British　monster　…　a　beadle；　whose　system　of　instruction；

I　am　afraid；　too　often　presents　that　happy　union　of　sound　with

sense；　of　which　a　very　remarkable　instance　is　given　in　a　grave

report　of　a　trustworthy　school　inspector；　to　the　effect　that　a　boy

in　great　repute　at　school　for　his　learning；　presented　on　his　slate；

as　one　of　the　ten　commandments；　the　perplexing　prohibition；　〃Thou

shalt　not　commit　doldrum。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　confess；　also；

that　I　don't　like　those　schools；　even　though　the　instruction　given

in　them　be　gratuitous；　where　those　sweet　little　voices　which　ought

to　be　heard　speaking　in　very　different　accents；　anathematise　by

rote　any　human　being　who　does　not　hold　what　is　taught　there。

Lastly；　I　do　not　like；　and　I　did　not　like　some　years　ago；　cheap

distant　schools；　where　neglected　children　pine　from　year　to　year

under　an　amount　of　neglect；　want；　and　youthful　misery　far　too　sad

even　to　be　glanced　at　in　this　cheerful　assembly。



And　now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　perhaps　you　will　permit　me　to　sketch

in　a　few　words　the　sort　of　school　that　I　do　like。　　It　is　a　school

established　by　the　members　of　an　industrious　and　useful　order；

which　supplies　the　comforts　and　graces　of　life　at　every　familiar

turning　in　the　road　of　our　existence；　it　is　a　school　established　by

them　for　the　Orphan　and　Necessitous　Children　of　their　own　brethren

and　sisterhood；　it　is　a　place　giving　an　education　worthy　of　them　…

an　education　by　them　invented；　by　them　conducted；　by　them　watched

over；　it　is　a　place　of　education　where；　while　the　beautiful　history

of　the　Christian　religion　is　daily　taught；　and　while　the　life　of

that　Divine　Teacher　who　Himself　took　little　children　on　His　knees

is　daily　studied；　no　sectarian　ill…will　nor　narrow　human　dogma　is

permitted　to　darken　the　face　of　the　clear　heaven　which　they

disclose。　　It　is　a　children's　school；　which　is　at　the　same　time　no

less　a　children's　home；　a　home　not　to　be　confided　to　the　care　of

cold　or　ignorant　strangers；　nor；　by　the　nature　of　its　foundation；

in　the　course　of　ages　to　pass　into　hands　that　have　as　much　natural

right　to　deal　with　it　as　with　the　peaks　of　the　highest　mountains　or

with　the　depths　of　the　sea；　but　to　be　from　generation　to　generation

administered　by　men　living　in　precisely　such　homes　as　those　poor

children　have　lost；　by　men　always　bent　upon　making　that

replacement；　such　a　home　as　their　own　dear　children　might　find　a

happy　refuge　in　if　they　themselves　were　taken　early　away。　　And　I

fearlessly　ask　you；　is　this　a　design　which　has　any　claim　to　your

sympathy？　　Is　this　a　sort　of　school　which　is　deserving　of　your

support？



This　is　the　design；　this　is　the　school；　whose　strong　and　simple

claim　I　have　to　lay　before　you　to…night。　　I　must　particularly

entreat　you　not　to　suppose　that　my　fancy　and　unfortunate　habit　of

fiction　has　anything　to　do　with　the　picture　I　have　just　presented

to　you。　　It　is　sober　matter　of　fact。　　The　Warehousemen　and　Clerks'

Schools；　established　for　the　maintaining；　clothing；　and　educating

of　the　Orphan　and　Necessitous　Children　of　those　employed　in　the

wholesale　trades　and　manufactures　of　the　United　Kingdom；　are；　in

fact；　what　I　have　just　described。　　These　schools　for　both　sexes

were　originated　only　four　years　ago。　　In　the　first　six　weeks　of　the

undertaking　the　young　men　of　themselves　and　quite　unaided；

subscribed　the　large　sum　of　3；000　pounds。　　The　schools　have　been

opened　only　three　years；　they　have　now　on　their　foundation　thirty…

nine　children；　and　in　a　few　days　they　will　have　six　more；　making　a

total　of　forty…five。　　They　have　been　most　munificently　assisted　by

the　heads　of　great　mercantile　houses；　numerously　represented；　I　am

happy　to　say；　around　me；　and　they　have　a　funded　capital　of　almost

14；000　pounds。　　This　is　wonderful　progress；　but　the　aim　must　still

be　upwards；　the　motto　always　〃Excelsior。〃　　You　do　not　need　to　be

told　that　five…and…forty　children　can　form　but　a　very　small

proportion　of　the　Orphan　and　Necessitous　Children　of　those　who　have

been　entrusted　with　the　wholesale　trades　and　manufactures　of　the

United　Kingdom：　　you　do　not　require　to　be　informed　that　the　house

at　New…cross；　rented　for　a　small　term　of　years；　in　which　the

schools　are　at　present　established；　can　afford　but　most　imperfect

accommodation　for　such　a　breadth　of　design。　　To　carry　this　good

work　through　the　two　remaining　degrees　of　better　and　best　there

must　be　more　work；　more　co…operation；　more　friends；　more　money。

Then　be　the　friends　and　give　the　money。　　Before　I　conclude；　there

is　one　other　feature　in　these　schools　which　I　would　commend　to　your

special　attention　and　approval。　　Their　benefits　are　reserved　for

the　children　of　subscribers；　that　is　to　say；　it　is　an　essential

principle　of　the　institution　that　it　must　help　those　whose　parents

have　helped　them；　and　that　the　unfortunate　children　whose　father

has　been　so　lax；　or　so　criminal；　as　to　withhold　a　subscription　so

exceedingly　small　that　when　divided　by　weeks　it　amounts　to　only

threepence　weekly；　cannot；　in　justice；　be　allowed　to　jostle　out　and

shoulder　away　the　happier　children；　whose　father　has　had　that

little　forethought；　or　done　that　little　kindness　which　was

requisite　to　secure　for　them　the　benefits　of　the　institution。　　I

really　cannot　believe　that　there　will　long　be　any　such　defaulting

parents。　　I　cannot　believe　that　any　of　the　intelligent　young　men

who　are　engaged　in　the　wholesale　houses　will　long　neglect　this

obvious；　this　easy　duty。　　If　they　suppose　that　the　objects　of　their

love；　born　or　unborn；　w