speeches-literary & social-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



absence　of　the　Lord　Chancellor；　made　a　sort　of　defence　of　the　Court

of　Chancery；　not　distinctly　alluding　to　Bleak　House；　but　evidently

not　without　reference　to　it。　　The　amount　of　what　he　said　was；　that

the　Court　had　received　a　great　many　more　hard　opinions　than　it

merited；　that　they　had　been　parsimoniously　obliged　to　perform　a

great　amount　of　business　by　a　very　inadequate　number　of　judges；　but

that　more　recently　the　number　of　judges　had　been　increased　to

seven；　and　there　was　reason　to　hope　that　all　business　brought

before　it　would　now　be　performed　without　unnecessary　delay。



〃Mr。　Dickens　alluded　playfully　to　this　item　of　intelligence；　said

he　was　exceedingly　happy　to　hear　it；　as　he　trusted　now　that　a　suit；

in　which　he　was　greatly　interested；　would　speedily　come　to　an　end。

I　heard　a　little　by…conversation　between　Mr。　Dickens　and　a

gentleman　of　the　bar；　who　sat　opposite　me；　in　which　the　latter

seemed　to　be　reiterating　the　same　assertions；　and　I　understood　him

to　say；　that　a　case　not　extraordinarily　complicated　might　be　got

through　with　in　three　months。　　Mr。　Dickens　said　he　was　very　happy

to　hear　it；　but　I　fancied　there　was　a　little　shade　of　incredulity

in　his　manner；　however；　the　incident　showed　one　thing；　that　is；

that　the　chancery　were　not　insensible　to　the　representations　of

Dickens；　but　the　whole　tone　of　the　thing　was　quite　good…natured　and

agreeable。〃







SPEECH：　　BIRMINGHAM；　DECEMBER　30；　1853。







＇The　first　of　the　Readings　generously　given　by　Mr。　Charles　Dickens

on　behalf　of　the　Birmingham　and　Midland　Institute；　took　place　on

Tuesday　evening；　December　27；　1853；　at　the　Birmingham　Town　Hall；

where；　notwithstanding　the　inclemency　of　the　weather；　nearly　two

thousand　persons　had　assembled。　　The　work　selected　was　the

CHRISTMAS　CAROL。　　The　high　mimetic　powers　possessed　by　Mr。　Dickens

enabled　him　to　personate　with　remarkable　force　the　various

characters　of　the　story；　and　with　admirable　skill　to　pass　rapidly

from　the　hard；　unbelieving　Scrooge；　to　trusting　and　thankful　Bob

Cratchit；　and　from　the　genial　fulness　of　Scrooge's　nephew；　to　the

hideous　mirth　of　the　party　assembled　in　Old　Joe　the　Ragshop…

keeper's　parlour。　　The　reading　occupied　more　than　three　hours；　but

so　interested　were　the　audience；　that　only　one　or　two　left　the　Hall

previously　to　its　termination；　and　the　loud　and　frequent　bursts　of

applause　attested　the　successful　discharge　of　the　reader's　arduous

task。　　On　Thursday　evening　Mr。　Dickens　read　THE　CRICKET　ON　THE

HEARTH。　　The　Hall　was　again　well　ruled；　and　the　tale；　though

deficient　in　the　dramatic　interest　of　the　CAROL；　was　listened　to

with　attention；　and　rewarded　with　repeated　applause。　　On　Friday

evening；　the　CHRISTMAS　CAROL　was　read　a　second　time　to　a　large

assemblage　of　work…people；　for　whom；　at　Mr。　Dickens's　special

request；　the　major　part　of　the　vast　edifice　was　reserved。　　Before

commencing　the　tale；　Mr。　Dickens　delivered　the　following　brief

address；　almost　every　sentence　of　which　was　received　with　loudly

expressed　applause。＇



MY　GOOD　FRIENDS；　…　When　I　first　imparted　to　the　committee　of　the

projected　Institute　my　particular　wish　that　on　one　of　the　evenings

of　my　readings　here　the　main　body　of　my　audience　should　be　composed

of　working　men　and　their　families；　I　was　animated　by　two　desires；

first；　by　the　wish　to　have　the　great　pleasure　of　meeting　you　face

to　face　at　this　Christmas　time；　and　accompany　you　myself　through

one　of　my　little　Christmas　books；　and　second；　by　the　wish　to　have

an　opportunity　of　stating　publicly　in　your　presence；　and　in　the

presence　of　the　committee；　my　earnest　hope　that　the　Institute　will；

from　the　beginning；　recognise　one　great　principle　…　strong　in

reason　and　justice　…　which　I　believe　to　be　essential　to　the　very

life　of　such　an　Institution。　　It　is；　that　the　working　man　shall；

from　the　first　unto　the　last；　have　a　share　in　the　management　of　an

Institution　which　is　designed　for　his　benefit；　and　which　calls

itself　by　his　name。



I　have　no　fear　here　of　being　misunderstood　…　of　being　supposed　to

mean　too　much　in　this。　　If　there　ever　was　a　time　when　any　one　class

could　of　itself　do　much　for　its　own　good；　and　for　the　welfare　of

society　…　which　I　greatly　doubt　…　that　time　is　unquestionably　past。

It　is　in　the　fusion　of　different　classes；　without　confusion；　in　the

bringing　together　of　employers　and　employed；　in　the　creating　of　a

better　common　understanding　among　those　whose　interests　are

identical；　who　depend　upon　each　other；　who　are　vitally　essential　to

each　other；　and　who　never　can　be　in　unnatural　antagonism　without

deplorable　results；　that　one　of　the　chief　principles　of　a

Mechanics'　Institution　should　consist。　　In　this　world　a　great　deal

of　the　bitterness　among　us　arises　from　an　imperfect　understanding

of　one　another。　　Erect　in　Birmingham　a　great　Educational

Institution；　properly　educational；　educational　of　the　feelings　as

well　as　of　the　reason；　to　which　all　orders　of　Birmingham　men

contribute；　in　which　all　orders　of　Birmingham　men　meet；　wherein　all

orders　of　Birmingham　men　are　faithfully　represented　…　and　you　will

erect　a　Temple　of　Concord　here　which　will　be　a　model　edifice　to　the

whole　of　England。



Contemplating　as　I　do　the　existence　of　the　Artisans'　Committee；

which　not　long　ago　considered　the　establishment　of　the　Institute　so

sensibly；　and　supported　it　so　heartily；　I　earnestly　entreat　the

gentlemen　…　earnest　I　know　in　the　good　work；　and　who　are　now　among

us；　…　by　all　means　to　avoid　the　great　shortcoming　of　similar

institutions；　and　in　asking　the　working　man　for　his　confidence；　to

set　him　the　great　example　and　give　him　theirs　in　return。　　You　will

judge　for　yourselves　if　I　promise　too　much　for　the　working　man；

when　I　say　that　he　will　stand　by　such　an　enterprise　with　the　utmost

of　his　patience；　his　perseverance；　sense；　and　support；　that　I　am

sure　he　will　need　no　charitable　aid　or　condescending　patronage；　but

will　readily　and　cheerfully　pay　for　the　advantages　which　it

confers；　that　he　will　prepare　himself　in　individual　cases　where　he

feels　that　the　adverse　circumstances　around　him　have　rendered　it

necessary；　in　a　word；　that　he　will　feel　his　responsibility　like　an

honest　man；　and　will　most　honestly　and　manfully　discharge　it。　　I

now　proceed　to　the　pleasant　task　to　which　I　assure　you　I　have

looked　forward　for　a　long　time。





＇At　the　close　of　the　reading　Mr。　Dickens　received　a　vote　of　thanks；

and　〃three　cheers；　with　three　times　three。〃　　As　soon　as　the

enthusiasm　of　the　audience　would　allow　him　to　speak；　Mr。　Dickens

said：…＇





You　have　heard　so　much　of　my　voice　since　we　met　tonight；　that　I

will　only　say；　in　acknowledgment　of　this　affecting　mark　of　your

regard；　that　I　am　truly　and　sincerely　interested　in　you；　that　any

little　service　I　have　rendered　to　you　I　have　freely　rendered　from

my　heart；　that　I　hope　to　become　an　honorary　member　of　your　great

Institution；　and　will　meet　you　often　there　when　it　becomes

practically　useful；　that　I　thank　you　most　affectionately　for　this

new　mark　of　your　sympathy　and　approval；　and　that　I　wish　you　many

happy　returns　of　this　great　birthday…time；　and　many　prosperous

years。







SPEECH：　　COMMERCIAL　TRAVELLERS。　　LONDON；　DECEMBER　30；　1854。







＇The　following　speech　was　made　by　Mr。　Dickens　at　the　Anniversary

Dinner　in　commemoration　of　the　foundation　of　the　Commercial

Travellers'　Schools；　held　at　the　London　Tavern　on　the　above　date。

Mr。　Dickens　presided　on　this　occasion；　and　proposed　the　toasts。＇



I　THINK　it　may　be　assumed　that　most　of　us　here　present　know

something　about　travelling。　　I　do　not　mean　in　distant　regions　or

foreign　countries；　although　I　dare　say　some　of　us　have　had

experience　in　that　way；　but　at　home；　and　within　the　limits　of　the

United　Kingdom。　　I　dare　say　most　of　us　have　had　experience　of　the

extinct　〃fast　coaches；〃　the　〃Wonders；〃　〃Taglionis；〃　and　〃Tallyhos；〃

of　other　days。　　I　daresay　most　of　us　remember　certain　modest

postchaises；　dragging　us　down