speeches-literary & social-第20章

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Edinburgh。　　In　the　closes　and　wynds　of　that　picturesque　place　…　I

am　sorry　to　remind　you　what　fast　friends　picturesqueness　and　typhus

often　are　…　we　saw　more　poverty　and　sickness　in　an　hour　than　many

people　would　believe　in　a　life。　　Our　way　lay　from　one　to　another　of

the　most　wretched　dwellings；　reeking　with　horrible　odours；　shut　out

from　the　sky；　shut　out　from　the　air；　mere　pits　and　dens。　　In　a　room

in　one　of　these　places；　where　there　was　an　empty　porridge…pot　on

the　cold　hearth；　with　a　ragged　woman　and　some　ragged　children

crouching　on　the　bare　ground　near　it　…　where；　I　remember　as　I

speak；　that　the　very　light；　refracted　from　a　high　damp…stained　and

time…stained　house…wall；　came　trembling　in；　as　if　the　fever　which

had　shaken　everything　else　there　had　shaken　even　it　…　there　lay；　in

an　old　egg…box　which　the　mother　had　begged　from　a　shop；　a　little

feeble；　wasted；　wan；　sick　child。　　With　his　little　wasted　face；　and

his　little　hot；　worn　hands　folded　over　his　breast；　and　his　little

bright；　attentive　eyes；　I　can　see　him　now；　as　I　have　seen　him　for

several　years；　look　in　steadily　at　us。　　There　he　lay　in　his　little

frail　box；　which　was　not　at　all　a　bad　emblem　of　the　little　body

from　which　he　was　slowly　parting　…　there　he　lay；　quite　quiet；　quite

patient；　saying　never　a　word。　　He　seldom　cried；　the　mother　said；　he

seldom　complained；　〃he　lay　there；　seemin'　to　woonder　what　it　was　a'

aboot。〃　　God　knows；　I　thought；　as　I　stood　looking　at　him；　he　had

his　reasons　for　wondering　…　reasons　for　wondering　how　it　could

possibly　come　to　be　that　he　lay　there；　left　alone；　feeble　and　full

of　pain；　when　he　ought　to　have　been　as　bright　and　as　brisk　as　the

birds　that　never　got　near　him　…　reasons　for　wondering　how　he　came

to　be　left　there；　a　little　decrepid　old　man　pining　to　death；　quite

a　thing　of　course；　as　if　there　were　no　crowds　of　healthy　and　happy

children　playing　on　the　grass　under　the　summer's　sun　within　a

stone's　throw　of　him；　as　if　there　were　no　bright；　moving　sea　on　the

other　side　of　the　great　hill　overhanging　the　city；　as　if　there　were

no　great　clouds　rushing　over　it；　as　if　there　were　no　life；　and

movement；　and　vigour　anywhere　in　the　world　…　nothing　but　stoppage

and　decay。　　There　he　lay　looking　at　us；　saying；　in　his　silence；

more　pathetically　than　I　have　ever　heard　anything　said　by　any

orator　in　my　life；　〃Will　you　please　to　tell　me　what　this　means；

strange　man？　and　if　you　can　give　me　any　good　reason　why　I　should　be

so　soon；　so　far　advanced　on　my　way　to　Him　who　said　that　children

were　to　come　into　His　presence　and　were　not　to　be　forbidden；　but

who　scarcely　meant；　I　think；　that　they　should　come　by　this　hard

road　by　which　I　am　travelling；　pray　give　that　reason　to　me；　for　I

seek　it　very　earnestly　and　wonder　about　it　very　much；〃　and　to　my

mind　he　has　been　wondering　about　it　ever　since。　　Many　a　poor　child；

sick　and　neglected；　I　have　seen　since　that　time　in　this　London；

many　a　poor　sick　child　I　have　seen　most　affectionately　and　kindly

tended　by　poor　people；　in　an　unwholesome　house　and　under　untoward

circumstances；　wherein　its　recovery　was　quite　impossible；　but　at

all　such　times　I　have　seen　my　poor　little　drooping　friend　in　his

egg…box；　and　he　has　always　addressed　his　dumb　speech　to　me；　and　I

have　always　found　him　wondering　what　it　meant；　and　why；　in　the　name

of　a　gracious　God；　such　things　should　be！



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　such　things　need　not　be；　and　will　not

be；　if　this　company；　which　is　a　drop　of　the　life…blood　of　the　great

compassionate　public　heart；　will　only　accept　the　means　of　rescue

and　prevention　which　it　is　mine　to　offer。　　Within　a　quarter　of　a

mile　of　this　place　where　I　speak；　stands　a　courtly　old　house；　where

once；　no　doubt；　blooming　children　were　born；　and　grew　up　to　be　men

and　women；　and　married；　and　brought　their　own　blooming　children

back　to　patter　up　the　old　oak　staircase　which　stood　but　the　other

day；　and　to　wonder　at　the　old　oak　carvings　on　the　chimney…pieces。

In　the　airy　wards　into　which　the　old　state　drawing…rooms　and　family

bedchambers　of　that　house　are　now　converted　are　such　little

patients　that　the　attendant　nurses　look　like　reclaimed　giantesses；

and　the　kind　medical　practitioner　like　an　amiable　Christian　ogre。

Grouped　about　the　little　low　tables　in　the　centre　of　the　rooms　are

such　tiny　convalescents　that　they　seem　to　be　playing　at　having　been

ill。　　On　the　doll's　beds　are　such　diminutive　creatures　that　each

poor　sufferer　is　supplied　with　its　tray　of　toys；　and；　looking

round；　you　may　see　how　the　little　tired；　flushed　cheek　has　toppled

over　half　the　brute　creation　on　its　way　into　the　ark；　or　how　one

little　dimpled　arm　has　mowed　down　（as　I　saw　myself）　the　whole　tin

soldiery　of　Europe。　　On　the　walls　of　these　rooms　are　graceful；

pleasant；　bright；　childish　pictures。　　At　the　bed's　heads；　are

pictures　of　the　figure　which　is　the　universal　embodiment　of　all

mercy　and　compassion；　the　figure　of　Him　who　was　once　a　child

himself；　and　a　poor　one。　　Besides　these　little　creatures　on　the

beds；　you　may　learn　in　that　place　that　the　number　of　small　Out…

patients　brought　to　that　house　for　relief　is　no　fewer　than　ten

thousand　in　the　compass　of　one　single　year。　　In　the　room　in　which

these　are　received；　you　may　see　against　the　wall　a　box；　on　which　it

is　written；　that　it　has　been　calculated；　that　if　every　grateful

mother　who　brings　a　child　there　will　drop　a　penny　into　it；　the

Hospital　funds　may　possibly　be　increased　in　a　year　by　so　large　a

sum　as　forty　pounds。　　And　you　may　read　in　the　Hospital　Report；　with

a　glow　of　pleasure；　that　these　poor　women　are　so　respondent　as　to

have　made；　even　in　a　toiling　year　of　difficulty　and　high　prices；

this　estimated　forty；　fifty　pounds。　　In　the　printed　papers　of　this

same　Hospital；　you　may　read　with　what　a　generous　earnestness　the

highest　and　wisest　members　of　the　medical　profession　testify　to　the

great　need　of　it；　to　the　immense　difficulty　of　treating　children　in

the　same　hospitals　with　grown…up　people；　by　reason　of　their

different　ailments　and　requirements；　to　the　vast　amount　of　pain

that　will　be　assuaged；　and　of　life　that　will　be　saved；　through　this

Hospital；　not　only　among　the　poor；　observe；　but　among　the

prosperous　too；　by　reason　of　the　increased　knowledge　of　children's

illnesses；　which　cannot　fail　to　arise　from　a　more　systematic　mode

of　studying　them。　　Lastly；　gentlemen；　and　I　am　sorry　to　say；　worst

of　all　…　（for　I　must　present　no　rose…coloured　picture　of　this　place

to　you　…　I　must　not　deceive　you；）　lastly；　the　visitor　to　this

Children's　Hospital；　reckoning　up　the　number　of　its　beds；　will　find

himself　perforce　obliged　to　stop　at　very　little　over　thirty；　and

will　learn；　with　sorrow　and　surprise；　that　even　that　small　number；

so　forlornly；　so　miserably　diminutive；　compared　with　this　vast

London；　cannot　possibly　be　maintained；　unless　the　Hospital　be　made

better　known；　I　limit　myself　to　saying　better　known；　because　I　will

not　believe　that　in　a　Christian　community　of　fathers　and　mothers；

and　brothers　and　sisters；　it　can　fail；　being　better　known；　to　be

well　and　richly　endowed。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this；　without　a　word　of　adornment　…

which　I　resolved　when　I　got　up　not　to　allow　myself　…　this　is　the

simple　case。　　This　is　the　pathetic　case　which　I　have　to　put　to　you；

not　only　on　behalf　of　the　thousands　of　children　who　annually　die　in

this　great　city；　but　also　on　behalf　of　the　thousands　of　children

who　live　half　developed；　racked　with　preventible　pain；　shorn　of

their　natural　capacity　for　health　and　enjoyment。　　If　these　innocent

creatures　cannot　move　you　for　themselves；　how　can　I　possibly　hope

to　move　you　in　their　name？　　The　most　delightful　paper；　the　most

charming　essay；　which　the　tender　imagination　of　Charles　Lamb

conceived；　represents　him　as　sitting　by　his　fireside　on　a　winter

night　telling　stories　to　his　own　dear　children；　and　delighting　in

their　society；　until　he　suddenly　comes　to　his　old；　solitary；

bachelor　self；　and　finds　that　they　were　but　dream…children