speeches-literary & social-第26章

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debt　which　all　sensible　and　civilised　creatures　owe　to　art；　as　a

mark　of　respect　to　art；　as　a　decoration　…　not　as　a　badge　…　as　a

remembrance　of　what　this　land；　or　any　land；　would　be　without　art；

and　as　the　token　of　an　appreciation　of　the　works　of　the　most

successful　artists　of　this　country。　　With　respect　to　the　society　of

which　I　am　the　advocate；　I　am　gratified　that　it　is　so　liberally

supported　by　the　most　distinguished　artists；　and　that　it　has　the

confidence　of　men　who　occupy　the　highest　rank　as　artists；　above　the

reach　of　reverses；　and　the　most　distinguished　in　success　and　fame；

and　whose　support　is　above　all　price。　　Artists　who　have　obtained

wide…world　reputation　know　well　that　many　deserving　and　persevering

men；　or　their　widows　and　orphans；　have　received　help　from　this

fund；　and　some　of　the　artists　who　have　received　this　help　are　now

enrolled　among　the　subscribers　to　the　Institution。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　20；　1862。







＇The　following　speech　was　made　by　Mr。　Dickens；　in　his　capacity　as

chairman；　at　the　annual　Festival　of　the　Newsvendors'　and　Provident

Institution；　held　at　the　Freemasons'　Tavern　on　the　above　date。＇



WHEN　I　had　the　honour　of　being　asked　to　preside　last　year；　I　was

prevented　by　indisposition；　and　I　besought　my　friend；　Mr。　Wilkie

Collins；　to　reign　in　my　stead。　　He　very　kindly　complied；　and　made

an　excellent　speech。　　Now　I　tell　you　the　truth；　that　I　read　that

speech　with　considerable　uneasiness；　for　it　inspired　me　with　a

strong　misgiving　that　I　had　better　have　presided　last　year　with

neuralgia　in　my　face　and　my　subject　in　my　head；　rather　than　preside

this　year　with　my　neuralgia　all　gone　and　my　subject　anticipated。

Therefore；　I　wish　to　preface　the　toast　this　evening　by　making　the

managers　of　this　Institution　one　very　solemn　and　repentant　promise；

and　it　is；　if　ever　I　find　myself　obliged　to　provide　a　substitute

again；　they　may　rely　upon　my　sending　the　most　speechless　man　of　my

acquaintance。



The　Chairman　last　year　presented　you　with　an　amiable　view　of　the

universality　of　the　newsman's　calling。　　Nothing；　I　think；　is　left

for　me　but　to　imagine　the　newsman's　burden　itself；　to　unfold　one　of

those　wonderful　sheets　which　he　every　day　disseminates；　and　to　take

a　bird's…eye　view　of　its　general　character　and　contents。　　So；　if

you　please；　choosing　my　own　time　…　though　the　newsman　cannot　choose

his　time；　for　he　must　be　equally　active　in　winter　or　summer；　in

sunshine　or　sleet；　in　light　or　darkness；　early　or　late　…　but；

choosing　my　own　time；　I　shall　for　two　or　three　moments　start　off

with　the　newsman　on　a　fine　May　morning；　and　take　a　view　of　the

wonderful　broadsheets　which　every　day　he　scatters　broadcast　over

the　country。　　Well；　the　first　thing　that　occurs　to　me　following　the

newsman　is；　that　every　day　we　are　born；　that　every　day　we　are

married　…　some　of　us　…　and　that　every　day　we　are　dead；

consequently；　the　first　thing　the　newsvendor's　column　informs　me

is；　that　Atkins　has　been　born；　that　Catkins　has　been　married；　and

that　Datkins　is　dead。　　But　the　most　remarkable　thing　I　immediately

discover　in　the　next　column；　is　that　Atkins　has　grown　to　be

seventeen　years　old；　and　that　he　has　run　away；　for；　at　last；　my　eye

lights　on　the　fact　that　William　A。；　who　is　seventeen　years　old；　is

adjured　immediately　to　return　to　his　disconsolate　parents；　and

everything　will　be　arranged　to　the　satisfaction　of　everyone。　　I　am

afraid　he　will　never　return；　simply　because；　if　he　had　meant　to

come　back；　he　would　never　have　gone　away。　　Immediately　below；　I

find　a　mysterious　character　in　such　a　mysterious　difficulty　that　it

is　only　to　be　expressed　by　several　disjointed　letters；　by　several

figures；　and　several　stars；　and　then　I　find　the　explanation　in　the

intimation　that　the　writer　has　given　his　property　over　to　his

uncle；　and　that　the　elephant　is　on　the　wing。　　Then；　still　glancing

over　the　shoulder　of　my　industrious　friend；　the　newsman；　I　find

there　are　great　fleets　of　ships　bound　to　all　parts　of　the　earth；

that　they　all　want　a　little　more　stowage；　a　little　more　cargo；　that

they　have　a　few　more　berths　to　let；　that　they　have　all　the　most

spacious　decks；　that　they　are　all　built　of　teak；　and　copper…

bottomed；　that　they　all　carry　surgeons　of　experience；　and　that　they

are　all　A1　at　Lloyds'；　and　anywhere　else。　　Still　glancing　over　the

shoulder　of　my　friend　the　newsman；　I　find　I　am　offered　all　kinds　of

house…lodging；　clerks；　servants；　and　situations；　which　I　can

possibly　or　impossibly　want。　　I　learn；　to　my　intense　gratification；

that　I　need　never　grow　old；　that　I　may　always　preserve　the　juvenile

bloom　of　my　complexion；　that　if　ever　I　turn　ill　it　is　entirely　my

own　fault；　that　if　I　have　any　complaint；　and　want　brown　cod…liver

oil　or　Turkish　baths；　I　am　told　where　to　get　them；　and　that；　if　I

want　an　income　of　seven　pounds　a…week；　I　may　have　it　by　sending

half…a…crown　in　postage…stamps。　　Then　I　look　to　the　police

intelligence；　and　I　can　discover　that　I　may　bite　off　a　human　living

nose　cheaply；　but　if　I　take　off　the　dead　nose　of　a　pig　or　a　calf

from　a　shop…window；　it　will　cost　me　exceedingly　dear。　　I　also　find

that　if　I　allow　myself　to　be　betrayed　into　the　folly　of　killing　an

inoffensive　tradesman　on　his　own　door…step；　that　little　incident

will　not　affect　the　testimonials　to　my　character；　but　that　I　shall

be　described　as　a　most　amiable　young　man；　and　as；　above　all　things；

remarkable　for　the　singular　inoffensiveness　of　my　character　and

disposition。　　Then　I　turn　my　eye　to　the　Fine　Arts；　and；　under　that

head；　I　see　that　a　certain　〃J。　O。〃　has　most　triumphantly　exposed　a

certain　〃J。　O。　B。；〃　which　〃J。　O。　B。〃　was　remarkable　for　this

particular　ugly　feature；　that　I　was　requested　to　deprive　myself　of

the　best　of　my　pictures　for　six　months；　that　for　that　time　it　was

to　be　hung　on　a　wet　wall；　and　that　I　was　to　be　requited　for　my

courtesy　in　having　my　picture　most　impertinently　covered　with　a　wet

blanket。　　To　sum　up　the　results　of　a　glance　over　my　newsman's

shoulder；　it　gives　a　comprehensive　knowledge　of　what　is　going　on

over　the　continent　of　Europe；　and　also　of　what　is　going　on　over　the

continent　of　America；　to　say　nothing　of　such　little　geographical

regions　as　India　and　China。



Now；　my　friends；　this　is　the　glance　over　the　newsman's　shoulders

from　the　whimsical　point　of　view；　which　is　the　point；　I　believe；

that　most　promotes　digestion。　　The　newsman　is　to　be　met　with　on

steamboats；　railway　stations；　and　at　every　turn。　　His　profits　are

small；　he　has　a　great　amount　of　anxiety　and　care；　and　no　little

amount　of　personal　wear　and　tear。　　He　is　indispensable　to

civilization　and　freedom；　and　he　is　looked　for　with　pleasurable

excitement　every　day；　except　when　he　lends　the　paper　for　an　hour；

and　when　he　is　punctual　in　calling　for　it；　which　is　sometimes　very

painful。　　I　think　the　lesson　we　can　learn　from　our　newsman　is　some

new　illustration　of　the　uncertainty　of　life；　some　illustration　of

its　vicissitudes　and　fluctuations。　　Mindful　of　this　permanent

lesson；　some　members　of　the　trade　originated　this　society；　which

affords　them　assistance　in　time　of　sickness　and　indigence。　　The

subscription　is　infinitesimal。　　It　amounts　annually　to　five

shillings。　　Looking　at　the　returns　before　me；　the　progress　of　the

society　would　seem　to　be　slow；　but　it　has　only　been　slow　for　the

best　of　all　reasons；　that　it　has　been　sure。　　The　pensions　granted

are　all　obtained　from　the　interest　on　the　funded　capital；　and；

therefore；　the　Institution　is　literally　as　safe　as　the　Bank。　　It　is

stated　that　there　are　several　newsvendors　who　are　not　members　of

this　society；　but　that　is　true　in　all　institutions　which　have　come

under　my　experience。　　The　persons　who　are　most　likely　to　stand　in

need　of　the　benefits　which　an　institution　confers；　are　usually　the

persons　to　keep　away　until　bitter　experience　comes　to　them　too

late。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　11；　1864。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Adelphi　Theatre；　at