speeches-literary & social-第28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！



popular　of　our　English　public　schools。　　On　the　committee　stands　the

name　of　that　eminent　scholar　and　gentleman；　the　Provost　of　Eton。

You　justly　admire　this　liberal　spirit；　and　your　admiration　…　which

I　cordially　share　…　brings　me　naturally　to　what　I　wish　to　say；　that

I　believe　there　is　not　in　England　any　institution　so　socially

liberal　as　a　public　school。　　It　has　been　called　a　little　cosmos　of

life　outside；　and　I　think　it　is　so；　with　the　exception　of　one　of

life's　worst　foibles　…　for；　as　far　as　I　know；　nowhere　in　this

country　is　there　so　complete　an　absence　of　servility　to　mere　rank；

to　mere　position；　to　mere　riches　as　in　a　public　school。　　A　boy

there　is　always　what　his　abilities　or　his　personal　qualities　make

him。　　We　may　differ　about　the　curriculum　and　other　matters；　but　of

the　frank；　free；　manly；　independent　spirit　preserved　in　our　public

schools；　I　apprehend　there　can　be　no　kind　of　question。　　It　has

happened　in　these　later　times　that　objection　has　been　made　to

children　of　dramatic　artists　in　certain　little　snivelling　private

schools　…　but　in　public　schools　never。　　Therefore；　I　hold　that　the

actors　are　wise；　and　gratefully　wise；　in　recognizing　the　capacious

liberality　of　a　public　school；　in　seeking　not　a　little　hole…and…

corner　place　of　education　for　their　children　exclusively；　but　in

addressing　the　whole　of　the　great　middle　class；　and　proposing　to

them　to　come　and　join　them；　the　actors；　on　their　own　property；　in　a

public　school；　in　a　part　of　the　country　where　no　such　advantage　is

now　to　be　found。



I　have　now　done。　　The　attempt　has　been　a　very　timid　one。　　I　have

endeavoured　to　confine　myself　within　my　means；　or；　rather；　like　the

possessor　of　an　extended　estate；　to　hand　it　down　in　an

unembarrassed　condition。　　I　have　laid　a　trifle　of　timber　here　and

there；　and　grubbed　up　a　little　brushwood；　but　merely　to　open　the

view；　and　I　think　I　can　descry　in　the　eye　of　the　gentleman　who　is

to　move　the　first　resolution　that　he　distinctly　sees　his　way。

Thanking　you　for　the　courtesy　with　which　you　have　heard　me；　and　not

at　all　doubting　that　we　shall　lay　a　strong　foundation　of　these

schools　to…day；　I　will　call；　as　the　mover　of　the　first　resolution；

on　Mr。　Robert　Bell。







SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MAY　9；　1865。







＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　presided　at　the　Annual　Festival　of

the　Newsvendors'　Benevolent　and　Provident　Association；　and；　in

proposing　the　toast　of　the　evening；　delivered　the　following

speech。＇



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN；　…　Dr。　Johnson's　experience　of　that　club；　the

members　of　which　have　travelled　over　one　another's　minds　in　every

direction；　is　not　to　be　compared　with　the　experience　of　the

perpetual　president　of　a　society　like　this。　　Having　on　previous

occasions　said　everything　about　it　that　he　could　possibly　find　to

say；　he　is　again　produced；　with　the　same　awful　formalities；　to　say

everything　about　it　that　he　cannot　possibly　find　to　say。　　It　struck

me；　when　Dr。　F。　Jones　was　referring　just　now　to　Easter　Monday；　that

the　case　of　such　an　ill…starred　president　is　very　like　that　of　the

stag　at　Epping　Forest　on　Easter　Monday。　　That　unfortunate　animal

when　he　is　uncarted　at　the　spot　where　the　meet　takes　place；

generally　makes　a　point；　I　am　told；　of　making　away　at　a　cool　trot；

venturesomely　followed　by　the　whole　field；　to　the　yard　where　he

lives；　and　there　subsides　into　a　quiet　and　inoffensive　existence；

until　he　is　again　brought　out　to　be　again　followed　by　exactly　the

same　field；　under　exactly　the　　same　circumstances；　next　Easter

Monday。



The　difficulties　of　the　situation　…　and　here　I　mean　the　president

and　not　the　stag　…　are　greatly　increased　in　such　an　instance　as

this　by　the　peculiar　nature　of　the　institution。　　In　its

unpretending　solidity；　reality；　and　usefulness；　believe　me　…　for　I

have　carefully　considered　the　point　…　it　presents　no　opening

whatever　of　an　oratorical　nature。　　If　it　were　one　of　those　costly

charities；　so　called；　whose　yield　of　wool　bears　no　sort　of

proportion　to　their　cry　for　cash；　I　very　likely　might　have　a　word

or　two　to　say　on　the　subject。　　If　its　funds　were　lavished　in

patronage　and　show；　instead　of　being　honestly　expended　in　providing

small　annuities　for　hard…working　people　who　have　themselves

contributed　to　its　funds　…　if　its　management　were　intrusted　to

people　who　could　by　no　possibility　know　anything　about　it；　instead

of　being　invested　in　plain；　business；　practical　hands　…　if　it

hoarded　when　it　ought　to　spend　…　if　it　got　by　cringing　and　fawning

what　it　never　deserved；　I　might　possibly　impress　you　very　much　by

my　indignation。　　If　its　managers　could　tell　me　that　it　was

insolvent；　that　it　was　in　a　hopeless　condition；　that　its　accounts

had　been　kept　by　Mr。　Edmunds　…　or　by　〃Tom；〃　…　if　its　treasurer　had

run　away　with　the　money…box；　then　I　might　have　made　a　pathetic

appeal　to　your　feelings。　　But　I　have　no　such　chance。　　Just　as　a

nation　is　happy　whose　records　are　barren；　so　is　a　society　fortunate

that　has　no　history　…　and　its　president　unfortunate。　　I　can　only

assure　you　that　this　society　continues　its　plain；　unobtrusive；

useful　career。　　I　can　only　assure　you　that　it　does　a　great　deal　of

good　at　a　very　small　cost；　and　that　the　objects　of　its　care　and　the

bulk　of　its　members　are　faithful　working　servants　of　the　public　…

sole　ministers　of　their　wants　at　untimely　hours；　in　all　seasons；

and　in　all　weathers；　at　their　own　doors；　at　the　street…corners；　at

every　railway　train；　at　every　steam…boat；　through　the　agency　of

every　establishment　and　the　tiniest　little　shops；　and　that；　whether

regarded　as　master　or　as　man；　their　profits　are　very　modest　and

their　risks　numerous；　while　their　trouble　and　responsibility　are

very　great。



The　newsvendors　and　newsmen　are　a　very　subordinate　part　of　that

wonderful　engine　…　the　newspaper　press。　　Still　I　think　we　all　know

very　well　that　they　are　to　the　fountain…head　what　a　good　service　of

water　pipes　is　to　a　good　water　supply。　　Just　as　a　goodly　store　of

water　at　Watford　would　be　a　tantalization　to　thirsty　London　if　it

were　not　brought　into　town　for　its　use；　so　any　amount　of　news

accumulated　at　Printing…house　Square；　or　Fleet　Street；　or　the

Strand；　would　be　if　there　were　no　skill　and　enterprise　engaged　in

its　dissemination。



We　are　all　of　us　in　the　habit　of　saying　in　our　every…day　life；　that

〃We　never　know　the　value　of　anything　until　we　lose　it。〃　　Let　us　try

the　newsvendors　by　the　test。　　A　few　years　ago　we　discovered　one

morning　that　there　was　a　strike　among　the　cab…drivers。　　Now；　let　us

imagine　a　strike　of　newsmen。　　Imagine　the　trains　waiting　in　vain

for　the　newspapers。　　Imagine　all　sorts　and　conditions　of　men　dying

to　know　the　shipping　news；　the　commercial　news；　the　foreign　news；

the　legal　news；　the　criminal　news；　the　dramatic　news。　　Imagine　the

paralysis　on　all　the　provincial　exchanges；　the　silence　and

desertion　of　all　the　newsmen's　exchanges　in　London。　　Imagine　the

circulation　of　the　blood　of　the　nation　and　of　the　country　standing

still；　…　the　clock　of　the　world。　　Why；　even　Mr。　Reuter；　the　great

Reuter　…　whom　I　am　always　glad　to　imagine　slumbering　at　night　by

the　side　of　Mrs。　Reuter；　with　a　galvanic　battery　under　his　bolster；

bell　and　wires　to　the　head　of　his　bed；　and　bells　at　each　ear　…

think　how　even　he　would　click　and　flash　those　wondrous　dispatches

of　his；　and　how　they　would　become　mere　nothing　without　the　activity

and　honesty　which　catch　up　the　threads　and　stitches　of　the　electric

needle；　and　scatter　them　over　the　land。



It　is　curious　to　consider　…　and　the　thought　occurred　to　me　this

day；　when　I　was　out　for　a　stroll　pondering　over　the　duties　of　this

evening；　which　even　then　were　looming　in　the　distance；　but　not

quite　so　far　off　as　I　could　wish　…　I　found　it　very　curious　to

consider　that　though　the　newsman　must　be　allowed　to　be　a　very

unpicturesque　rendering　of　Mercury；　or　Fame；　or　what…not

conventional　messenger　from　the　clouds；　and　although　we　must　allow

that　he　is　of　this　earth；　and　has　a　good　de