speeches-literary & social-第32章

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much　more　persuasive　speaker。　　But　I　rest　the　strong　claim　of　the

society　for　its　useful　existence　and　its　truly　charitable　functions

on　a　very　few　words；　though；　as　well　as　I　can　recollect；　upon

something　like　six　grounds。　　First；　it　relieves　the　sick；　secondly；

it　buries　the　dead；　thirdly；　it　enables　the　poor　members　of　the

profession　to　journey　to　accept　new　engagements　whenever　they　find

themselves　stranded　in　some　remote；　inhospitable　place；　or　when；

from　other　circumstances；　they　find　themselves　perfectly　crippled

as　to　locomotion　for　want　of　money；　fourthly；　it　often　finds　such

engagements　for　them　by　acting　as　their　honest；　disinterested

agent；　fifthly；　it　is　its　principle　to　act　humanely　upon　the

instant；　and　never；　as　is　too　often　the　case　within　my　experience；

to　beat　about　the　bush　till　the　bush　is　withered　and　dead；　lastly；

the　society　is　not　in　the　least　degree　exclusive；　but　takes　under

its　comprehensive　care　the　whole　range　of　the　theatre　and　the

concert…room；　from　the　manager　in　his　room　of　state；　or　in　his

caravan；　or　at　the　drum…head　…　down　to　the　theatrical　housekeeper；

who　is　usually　to　be　found　amongst　the　cobwebs　and　the　flies；　or

down　to　the　hall　porter；　who　passes　his　life　in　a　thorough　draught

…　and；　to　the　best　of　my　observation；　in　perpetually　interrupted

endeavours　to　eat　something　with　a　knife　and　fork　out　of　a　basin；

by　a　dusty　fire；　in　that　extraordinary　little　gritty　room；　upon

which　the　sun　never　shines；　and　on　the　portals　of　which　are

inscribed　the　magic　words；　〃stage…door。〃



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　this　society　administers　its　benefits

sometimes　by　way　of　loan；　sometimes　by　way　of　gift；　sometimes　by

way　of　assurance　at　very　low　premiums；　sometimes　to　members；

oftener　to　non…members；　always　expressly；　remember；　through　the

hands　of　a　secretary　or　committee　well　acquainted　with　the　wants　of

the　applicants；　and　thoroughly　versed；　if　not　by　hard　experience　at

least　by　sympathy；　in　the　calamities　and　uncertainties　incidental

to　the　general　calling。　　One　must　know　something　of　the　general

calling　to　know　what　those　afflictions　are。　　A　lady　who　had　been

upon　the　stage　from　her　earliest　childhood　till　she　was　a　blooming

woman；　and　who　came　from　a　long　line　of　provincial　actors　and

actresses；　once　said　to　me　when　she　was　happily　married；　when　she

was　rich；　beloved；　courted；　when　she　was　mistress　of　a　fine　house　…

once　said　to　me　at　the　head　of　her　own　table；　surrounded　by

distinguished　guests　of　every　degree；　〃Oh；　but　I　have　never

forgotten　the　hard　time　when　I　was　on　the　stage；　and　when　my　baby

brother　died；　and　when　my　poor　mother　and　I　brought　the　little　baby

from　Ireland　to　England；　and　acted　three　nights　in　England；　as　we

had　acted　three　nights　in　Ireland；　with　the　pretty　creature　lying

upon　the　only　bed　in　our　lodging　before　we　got　the　money　to　pay　for

its　funeral。〃



Ladies　and　gentlemen；　such　things　are；　every　day；　to　this　hour；

but；　happily；　at　this　day　and　in　this　hour　this　association　has

arisen　to　be　the　timely　friend　of　such　great　distress。



It　is　not　often　the　fault　of　the　sufferers　that　they　fall　into

these　straits。　　Struggling　artists　must　necessarily　change　from

place　to　place；　and　thus　it　frequently　happens　that　they　become；　as

it　were；　strangers　in　every　place；　and　very　slight　circumstances　…

a　passing　illness；　the　sickness　of　the　husband；　wife；　or　child；　a

serious　town；　an　anathematising　expounder　of　the　gospel　of

gentleness　and　forbearance　…　any　one　of　these　causes　may　often　in　a

few　hours　wreck　them　upon　a　rock　in　the　barren　ocean；　and　then；

happily；　this　society；　with　the　swift　alacrity　of　the　life…boat；

dashes　to　the　rescue；　and　takes　them　off。　　Looking　just　now　over

the　last　report　issued　by　this　society；　and　confining　my　scrutiny

to　the　head　of　illness　alone；　I　find　that　in　one　year；　I　think；　672

days　of　sickness　had　been　assuaged　by　its　means。　　In　nine　years；

which　then　formed　the　term　of　its　existence；　as　many　as　5；500　and

odd。　　Well；　I　thought　when　I　saw　5；500　and　odd　days　of　sickness；

this　is　a　very　serious　sum；　but　add　the　nights！　　Add　the　nights　…

those　long；　dreary　hours　in　the　twenty…four　when　the　shadow　of

death　is　darkest；　when　despondency　is　strongest；　and　when　hope　is

weakest；　before　you　gauge　the　good　that　is　done　by　this

institution；　and　before　you　gauge　the　good　that　really　will　be　done

by　every　shilling　that　you　bestow　here　to…night。　　Add；　more　than

all；　that　the　improvidence；　the　recklessness　of　the　general

multitude　of　poor　members　of　this　profession；　I　should　say　is　a

cruel；　conventional　fable。　　Add　that　there　is　no　class　of　society

the　members　of　which　so　well　help　themselves；　or　so　well　help　each

other。　　Not　in　the　whole　grand　chapters　of　Westminster　Abbey　and

York　Minster；　not　in　the　whole　quadrangle　of　the　Royal　Exchange；

not　in　the　whole　list　of　members　of　the　Stock　Exchange；　not　in　the

Inns　of　Court；　not　in　the　College　of　Physicians；　not　in　the　College

of　Surgeons；　can　there　possibly　be　found　more　remarkable　instances

of　uncomplaining　poverty；　of　cheerful；　constant　self…denial；　of　the

generous　remembrance　of　the　claims　of　kindred　and　professional

brotherhood；　than　will　certainly　be　found　in　the　dingiest　and

dirtiest　concert　room；　in　the　least　lucid　theatre　…　even　in　the

raggedest　tent　circus　that　was　ever　stained　by　weather。



I　have　been　twitted　in　print　before　now　with　rather　flattering

actors　when　I　address　them　as　one　of　their　trustees　at　their

General　Fund　dinner。　　Believe　me；　I　flatter　nobody；　unless　it　be

sometimes　myself；　but；　in　such　a　company　as　the　present；　I　always

feel　it　my　manful　duty　to　bear　my　testimony　to　this　fact　…　first；

because　it　is　opposed　to　a　stupid；　unfeeling　libel；　secondly；

because　my　doing　so　may　afford　some　slight　encouragement　to　the

persons　who　are　unjustly　depreciated；　and　lastly；　and　most　of　all；

because　I　know　it　is　the　truth。



Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　it　is　time　we　should　what　we

professionally　call　〃ring　down〃　on　these　remarks。　　If　you；　such

members　of　the　general　public　as　are　here；　will　only　think　the

great　theatrical　curtain　has　really　fallen　and　been　taken　up　again

for　the　night　on　that　dull；　dark　vault　which　many　of　us　know　so

well；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the　theatre　or　other　place　of

entertainment　as　empty；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the　〃float；〃　or

other　gas…fittings；　as　extinguished；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the

people　who　have　beguiled　you　of　an　evening's　care；　whose　little

vanities　and　almost　childish　foibles　are　engendered　in　their

competing　face　to　face　with　you　for　your　favour　…　surely　it　may　be

said　their　feelings　are　partly　of　your　making；　while　their　virtues

are　all　their　own。　　If　you　will　only　do　this；　and　follow　them　out

of　that　sham　place　into　the　real　world；　where　it　rains　real　rain；

snows　real　snow；　and　blows　real　wind；　where　people　sustain

themselves　by　real　money；　which　is　much　harder　to　get；　much　harder

to　make；　and　very　much　harder　to　give　away　than　the　pieces　of

tobacco…pipe　in　property　bags　…　if　you　will　only　do　this；　and　do　it

in　a　really　kind；　considerate　spirit；　this　society；　then　certain　of

the　result　of　the　night's　proceedings；　can　ask　no　more。　　I　beg　to

propose　to　you　to　drink　〃Prosperity　to　the　Dramatic；　Equestrian；

and　Musical　Sick　Fund　Association。〃





＇Mr。　Dickens；　in　proposing　the　next　toast；　said：…＇





Gentlemen：　　as　I　addressed　myself　to　the　ladies　last　time；　so　I

address　you　this　time；　and　I　give　you　the　delightful　assurance　that

it　is　positively　my　last　appearance　but　one　on　the　present

occasion。　　A　certain　Mr。　Pepys；　who　was　Secretary　for　the　Admiralty

in　the　days　of　Charles　II。；　who　kept　a　diary　well　in　shorthand；

which　he　supposed　no　one　could　read；　and　which　consequently　remains

to　this　day　the　most　honest　diary　known　to　print　…　Mr。　Pepys　had

two　special　and　very　strong　likings；　the　ladies　and　the　theatres。

But　Mr。　Pepys；　whenever　he　committed　any　slight　act　of　remissness；

or　an