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　who
  might　have　been；　but　never　were。　　〃We　are　nothing；〃　they　say　to
  him；　〃less　than　nothing；　and　dreams。　　We　are　only　what　might　have
  been；　and　we　must　wait　upon　the　tedious　shore　of　Lethe；　millions　of
  ages；　before　we　have　existence　and　a　name。〃　　〃And　immediately
  awaking；〃　he　says；　〃I　found　myself　in　my　arm　chair。〃　　The　dream…
  children　whom　I　would　now　raise；　if　I　could；　before　every　one　of
  you；　according　to　your　various　circumstances；　should　be　the　dear
  child　you　love；　the　dearer　child　you　have　lost；　the　child　you　might
  have　had；　the　child　you　certainly　have　been。　　Each　of　these　dream…
  children　should　hold　in　its　powerful　hand　one　of　the　little
  children　now　lying　in　the　Child's　Hospital；　or　now　shut　out　of　it
  to　perish。　　Each　of　these　dream…children　should　say　to　you；　〃O；
  help　this　little　suppliant　in　my　name；　O；　help　it　for　my　sake！〃
  Well！　…　And　immediately　awaking；　you　should　find　yourselves　in　the
  Freemasons'　Hall；　happily　arrived　at　the　end　of　a　rather　long
  speech；　drinking　〃Prosperity　to　the　Hospital　for　Sick　Children；〃
  and　thoroughly　resolved　that　it　shall　flourish。
  SPEECH：　　EDINBURGH；　MARCH；　26；　1858。
  ＇On　the　above　date　Mr。　Dickens　gave　a　reading　of　his　Christmas
  Carol　in　the　Music　Hall；　before　the　members　and　subscribers　of　the
  Philosophical　Institution。　　At　the　conclusion　of　the　reading　the
  Lord　Provost　of　Edinburgh　presented　him　with　a　massive　silver
  wassail　cup。　　Mr。　Dickens　acknowledged　the　tribute　as　follows：＇
  MY　LORD　PROVOST；　ladies；　and　gentlemen；　I　beg　to　assure　you　I　am
  deeply　sensible　of　your　kind　welcome；　and　of　this　beautiful　and
  great　surprise；　and　that　I　thank　you　cordially　with　all　my　heart。
  I　never　have　forgotten；　and　I　never　can　forget；　that　I　have　the
  honour　to　be　a　burgess　and　guild…brother　of　the　Corporation　of
  Edinburgh。　　As　long　as　sixteen　or　seventeen　years　ago；　the　first
  great　public　recognition　and　encouragement　I　ever　received　was
  bestowed　on　me　in　this　generous　and　magni