but　one　heart　beating　between　them　and　it。　　In　particular；　I　would
  most　especially　entreat　them　to　observe　that　nothing　will　ever　be
  further　from　this　Association's　mind　than　the　impertinence　of
  patronage。　　The　prizes　that　it　gives；　and　the　certificates　that　it
  gives；　are　mere　admiring　assurances　of　sympathy　with　so　many
  striving　brothers　and　sisters；　and　are　only　valuable　for　the　spirit
  in　which　they　are　given；　and　in　which　they　are　received。　　The
  prizes　are　money　prizes；　simply　because　the　Institution　does　not
  presume　to　doubt　that　persons　who　have　so　well　governed　themselves；
  know　best　how　to　make　a　little　money　serviceable　…　because　it　would
  be　a　shame　to　treat　them　like　grown…up　babies　by　laying　it　out　for
  them；　and　because　it　knows　it　is　given；　and　knows　it　is　taken；　in
  perfect　clearness　of　purpose；　perfect　trustfulness；　and；　above　all；
  perfect　independence。
  Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　reverting　once　more　to　the　whole　collective
  audience　before　me；　I　will；　in　another　two　minutes；　release　the
  hold　which　your　favour　has　given　me　on　your　attention。　　Of　the
  advantages　of　knowledge　I　have　said；　and　I　shall　say；　nothing。　　Of
  the　certainty　with　which　the　man　who　grasps　it　under　difficulties
  rises　in　his　own　respect　and　in　usefulness　to　the　community；　I　have
  said；　and　I　shall　say；　nothing。　　In　the　city　of　Manchester；　in　the
  county　of　Lancaster；　both　of　them　remarkable　for　self…taught　men；
  that　were　superfluous　indeed。　　For　the　same　reason　I　rigidly
  abstain　from　putting　together　any　of　the　shattered　fragments　of
  that　poor　clay　image　of　a　parrot；　which　was　once　always　saying；
  without　knowing　why；　or　what　it　meant；　that　knowledge　was　a
  dangerous　thing。　　I　should　as　soon　think　of　piecing　together　the
  mutilated　remains　of　any　wretched　Hindoo　who　has　been　blown　from　an
  English　gun。　　Both；　creatures　of　the　past；　have　been　…　as　my　friend
  Mr。　Carlyle　vigorously　has　it　…　〃blasted　into　space；〃　and　there；　as
  to　this　world；　is　an　end　of　them。
  So　I　desire；　in　conclusion；　only　to　sound　two　strings。　　In　the
  first　place；　let　me　congratulate　you　upon　the　progress　which　real
  mutual　improvement　societies　are　making　at　this　time　in　your
  neighbourhood；　through　the　noble　agency　of　individual　employers　and
  their　families；　whom　you　can　never　too　much　delight　to　honour。
  Elsewhere；　through　the　agency　of　the　great　railway　companies；　some
  of　which　are　bestirring　themselves　in　this　matter　with　a　gallantry
  and　generosity　deserving　of　all　praise。　　Secondly　and　lastly；　let
  me　say　one　word　out　of　my　own　personal　heart；　which　is　always　very
  near　to　it　in　this　connexion。　　Do　not　let　us；　in　the　midst　of　the
  visible　objects　of　nature；　whose　workings　we　can　tell　of　in
  figures；　surrounded　by　machines　that　can　be　made　to　the　thousandth
  part　of　an　inch；　acquiring　every　day　knowledge　which　can　be　proved
  upon　a　slate　or　demonstrated　by　a　microscope　…　do　not　let　us；　in
  the　laudable　pursuit　of　the　facts　that　surround　us；　neglect　the
  fancy　and　the　imagination　which　equally　surround　us　as　a　part　of
  the　great　scheme。　　Let　the　child　have　its　fables；　let　the　man　or
  woman　into　which　it　changes；　always　remember　those　fables　tenderly。
  Let　numerous　graces　and　ornaments　that　cannot　be　weighed　and
  measured；　and　that　seem　at　first　sight　idle　enough；　continue　to
  have　their　places　about　us；　be　we　never　so　wise。　　The　hardest　head
  may　co…exist　with　the　softest　heart。　　The　union　and　just　balance　of
  those　two　is　always　a　blessing　to　the　possessor；　and　always　a
  blessing　to　mankind。　　The　Divine　Teacher　was　as　gentle　and
  considerate　as　He　was　powerful　and　wise。　　You　all　know　how　He　could
  still　the　raging　of　the　sea；　and　could　hush　a　little　child。　　As　the
  utmost　results　of　the　wisdom　of　men　can　only　be　at　last　to　help　to
  raise　this　earth　to　that　condition　to　which　His　doctrine；　untainted
  by　the　blindnesses　and　passions　of　men；　would　have　exalted　it　long
  ago；　so　let　us　always　remember　that　He　set　us　the　example　of
  blending　the　understanding　and　the　imagination；　and　that；　following
  it　ourselves；　we　tread　in　His　steps；　and　help　our　race　on　to　its
  better　and　best　days。　　Knowledge；　as　all　followers　of　it　must　know；
  has　a　very　limited　power　indeed；　when　it　informs　the　head　alone；
  but　when　it　informs　the　head　and　the　heart　too；　it　has　a　power　over
  life　and　death；　the　body　and　the　soul；　and　dominates　the　universe。
  SPEECH：　　COVENTRY；　DECEMBER　4；　1858。
  ＇On　the　above　evening；　a　public　dinner　was　held　at　the　Castle
  Hotel；　on　the　occasion　of　the　presentation　to　Mr。　Charles　Dickens
  of　a　gold　watch；　as　a　mark　of　gratitude　for　the　reading　of　his
  Christmas　Carol；　given　in　December　of　the　previous　year；　in　aid　of
  the　funds　of　the　Coventry　Institute。　　The　chair　was　taken　by　C。　W。
  Hoskyns；　Esq。　　Mr。　Dickens　ackowledged　the　testimonial　in　the
  following　words：＇
  MR。　CHAIRMAN；　Mr。　Vice…chairman；　and　Gentlemen；　…　I　hope　your　minds
  will　be　greatly　relieved　by　my　assuring　you　that　it　is　one　of　the
  rules　of　my　life　never　to　make　a　speech　about　myself。　　If　I
  knowingly　did　so；　under　any　circumstances；　it　would　be　least　of　all
  under　such　circumstances　as　these；　when　its　effect　on　my
  acknowledgment　of　your　kind　regard；　and　this　pleasant　proof　of　it；
  would　be　to　give　me　a　certain　constrained　air；　which　I　fear　would
  contrast　badly　with　your　greeting；　so　cordial；　so　unaffected；　so
  earnest；　and　so　true。　　Furthermore；　your　Chairman　has　decorated　the
  occasion　with　a　little　garland　of　good　sense；　good　feeling；　and
  good　taste；　so　that　I　am　sure　that　any　attempt　at　additional
  ornament　would　be　almost　an　impertinence。
  Therefore　I　will　at　once　say　how　earnestly；　how　fervently；　and　how
  deeply　I　feel　your　kindness。　　This　watch；　with　which　you　have
  presented　me；　shall　be　my　companion　in　my　hours　of　sedentary
  working　at　home；　and　in　my　wanderings　abroad。　　It　shall　never　be
  absent　from　my　side；　and　it　shall　reckon　off　the　labours　of　my
  future　days；　and　I　can　assure　you　that　after　this　night　the　object
  of　those　labours　will　not　less　than　before　be　to　uphold　the　right
  and　to　do　good。　　And　when　I　have　done　with　time　and　its
  measurement；　this　watch　shall　belong　to　my　children；　and　as　I　have
  seven　boys；　and　as　they　have　all　begun　to　serve　their　country　in
  various　ways；　or　to　elect　into　what　distant　regions　they　shall
  roam；　it　is　not　only　possible；　but　probable；　that　this　little　voice
  will　be　heard　scores　of　years　hence；　who　knows？　in　some　yet
  unfounded　city　in　the　wilds　of　Australia；　or　communicating
  Greenwich　time　to　Coventry　Street；　Japan。
  Once　again；　and　finally；　I　thank　you；　and　from　my　heart　of　hearts；
  I　can　assure　you　that　the　memory　of　to…night；　and　of　your
  picturesque　and　interesting　city；　will　never　be　absent　from　my
  mind；　and　I　can　never　more　hear　the　lightest　mention　of　the　name　of
  Coventry　without　having　inspired　in　my　breast　sentiments　of　unusual
  emotion　and　unusual　attachment。
  ＇Later　in　the　evening；　in　proposing　the　health　of　the　Chairman；　Mr。
  Dickens　said：＇
  THERE　may　be　a　great　variety　of　conflicting　opinions　with　regard　to
  farming；　and　especially　with　reference　to　the　management　of　a　clay
  farm；　but；　however　various　opinions　as　to　the　merits　of　a　clay　farm
  may　be；　there　can　be　but　one　opinion　as　to　the　merits　of　a　clay
  farmer；　…　and　it　is　the　health　of　that　distinguished　agriculturist
  which　I　have　to　propose。
  In　my　ignorance　of　the　subject；　I　am　bound　to　say　that　it　may　be；
  for　anything　I　know；　indeed　I　am　ready　to　admit　that　it　IS；
  exceedingly　important　that　a　clay　farm　should　go　for　a　number　of
  years　to　waste；　but　I　claim　some　knowledge　as　to　the　management　of
  a　clay　farmer；　and　I　positively　object　to　his　ever　lying　fallow。
  In　the　hope　that　this　very　rich　and　teeming　individual　may　speedily
  be　ploughed　up；　and　that；　we　shall　gather　into　our　barns　and　store…
  houses　the　admirable　crop　of　wisdom；　which　must　spring　up　when　ever
  he　is　sown；　I　take　leave　to　propose　his　health；　begging　to　assure
  him　that　the　kind　manner　in　which　he　offered　to　me　your　very
  valuable　present；　I　can　never　forget。
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MARCH　29；　1862。
  ＇At　a　Dinner　of　the　Artists'　General　Benevolent　Institution；　the
  following　Address　was　delivered　by　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　from　the
  chair。…＇
  SEVEN　or　eight　years　ago；　without　the　smallest　expectation　of　ever
  being　called　upon　to　fill　the　chair　at　an　anniversary　festival　of
  the　Artists'　General　Benevolent　Institution；　and　without　the
  remotest　reference　to　such　an　occasion；　I　selected　the
  administration　of　that　Charity　as　the　model　on　which　I　desired　that
  another　should　be　reformed；　both　as　regarded　the　mode　in　which　the
  relief　was　afforded；　and　the　singular　economy　with　which　its　funds
  were　administered。　　As　a　proof　of　the　latter　quality　during　the
  past　year；　the　cost　of　distributing　1；126　pounds　among　the
  recipients　of　the　bounty　of　the　Charity　amounted　to　little　more
  than　100　pounds；　inclusive　of　all　office　charges　and　expenses。