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　deal　of　it　on　his　boots；
  still　that　he　has　two　very　remarkable　characteristics；　to　which
  none　of　his　celestial　predecessors　can　lay　the　slightest　claim。
  One　is　that　he　is　always　the　messenger　of　civilization；　the　other
  that　he　is　at　least　equally　so　…　not　only　in　what　he　brings；　but　in
  what　he　ceases　to　bring。　　Thus　the　time　was；　and　not　so　many　years
  ago　either；　when　the　newsman　constantly　brought　home　to　our　doors　…
  though　I　am　afraid　not　to　our　hearts；　which　were　custom…hardened　…
  the　most　terrific　accounts　of　murders；　of　our　fellow…creatures
  being　publicly　put　to　death　for　what　we　now　call　trivial　offences；
  in　the　very　heart　of　London；　regularly　every　Monday　morning。　　At
  the　same　time　the　newsman　regularly　brought　to　us　the　infliction　of
  other　punishments；　which　were　demoralising　to　the　innocent　part　of
  the　community；　while　they　did　not　operate　as　punishments　in
  deterring　offenders　from　the　perpetration　of　crimes。　　In　those　same
  days；　also；　the　newsman　brought　to