whose　authority　I　am　sure　my　friend　of　many　years　will　not　impugn；
  seeing　that　he　was　named　Augustus　Tomlinson；　the　kind　friend　and
  philosopher　of　Paul　Clifford　…　it　was　said　by　that　remarkable　man；
  〃Life　is　short；　and　why　should　speeches　be　long？〃　　An　aphorism　so
  sensible　under　all　circumstances；　and　particularly　in　the
  circumstances　in　which　we　are　placed；　with　this　delicious　weather
  and　such　charming　gardens　near　us；　I　shall　practically　adopt　on　the
  present　occasion；　and　the　rather　so　because　the　speech　of　my　friend
  was　exhaustive　of　the　subject；　as　his　speeches　always　are；　though
  not　in　the　least　exhaustive　of　his　audience。　　In　thanking　him　for
  the　toast　which　he　has　done　us　the　honour　to　propose；　allow　me　to
  correct　an　error　into　which　he　has　fallen。　　Allow　me　to　state　that
  these　houses　never　could　have　been　built　but　for　his　zealous　and
  valuable　co…operation；　and　also　that　the　pleasant　labour　out　of
  which　they　have　arisen　would　have　lost　one　of　its　greatest　charms
  and　strongest　impulses；　if　it　had　lost　his　ever　ready　sympathy　with
  that　class　in　which　he　has　risen　to　the　foremost　rank；　and　of　which
  he　is　the　brightest　ornament。
  Having　said　this　much　as　simply　due　to　my　friend；　I　can　only　say；
  on　behalf　of　my　associates；　that　the　ladies　and　gentlemen　whom　we
  shall　invite　to　occupy　the　houses　we　have　built　will　never　be
  placed　under　any　social　disadvantage。　　They　will　be　invited　to
  occupy　them　as　artists；　receiving　them　as　a　mark　of　the　high
  respect　in　which　they　are　held　by　their　fellow…workers。　　As　artists
  I　hope　they　will　often　exercise　their　calling　within　those　walls
  for　the　general　advantage；　and　they　will　always　claim；　on　equal
  terms；　the　hospitality　of　their　generous　neighbour。
  Now　I　am　sure　I　shall　be　giving　utterance　to　the　feelings　of　my
  brothers　and　sisters　in　literature　in　proposing　〃Health；　long　life；
  and　prosperity　to　our　distinguished　host。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；
  you　know　very　well　that　when　the　health；　life；　and　beauty　now
  overflowing　these　halls　shall　have　fled；　crowds　of　people　will　come
  to　see　the　place　where　he　lived　and　wrote。　　Setting　aside　the
  orator　and　statesman　…　for　happily　we　know　no　party　here　but　this
  agreeable　party　…　setting　aside　all；　this　you　know　very　well；　that
  this　is　the　home　of　a　very　great　man　whose　connexion　with
  Hertfordshire　every　other　county　in　England　will　envy　for　many　long
  years　to　come。　　You　know　that　when　this　hall　is　dullest　and
  emptiest　you　can　make　it　when　you　please　brightest　and　fullest　by
  peopling　it　with　the　creations　of　his　brilliant　fancy。　　Let　us　all
  wish　together　that　they　may　be　many　more　…　for　the　more　they　are
  the　better　it　will　be；　and；　as　he　always　excels　himself；　the　better
  they　will　be。　　I　ask　you　to　listen　to　their　praises　and　not　to
  mine；　and　to　let　them；　not　me；　propose　his　health。
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　FEBRUARY　14；　1866。
  ＇On　this　occasion　Mr。　Dickens　officiated　as　Chairman　at　the　annual
  dinner　of　the　Dramatic；　Equestrian；　and　Musical　Fund；　at　Willis's
  Rooms；　where　he　made　the　following　speech：＇
  LADIES；　before　I　couple　you　with　the　gentlemen；　which　will　be　at
  least　proper　to　the　inscription　over　my　head　（St。　Valentine's　day）
  …　before　I　do　so；　allow　me；　on　behalf　of　my　grateful　sex　here
  represented；　to　thank　you　for　the　great　pleasure　and　interest　with
  which　your　gracious　presence　at　these　festivals　never　fails　to
  inspire　us。　　There　is　no　English　custom　which　is　so　manifestly　a
  relic　of　savage　life　as　that　custom　which　usually　excludes　you　from
  participation　in　similar　gatherings。　　And　although　the　crime
  carries　its　own　heavy　punishment　along　with　it；　in　respect　that　it
  divests　a　public　dinner　of　its　most　beautiful　ornament　and　of　its
  most　fascinating　charm；　still　the　offence　is　none　the　less　to　be
  severely　reprehended　on　every　possible　occasion；　as　outraging
  equally　nature　and　art。　　I　believe　that　as　little　is　known　of　the
  saint　whose　name　is　written　here　as　can　well　be　known　of　any　saint
  or　sinner。　　We；　your　loyal　servants；　are　deeply　thankful　to　him　for
  having　somehow　gained　possession　of　one　day　in　the　year　…　for
  having；　as　no　doubt　he　has；　arranged　the　almanac　for　1866　…
  expressly　to　delight　us　with　the　enchanting　fiction　that　we　have
  some　tender　proprietorship　in　you　which　we　should　scarcely　dare　to
  claim　on　a　less　auspicious　occasion。　　Ladies；　the　utmost　devotion
  sanctioned　by　the　saint　we　beg　to　lay　at　your　feet；　and　any　little
  innocent　privileges　to　which　we　may　be　entitled　by　the　same
  authority　we　beg　respectfully　but　firmly　to　claim　at　your　hands。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　you　need　no　ghost　to　inform　you　that　I
  am　going　to　propose　〃Prosperity　to　the　Dramatic；　Musical；　and
  Equestrian　Sick　Fund　Association；〃　and；　further；　that　I　should　be
  going　to　ask　you　actively　to　promote　that　prosperity　by　liberally
  contributing　to　its　funds；　if　that　task　were　not　reserved　for　a
  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；