Glasgow　Athenaeum；　and　taking　into　consideration　the　history　of
  Europe　without　the　consent　of　Sheriff　Alison。　　I　can　imagine；　in
  short；　how　through　all　the　facts　and　fictions　of　this　library；
  these　ladies　will　be　always　active；　and　that
  〃Age　will　not　wither　them；　nor　custom　stale
  Their　infinite　variety。〃
  It　seems　to　me　to　be　a　moral；　delightful；　and　happy　chance；　that
  this　meeting　has　been　held　at　this　genial　season　of　the　year；　when
  a　new　time　is；　as　it　were；　opening　before　us；　and　when　we　celebrate
  the　birth　of　that　divine　and　blessed　Teacher；　who　took　the　highest
  knowledge　into　the　humblest　places；　and　whose　great　system
  comprehended　all　mankind。　　I　hail　it　as　a　most　auspicious　omen；　at
  this　time　of　the　year；　when　many　scattered　friends　and　families　are
  re…assembled；　for　the　members　of　this　institution　to　be　calling　men
  together　from　all　quarters；　with　a　brotherly　view　to　the　general
  good；　and　a　view　to　the　general　improvement；　as　I　consider　that
  such　designs　are　practically　worthy　of　the　faith　we　hold；　and　a
  practical　remembrance　of　the　words；　〃On　earth　peace；　and　good　will
  toward　men。〃　　I　hope　that　every　year　which　dawns　on　your
  Institution；　will　find　it　richer　in　its　means　of　usefulness；　and
  grayer…headed　in　the　honour　and　respect　it　has　gained。　　It　can
  hardly　speak　for　itself　more　appropriately　than　in　the　words　of　an
  English　writer；　when　contemplating　the　English　emblem　of　this
  period　of　the　year；　the　holly…tree：…
  ＇Mr。　Dickens　concluded　by　quoting　the　last　three　stanzas　of
  Southey's　poem；　THE　HOLLY　TREE。
  In　acknowledging　a　vote　of　thanks　proposed　by　Sir　Archibald　（then
  Mr。）　Alison；　Mr。　Dickens　said：＇
  Ladies　and　Gentlemen；　…　I　am　no　stranger　…　and　I　say　it　with　the
  deepest　gratitude　…　to　the　warmth　of　Scottish　hearts；　but　the
  warmth　of　your　present　welcome　almost　deprives　me　of　any　hope　of
  acknowledging　it。　　I　will　not　detain　you　any　longer　at　this　late
  hour；　let　it　suffice　to　assure　you；　that　for　taking　the　part　with
  which　I　have　been　honoured　in　this　festival；　I　have　been　repaid　a
  thousand…fold　by　your　abundant　kindness；　and　by　the　unspeakable
  gratification　it　has　afforded　me。　　I　hope　that；　before　many　years
  are　past；　we　may　have　another　meeting　in　public；　when　we　shall
  rejoice　at　the　immense　progress　your　institution　will　have　made　in
  the　meantime；　and　look　back　upon　this　night　with　new　pleasure　and
  satisfaction。　　I　shall　now；　in　conclusion；　repeat　most　heartily　and
  fervently　the　quotation　of　Dr。　Ewing；　the　late　Provost　of　Glasgow；
  which　Bailie　Nicol　Jarvie；　himself　〃a　Glasgow　body；〃　observed　was
  〃elegantly　putten　round　the　town's　arms。〃
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　APRIL　14；　1851。
  ＇The　Sixth　Annual　Dinner　of　the　General　Theatrical　Fund　was　held　at
  the　London　Tavern　on　the　above　date。　　Mr。　Charles　Dickens　occupied
  the　chair；　and　in　giving　the　toast　of　the　evening　said：…＇
  I　HAVE　so　often　had　the　satisfaction　of　bearing　my　testimony；　in
  this　place；　to　the　usefulness　of　the　excellent　Institution　in　whose
  behalf　we　are　assembled；　that　I　should　be　really　sensible　of　the
  disadvantage　of　having　now　nothing　to　say　in　proposing　the　toast
  you　all　anticipate；　if　I　were　not　well　assured　that　there　is　really
  nothing　which　needs　be　said。　　I　have　to　appeal　to　you　on　the　old
  grounds；　and　no　ingenuity　of　mine　could　render　those　grounds　of
  greater　weight　than　they　have　hitherto　successfully　proved　to　you。
  Although　the　General　Theatrical　Fund　Association；　unlike　many　other
  public　societies　and　endowments；　is　represented　by　no　building；
  whether　of　stone；　or　brick；　or　glass；　like　that　astonishing
  evidence　of　the　skill　and　energy　of　my　friend　Mr。　Paxton；　which　all
  the　world　is　now　called　upon　to　admire；　and　the　great　merit　of
  which；　as　you　learn　from　the　best　authorities；　is；　that　it　ought　to
  have　fallen　down　long　before　it　was　built；　and　yet　that　it　would　by
  no　means　consent　to　doing　so　…　although；　I　say；　this　Association
  possesses　no　architectural　home；　it　is　nevertheless　as　plain　a
  fact；　rests　on　as　solid　a　foundation；　and　carries　as　erect　a　front；
  as　any　building；　in　the　world。　　And　the　best　and　the　utmost　that
  its　exponent　and　its　advocate　can　do；　standing　here；　is　to　point　it
  out　to　those　who　gather　round　it；　and　to　say；　〃judge　for
  yourselves。〃
  It　may　not；　however；　be　improper　for　me　to　suggest　to　that　portion
  of　the　company　whose　previous　acquaintance　with　it　may　have　been
  limited；　what　it　is　not。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical　association　whose
  benefits　are　confined　to　a　small　and　exclusive　body　of　actors。　　It
  is　a　society　whose　claims　are　always　preferred　in　the　name　of　the
  whole　histrionic　art。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical　association　adapted
  to　a　state　of　theatrical　things　entirely　past　and　gone；　and　no　more
  suited　to　present　theatrical　requirements　than　a　string　of　pack…
  horses　would　be　suited　to　the　conveyance　of　traffic　between　London
  and　Birmingham。　　It　is　not　a　rich　old　gentleman；　with　the　gout　in
  his　vitals；　brushed　and　got…up　once　a　year　to　look　as　vigorous　as
  possible；　and　brought　out　for　a　public　airing　by　the　few　survivors
  of　a　large　family　of　nephews　and　nieces；　who　afterwards　double…lock
  the　street…door　upon　the　poor　relations。　　It　is　not　a　theatrical
  association　which　insists　that　no　actor　can　share　its　bounty　who
  has　not　walked　so　many　years　on　those　boards　where　the　English
  tongue　is　never　heard　…　between　the　little　bars　of　music　in　an
  aviary　of　singing　birds；　to　which　the　unwieldy　Swan　of　Avon　is
  never　admitted　…　that　bounty　which　was　gathered　in　the　name　and　for
  the　elevation　of　an　all…embracing　art。
  No；　if　there　be　such　things；　this　thing　is　not　of　that　kind。　　This
  is　a　theatrical　association；　expressly　adapted　to　the　wants　and　to
  the　means　of　the　whole　theatrical　profession　all　over　England。　　It
  is　a　society　in　which　the　word　exclusiveness　is　wholly　unknown。　　It
  is　a　society　which　includes　every　actor；　whether　he　be　Benedict　or
  Hamlet；　or　the　Ghost；　or　the　Bandit；　or　the　court…physician；　or；　in
  the　one　person；　the　whole　King's　army。　　He　may　do　the　〃light
  business；〃　or　the　〃heavy；〃　or　the　comic；　or　the　eccentric。　　He　may
  be　the　captain　who　courts　the　young　lady；　whose　uncle　still
  unaccountably　persists　in　dressing　himself　in　a　costume　one　hundred
  years　older　than　his　time。　　Or　he　may　be　the　young　lady's　brother
  in　the　white　gloves　and　inexpressibles；　whose　duty　in　the　family
  appears　to　be　to　listen　to　the　female　members　of　it　whenever　they
  sing；　and　to　shake　hands　with　everybody　between　all　the　verses。　　Or
  he　may　be　the　baron　who　gives　the　fete；　and　who　sits　uneasily　on
  the　sofa　under　a　canopy　with　the　baroness　while　the　fete　is　going
  on。　　Or　he　may　be　the　peasant　at　the　fete　who　comes　on　the　stage　to
  swell　the　drinking　chorus；　and　who；　it　may　be　observed；　always
  turns　his　glass　upside　down　before　he　begins　to　drink　out　of　it。
  Or　he　may　be　the　clown　who　takes　away　the　doorstep　of　the　house
  where　the　evening　party　is　going　on。　　Or　he　may　be　the　gentleman
  who　issues　out　of　the　house　on　the　false　alarm；　and　is　precipitated
  into　the　area。　　Or；　to　come　to　the　actresses；　she　may　be　the　fairy
  who　resides　for　ever　in　a　revolving　star　with　an　occasional　visit
  to　a　bower　or　a　palace。　　Or　the　actor　may　be　the　armed　head　of　the
  witch's　cauldron；　or　even　that　extraordinary　witch；　concerning　whom
  I　have　observed　in　country　places；　that　he　is　much　less　like　the
  notion　formed　from　the　description　of　Hopkins　than　the　Malcolm　or
  Donalbain　of　the　previous　scenes。　　This　society；　in　short；　says；
  〃Be　you　what　you　may；　be　you　actor　or　actress；　be　your　path　in　your
  profession　never　so　high；　or　never　so　low；　never　so　haughty；　or
  never　so　humble；　we　offer　you　the　means　of　doing　good　to
  yourselves；　and　of　doing　good　to　your　brethren。〃
  This　society　is　essentially　a　provident　institution；　appealing　to　a
  class　of　men　to　take　care　of　their　own　interests；　and　giving　a
  continuous　security　only　in　return　for　a　continuous　sacrifice　and
  effort。　　The　actor　by　the　means　of　this　society　obtains　his　own
  right；　to　no　man's　wrong；　and　when；　in　old　age；　or　in　disastrous
  times；　he　makes　his　claim　on　the　institution；　he　is　enabled　to　say；
  〃I　am　neither　a　beggar；　nor　a　suppliant。　　I　am　but　reaping　what　I
  sowed　long　ago。〃　　And　therefore　it　is　that　I　cannot　hold　out　to　you
  that　in　assisting　this　fund　you　are　doing　an　act　of　charity　in　the
  common　acceptation　of　that　phrase。　　Of　all　the　abuses　of　that　much
  abused　term；　none　have　more　raised　my　indignation　than　what　I　have
  heard　in　this　room　in　past　times；　in　reference　to　this　institution。
  I　say；　if　you　help　this　institution　you　will　be　helping　the　wagoner
  who　has　resolutely　put　his　own　shoulder　to　the　wheel；　and　who　has
  NOT　stuck　idle　in　the　mud。　　In　giving　this　aid　you　will　be　doing　an
  act　of　justice；　and　you　will　be　performing　an　act　of　gratitude；　and
  this　is　what　I　solicit　from　you；　but　I　will　not　so　far　wrong　those
  who　are　struggling　manfully　for　thei