known。　　The　members　have　now　got　before　them　a　plain　statement　of
  fact　as　to　these　charges；　and　it　is　for　them　to　say　whether　they
  are　justifiable；　becoming；　or　decent。　　I　beg　most　earnestly　and
  respectfully　to　put　it　to　those　gentlemen　who　belong　to　this
  institution；　that　must　now　decide；　and　cannot　help　deciding；　what
  the　Literary　Fund　is　for；　and　what　it　is　not　for。　　The　question
  raised　by　the　resolution　is　whether　this　is　a　public　corporation
  for　the　relief　of　men　of　genius　and　learning；　or　whether　it　is　a
  snug；　traditional；　and　conventional　party；　bent　upon　maintaining
  its　own　usages　with　a　vast　amount　of　pride；　upon　its　own　annual
  puffery　at　costly　dinner…tables；　and　upon　a　course　of　expensive
  toadying　to　a　number　of　distinguished　individuals。　　This　is　the
  question　which　you　cannot　this　day　escape。
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　NOVEMBER　5；　1857。
  ＇At　the　fourth　anniversary　dinner　of　the　Warehousemen　and　Clerks
  Schools；　which　took　place　on　Thursday　evening；　Nov。　5th；　1857；　at
  the　London　Tavern；　and　was　very　numerously　attended；　Mr。　Charles
  Dickens　occupied　the　chair。　　On　the　subject　which　had　brought　the
  company　together　Mr。　Dickens　spoke　as　follows：…＇
  I　MUST　now　solicit　your　attention　for　a　few　minutes　to　the　cause　of
  your　assembling　together　…　the　main　and　real　object　of　this
  evening's　gathering；　for　I　suppose　we　are　all　agreed　that　the　motto
  of　these　tables　is　not　〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we
  die；〃　but；　〃Let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we　live。〃　　It　is
  because　a　great　and　good　work　is　to　live　to…morrow；　and　to…morrow；
  and　to…morrow；　and　to　live　a　greater　and　better　life　with　every
  succeeding　to…morrow；　that　we　eat　and　drink　here　at　all。
  Conspicuous　on　the　card　of　admission　to　this　dinner　is　the　word
  〃Schools。〃　　This　set　me　thinking　this　morning　what　are　the　sorts　of
  schools　that　I　don't　like。　　I　found　them　on　consideration；　to　be
  rather　numerous。　　I　don't　like　to　begin　with；　and　to　begin　as
  charity　does　at　home　…　I　don't　like　the　sort　of　school　to　which　I
  once　went　myself　…　the　respected　proprietor　of　which　was　by　far　the
  most　ignorant　man　I　have　ever　had　the　pleasure　to　know；　one　of　the
  worst…tempered　men　perhaps　that　ever　lived；　whose　business　it　was
  to　make　as　much　out　of　us　and　put　as　little　into　us　as　possible；
  and　who　sold　us　at　a　figure　which　I　remember　we　used　to　delight　to
  estimate；　as　amounting　to　exactly　2　pounds　4s。　6d。　per　head。　　I
  don't　like　that　sort　of　school；　because　I　don't　see　what　business
  the　master　had　to　be　at　the　top　of　it　instead　of　the　bottom；　and
  because　I　never　could　understand　the　wholesomeness　of　the　moral
  preached　by　the　abject　appearance　and　degraded　condition　of　the
  teachers　who　plainly　said　to　us　by　their　looks　every　day　of　their
  lives；　〃Boys；　never　be　learned；　whatever　you　are；　above　all　things
  be　warned　from　that　in　time　by　our　sunken　cheeks；　by　our　poor
  pimply　noses；　by　our　meagre　diet；　by　our　acid…beer；　and　by　our
  extraordinary　suits　of　clothes；　of　which　no　human　being　can　say
  whether　they　are　snuff…coloured　turned　black；　or　black　turned
  snuff…coloured；　a　point　upon　which　we　ourselves　are　perfectly
  unable　to　offer　any　ray　of　enlightenment；　it　is　so　very　long　since
  they　were　undarned　and　new。〃　　I　do　not　like　that　sort　of　school；
  because　I　have　never　yet　lost　my　ancient　suspicion　touching　that
  curious　coincidence　that　the　boy　with　four　brothers　to　come　always
  got　the　prizes。　　In　fact；　and　short；　I　do　not　like　that　sort　of
  school；　which　is　a　pernicious　and　abominable　humbug；　altogether。
  Again；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of　school　…　a
  ladies'　school　…　with　which　the　other　school　used　to　dance　on
  Wednesdays；　where　the　young　ladies；　as　I　look　back　upon　them　now；
  seem　to　me　always　to　have　been　in　new　stays　and　disgrace　…　the
  latter　concerning　a　place　of　which　I　know　nothing　at　this　day；　that
  bounds　Timbuctoo　on　the　north…east　…　and　where　memory　always
  depicts　the　youthful　enthraller　of　my　first　affection　as　for　ever
  standing　against　a　wall；　in　a　curious　machine　of　wood；　which
  confined　her　innocent　feet　in　the　first　dancing　position；　while
  those　arms；　which　should　have　encircled　my　jacket；　those　precious
  arms；　I　say；　were　pinioned　behind　her　by　an　instrument　of　torture
  called　a　backboard；　fixed　in　the　manner　of　a　double　direction　post。
  Again；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of　school；　of　which　we　have　a　notable
  example　in　Kent；　which　was　established　ages　ago　by　worthy　scholars
  and　good　men　long　deceased；　whose　munificent　endowments　have　been
  monstrously　perverted　from　their　original　purpose；　and　which；　in
  their　distorted　condition；　are　struggled　for　and　fought　over　with
  the　most　indecent　pertinacity。　　Again；　I　don't　like　that　sort　of
  school　…　and　I　have　seen　a　great　many　such　in　these　latter　times　…
  where　the　bright　childish　imagination　is　utterly　discouraged；　and
  where　those　bright　childish　faces；　which　it　is　so　very　good　for　the
  wisest　among　us　to　remember　in　after　life　…　when　the　world　is　too
  much　with　us；　early　and　late　…　are　gloomily　and　grimly　scared　out
  of　countenance；　where　I　have　never　seen　among　the　pupils；　whether
  boys　or　girls；　anything　but　little　parrots　and　small　calculating
  machines。　　Again；　I　don't　by　any　means　like　schools　in　leather
  breeches；　and　with　mortified　straw　baskets　for　bonnets；　which　file
  along　the　streets　in　long　melancholy　rows　under　the　escort　of　that
  surprising　British　monster　…　a　beadle；　whose　system　of　instruction；
  I　am　afraid；　too　often　presents　that　happy　union　of　sound　with
  sense；　of　which　a　very　remarkable　instance　is　given　in　a　grave
  report　of　a　trustworthy　school　inspector；　to　the　effect　that　a　boy
  in　great　repute　at　school　for　his　learning；　presented　on　his　slate；
  as　one　of　the　ten　commandments；　the　perplexing　prohibition；　〃Thou
  shalt　not　commit　doldrum。〃　　Ladies　and　gentlemen；　I　confess；　also；
  that　I　don't　like　those　schools；　even　though　the　instruction　given
  in　them　be　gratuitous；　where　those　sweet　little　voices　which　ought
  to　be　heard　speaking　in　very　different　accents；　anathematise　by
  rote　any　human　being　who　does　not　hold　what　is　taught　there。
  Lastly；　I　do　not　like；　and　I　did　not　like　some　years　ago；　cheap
  distant　schools；　where　neglected　children　pine　from　year　to　year
  under　an　amount　of　neglect；　want；　and　youthful　misery　far　too　sad
  even　to　be　glanced　at　in　this　cheerful　assembly。
  And　now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　perhaps　you　will　permit　me　to　sketch
  in　a　few　words　the　sort　of　school　that　I　do　like。　　It　is　a　school
  established　by　the　members　of　an　industrious　and　useful　order；
  which　supplies　the　comforts　and　graces　of　life　at　every　familiar
  turning　in　the　road　of　our　existence；　it　is　a　school　established　by
  them　for　the　Orphan　and　Necessitous　Children　of　their　own　brethren
  and　sisterhood；　it　is　a　place　giving　an　education　worthy　of　them　…
  an　education　by　them　invented；　by　them　conducted；　by　them　watched
  over；　it　is　a　place　of　education　where；　while　the　beautiful　history
  of　the　Christian　religion　is　daily　taught；　and　while　the　life　of
  that　Divine　Teacher　who　Himself　took　little　children　on　His　knees
  is　daily　studied；　no　sectarian　ill…will　nor　narrow　human　dogma　is
  permitted　to　darken　the　face　of　the　clear　heaven　which　they
  disclose。　　It　is　a　children's　school；　which　is　at　the　same　time　no
  less　a　children's　home；　a　home　not　to　be　confided　to　the　care　of
  cold　or　ignorant　strangers；　nor；　by　the　nature　of　its　foundation；
  in　the　course　of　ages　to　pass　into　hands　that　have　as　much　natural
  right　to　deal　with　it　as　with　the　peaks　of　the　highest　mountains　or
  with　the　depths　of　the　sea；　but　to　be　from　generation　to　generation
  administered　by　men　living　in　precisely　such　homes　as　those　poor
  children　have　lost；　by　men　always　bent　upon　making　that
  replacement；　such　a　home　as　their　own　dear　children　might　find　a
  happy　refuge　in　if　they　themselves　were　taken　early　away。　　And　I
  fearlessly　ask　you；　is　this　a　design　which　has　any　claim　to　your
  sympathy？　　Is　this　a　sort　of　school　which　is　deserving　of　your
  support？
  This　is　the　design；　this　is　the　school；　whose　strong　and　simple
  claim　I　have　to　lay　before　you　to…night。　　I　must　particularly
  entreat　you　not　to　suppose　that　my　fancy　and　unfortunate　habit　of
  fiction　has　anything　to　do　with　the　picture　I　have　just　presented
  to　you。　　It　is　sober　matter　of　fact。　　The　Warehousemen　and　Clerks'
  Schools；　established　for　the　maintaining；　clothing；　and　educating
  of　the　Orphan　and　Necessitous　Children　of　those　employed　in　the
  wholesale　trades　and　manufactures　of　the　United　Kingdom；　are；　in
  fact；　what　I　have　just　described。　　These　schools　for　both　sexes
  were　originated　only　four　years　ago。　　In　the　first　six　weeks　of　the
  undertaking　the　young　men　of　themselves　and　quite　unaided；
  subscribed　the　large　sum　of　3；000　pounds。　　The　schools　have　been
  opened　only　three　years；　they　have　now　on　their　foundation　thirty…
  nine　children；　and　in　a　few　days　they　will　have　six　more；　making　a
  total　of　forty…f