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；
  this　is　a　very　serious　sum；　but　add　the　nights！　　Add　the　nights　…
  those　long；　dreary　hours　in　the　twenty…four　when　the　shadow　of
  death　is　darkest；　when　despondency　is　strongest；　and　when　hope　is
  weakest；　before　you　gauge　the　good　that　is　done　by　this
  institution；　and　before　you　gauge　the　good　that　really　will　be　done
  by　every　shilling　that　you　bestow　here　to…night。　　Add；　more　than
  all；　that　the　improvidence；　the　recklessness　of　the　general
  multitude　of　poor　members　of　this　profession；　I　should　say　is　a
  cruel；　conventional　fable。　　Add　that　there　is　no　class　of　society
  the　members　of　which　so　well　help　themselves；　or　so　well　help　each
  other。　　Not　in　the　whole　grand　chapters　of　Westminster　Abbey　and
  York　Minster；　not　in　the　whole　quadrangle　of　the　Royal　Exchange；
  not　in　the　whole　list　of　members　of　the　Stock　Exchange；　not　in　the
  Inns　of　Court；　not　in　the　College　of　Physicians；　not　in　the　College
  of　Surgeons；　can　there　possibly　be　found　more　remarkable　instances
  of　uncomplaining　poverty；　of　cheerful；　constant　self…denial；　of　the
  generous　remembrance　of　the　claims　of　kindred　and　professional
  brotherhood；　than　will　certainly　be　found　in　the　dingiest　and
  dirtiest　concert　room；　in　the　least　lucid　theatre　…　even　in　the
  raggedest　tent　circus　that　was　ever　stained　by　weather。
  I　have　been　twitted　in　print　before　now　with　rather　flattering
  actors　when　I　address　them　as　one　of　their　trustees　at　their
  General　Fund　dinner。　　Believe　me；　I　flatter　nobody；　unless　it　be
  sometimes　myself；　but；　in　such　a　company　as　the　present；　I　always
  feel　it　my　manful　duty　to　bear　my　testimony　to　this　fact　…　first；
  because　it　is　opposed　to　a　stupid；　unfeeling　libel；　secondly；
  because　my　doing　so　may　afford　some　slight　encouragement　to　the
  persons　who　are　unjustly　depreciated；　and　lastly；　and　most　of　all；
  because　I　know　it　is　the　truth。
  Now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　it　is　time　we　should　what　we
  professionally　call　〃ring　down〃　on　these　remarks。　　If　you；　such
  members　of　the　general　public　as　are　here；　will　only　think　the
  great　theatrical　curtain　has　really　fallen　and　been　taken　up　again
  for　the　night　on　that　dull；　dark　vault　which　many　of　us　know　so
  well；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the　theatre　or　other　place　of
  entertainment　as　empty；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the　〃float；〃　or
  other　gas…fittings；　as　extinguished；　if　you　will　only　think　of　the
  people　who　have　beguiled　you　of　an　evening's　care；　whose　little
  vanities　and　almost　childish　foibles　are　engendered　in　their
  competing　face　to　face　with　you　for　your　favour　…　surely　it　may　be
  said　their　feelings　are　partly　of　your　making；　while　their　virtues
  are　all　their　own。　　If　you　will　only　do　this；　and　follow　them　out
  of　that　sham　place　into　the　real　world；　where　it　rains　real　rain；
  snows　real　snow；　and　blows　real　wind；　where　people　sustain
  themselves　by　real　money；　which　is　much　harder　to　get；　much　harder
  to　make；　and　very　much　harder　to　give　away　than　the　pieces　of
  tobacco…pipe　in　property　bags　…　if　you　will　only　do　this；　and　do　it
  in　a　really　kind；　considerate　spirit；　this　society；　then　certain　of
  the　result　of　the　night's　proceedings；　can　ask　no　more。　　I　beg　to
  propose　to　you　to　drink　〃Prosperity　to　the　Dramatic；　Equestrian；
  and　Musical　Sick　Fund　Association。〃
  ＇Mr。　Dickens；　in　proposing　the　next　toast；　said：…＇
  Gentlemen：　　as　I　addressed　myself　to　the　ladies　last　time；　so　I
  address　you　this　time；　and　I　give　you　the　delightful　assurance　that
  it　is　positively　my　last　appearance　but　one　on　the　present
  occasion。　　A　certain　Mr。　Pepys；　who　was　Secretary　for　the　Admiralty
  in　the　days　of　Charles　II。；　who　kept　a　diary　well　in　shorthand；
  which　he　supposed　no　one　could　read；　and　which　consequently　remains
  to　this　day　the　most　honest　diary　known　to　print　…　Mr。　Pepys　had
  two　special　and　very　strong　likings；　the　ladies　and　the　theatres。
  But　Mr。　Pepys；　whenever　he　committed　any　slight　act　of　remissness；
  or　any　little　peccadillo　which　was　utterly　and　wholly　untheatrical；
  used　to　comfort　his　conscience　by　recording　a　vow　that　he　would
  abstain　from　the　theatres　for　a　certain　time。　　In　the　first　part　of
  Mr。　Pepys'　character　I　have　no　doubt　we　fully　agree　with　him；　in
  the　second　I　have　no　doubt　we　do　not。
  I　learn　this　experience　of　Mr。　Pepys　from　remembrance　of　a　passage
  in　his　diary　that　I　was　reading　the　other　night；　from　which　it
  appears　that　he　was　not　only　curious　in　plays；　but　curious　in
  sermons；　and　that　one　night　when　he　happened　to　be　walking　past　St。
  Dunstan's　Church；　he　turned；　went　in；　and　heard　what　he　calls　〃a
  very　edifying　discourse；〃　during　the　delivery　of　which　discourse；
  he　notes　in　his　diary　…　〃I　stood　by　a　pretty　young　maid；　whom　I　did
  attempt　to　take　by　the　hand。〃　　But　he　adds　…　〃She　would　not；　and　I
  did　perceive　that　she　had　pins　in　her　pocket　with　which　to　prick　me
  if　I　should　touch　her　again　…　and　was　glad　that　I　spied　her
  design。〃　　Afterwards；　about　the　close　of　the　same　edifying
  discourse；　Mr。　Pepys　found　himself　near　another　pretty；　fair　young
  maid；　who　would　seem　upon　the　whole　to　have　had　no　pins；　and　to
  have　been　more　impressible。
  Now；　the　moral　of　this　story　which　I　wish　to　suggest　to　you　is；
  that　we　have　been　this　evening　in　St。　James's　much　more　timid　than
  Mr。　Pepys　was　in　St。　Dunstan's；　and　that　we　have　conducted
  ourselves　very　much　better。　　As　a　slight　recompense　to　us　for　our
  highly　meritorious　conduct；　and　as　a　little　relief　to　our　over…
  charged　hearts；　I　beg　to　propose　that　we　devote　this　bumper　to
  invoking　a　blessing　on　the　ladies。　　It　is　the　privilege　of　this
  society　annually　to　hear　a　lady　speak　for　her　own　sex。　　Who　so
  competent　to　do　this　as　Mrs。　Stirling？　　Surely　one　who　has　so
  gracefully　and　captivatingly；　with　such　an　exquisite　mixture　of
  art；　and　fancy；　and　fidelity；　represented　her　own　sex　in
  innumerable　charities；　under　an　infinite　variety　of　phases；　cannot
  fail　to　represent　them　well　in　her　own　character；　especially　when
  it　is；　amidst　her　many　triumphs；　the　most　agreeable　of　all。　　I　beg
  to　propose　to　you　〃The　Ladies；〃　and　I　will　couple　with　that　toast
  the　name　of　Mrs。　Stirling。
  SPEECH：　　LONDON；　MARCH　28；　1866。
  ＇The　following　speech　was　made　by　Mr。　Dickens　at　the　Annual
  Festival　of　the　Royal　General　Theatrical　Fund；　held　at　the
  Freemasons'　Tavern；　in　proposing　the　health　of　the　Lord　Mayor　（Sir
  Benjamin　Phillips）；　who　occupied　the　chair。＇
  GENTLEMEN；　in　my　childish　days　I　remember　to　have　had　a　vague　but
  profound　admiration　for　a　certain　legendary　person　called　the　Lord
  Mayor's　fool。　　I　had　the　highest　opinion　of　the　intellectual
  capacity　of　that　suppositious　retainer　of　the　Mansion　House；　and　I
  really　regarded　him　with　feelings　approaching　to　absolute
  veneration；　because　my　nurse　informed　me　on　every　gastronomic
  occasion　that　the　Lord　Mayor's　fool　liked　everything　that　was　good。
  You　will　agree　with　me；　I　have　no　doubt；　that　if　this
  discriminating　jester　had　existed　at　the　present　time　he　could　not
  fail　to　have　liked　his　master　very　much；　seeing　that　so　good　a　Lord
  Mayor　is　very　rarely　to　be　found；　and　that　a　better　Lord　Mayor
  could　not　possibly　be。
  You　have　already　divined；　gentlemen；　that　I　am　about　to　propose　to
  you　to　drink　the　health　of　the　right　honourable　gentleman　in　the
  chair。　　As　one　of　the　Trustees　of　the　General　Theatrical　Fund；　I
  beg　officially　to　tender　him　my　best　thanks　for　lending　the　very
  powerful　aid　of　his　presence；　his　influence；　and　his　personal
  character　to　this　very　deserving　Institution。　　As　his　private
  friends　we　ventured　to　urge　upon　him　to　do　us　this　gracious　act；
  and　I　beg　to　assure　you　that　the　perfect　simplicity；　modesty；
  cordiality；　and　frankness　with　which　he　assented；　enhanced　the　gift
  one　thousand　fold。　　I　think　it　must　also　be　very　agreeable　to　a
  company　like　this　to　know　that　the　President　of　the　night　is　not
  ceremoniously　pretending；　〃positively　for　this　night　only；〃　to　have
  an　interest　in　the　drama；　but　that　he　has　an　unusual　and　thorough
  acquaintance　with　it；　and　that　he　has　a　living　and　discerning
  knowledge　of　the　merits　of　the　great　old　actors。　　It　is　very
  pleasant　to　me　to　remember　that　the　Lord　Mayor　and　I　once　beguiled
  the　tedium　of　a　journey　by　exchanging　our　experiences　upon　this
  subject。　　I　rather　prided　myself　on　being　something　of　an　old
  stager；　but　I　found　the　Lord　Mayor　so　thoroughly　up　in　all　the
  stock　pieces；　and　so　knowing　and　yet　so　fresh　about　the　merits　of
  those　who　are　most　and　best　identified　with　them；　that　I　readily
  recognised　in　him　what　would　be　called　in　fistic　language；　a　very
  ugly　customer　…　one；　I　assure　you；　by　no　means　to　be　settled　by　any
  novice　not　in　thorough　good　theatrical　training。
  Gentlemen；　we　have　all　known　from　our　earliest　infancy　that　when
  the　giants　in　Guildhall　hear　the　clock　strike　one；　they　come　down
  to　dinner。　　Si