his eyes. That young man had witnessed the most terrible
contention between the powers of fire and water for the destruction
of that ship and of every one on board. He had rowed away among
the floating, dying, and the sinking dead. He had floated by day,
and he had frozen by night, with no shelter and no food, and, as he
told his dismal tale, he rolled his haggard eyes about the room.
When he had finished, and the tale had been noted down from his
lips, he was cheered and refreshed, and soothed, and asked if
anything could be done for him. Even within him that master
passion was so strong that he immediately replied he should like an
order for the play. My friend the editor certainly thought that
was rather a strong case; but he said that during his many years of
experience he had witnessed an incurable amount of self-prostration
and abasement having no outer object, and that almost invariably on
the part of people who could well afford to pay.
This made a great impression on my mind, and I really lived in this
faith until some years ago it happened upon a stormy night I was
kindly escorted from a bleak railway station to the little out-ofthe-
way town it represented by a sprightly and vivacious newsman,
to whom I propounded, as we went along under my umbrella – he being
most excellent company – this old question, what was the one allabsorbing
passion of the human soul? He replied, without the
slightest hesitation, that it certainly was the passion for getting
your newspaper in advance of your fellow-creatures; also, if you
only hired it, to get it delivered at your own door at exactly the
same time as another man who hired the same copy four miles off;
and, finally, the invincible determination on the part of both men
not to believe the time was up when the boy called.
Page 119
Dickens, Charles – Speeches, Literary & Social
Ladies and gentlemen, I have not had an opportunity of verifying
this experience with my friends of the managing committee, but I
have no doubt from its reception tonight that my friend the newsman
was perfectly right. Well, as a sort of beacon in a sufficiently
dark life, and as an assurance that among a little body of working
men there is a feeling of brotherhood and sympathy – which is worth
much to all men, or they would herd with wolves – the newsvendors
once upon a time established the Benevolent and Provident
Institution, and here it is. Under the Provident head, certain
small annuities are granted to old and hard-working subscribers.
Under the Benevolent head, relief is afforded to temporary and
proved distress. Under both heads, I am bound to say the help
rendered is very humble and very sparing, but if you like it to be
handsomer you have it in your power to make it so. Such as it is,
it is most gratefully received, and does a deal of good. Such as
it is, it is most discreetly and feelingly administered; and it is
encumbered with no wasteful charges for management or patronage.
You know upon an old authority, that you may believe anything
except facts and figures, but you really may believe that during
the last year we have granted 100 pounds in pensions, and some 70
pounds in temporary relief, and we have invested in Government
securities some 400 pounds. But, touching this matter of
investments, it was suggested at the anniversary dinner, on the
high and kind authority of Sir Benjamin Phillips that we might
grant more pensions and invest less money. We urged, on the other
hand, that we wished our pensions to be certain and unchangeable –
which of course they must be if they are always paid out of our
Government interest and never out of our capital. However, so
amiable is our nature, that we profess our desire to grant more
pensions and to invest more money too. The more you give us tonight
again, so amiable is our nature, the more we promise to do in
both departments. That the newsman’s work has greatly increased,