New-York daily tribune., 1858-03-03
MIR. CHARLES DICKENS AND LITTLE
GILL. I.DREN

III London there has been established " Hospital
for Sick Children" Since the institution opened
in 1852 Al leo ouipatients and 1860 inpatents have
been admitted all under twelve years OF age, and OF
the whole number, % 800 under ive The first festi.
val in aid Of the funds held Tuesday evening,
Feb. 9, at the Freemasons Tavern, London. Mr.
Charles ckens occupied the char aud in giving the
toast Of the evening he said that from the lest day
of bis life il had been of his maxms 10 disbeleve
the man who told him that he took no interest in
children He * still bound TO that principle by all
considerations because he knew that any heart that
could tougher fsgans these little people must bs
wanting in go many humanilng experiences as TO be
peytt ct mOnstrOsity III nature. Hear lie there
FORE when he met with the assertion-someines, not
otenset it down as an idle word originating IN mo-
mentary lapgor, and meaning about as much as the
asse ton that this world had Oufgrown all the cardinal
virtues. lCheers. He supposed 1t may be taken Tor
grants that those around him, aud who were assem-
ed in the name and for the sake of children were
animated by far different feelings and he had observed
since he sat down that they quite in chudllke
altogether representing an infant institution ahd
being not ye: quite grown-up company. Laughter
the Chalrmsns alusoD being Understood 10 Apply 10
some empty seats at the lower end Of the room, the
occupants Of which had moved up, the better 10 near
his observations. few years more would be ne ;es-
.ary Tor the Increase of their strength and the eNan-
sipn of their figures, and then their tables, when now
had few tucks in them, would be let out and that
hail, which now fitted them 90 easily, wond be found
too tight and small for their wonderfuy-ir creased
proportions. (Cheers. But even in the present com
experience of spoiled cL ldIen lie did not mean OF
their own Of course augbl, for no one ever spoied
bis own children and he meant the dlsagreeaDle
children of their particular friends. lLaughier'I
They knew by experience what il was 70 have them
down after dinner plugging reckles,ly into the
dessert, and with the family doctor looming dalky IA
the distsBee. CONTINUED lsughter.] No doubt 'hey
all knew what it wss TO sit and see maternhI dSquie-
tude painfully evoked by what he might call ater .he
maLner of his friend Mr.. Albert Smith, the tol.one
ssceLt of Miss Mary and the rruplon lcuaneousl 0i
Master Harry. Great laughter They were al
painfully aware that such tiresome Children "ouIa
peyer 20 to bed until at last they were carried OF
bawlir and kicking by main force lGreat iauShterI
An eye-w pess had told him that, being once IN
company with learDed puDdit who had assembled OH
the stiDg guished p losophers OF the day at hs houe
10 hear him expound his views respecting infant
zion and early mental deyeopment while the pune
was laying down hs principes, bis little boy amused
the company by plugging boldly into an appn.p'e,
amounting has hair with the Srup, eomoihs VII WI.
folk, and then carefully smoothing II d0"h WIN a
.po.n Much Taught But the spoit children wnlea
e had to prerent after pner on that day had been
,po!lt in a far different manner; ana they "sre
a far numerous, and, possi"'e, "a a
more interesting class. Inc ehllaish " WIN nn'n ~
lie alluded were the spOlt children 3i Tue poor OF
tis GREAT cy the children who were enectualiy spo
ont Of this lie by tens Of thousands bH VINO In vast
numbers might be preserved !; they not comraVehng
the ways Of PrOylden,e, Would only heiP and save
,hero iHear. hesrl Those two grm nurses, poverty
srd which brougb these poor chiljre before
sIo bst day breatLel he b,esth Of fever over their
xrstcbed cradles rallied up their little collins, and
piled up the earth upon their graves Ot the annual
3as,bs m hi, Great town the unnatural ones formed
me NAV ois-third OF the whole number. Hear,
IrarJ Heshould not aaA hiJ sudcnce as in the eAse
II other sot children, % observe how good or how
pretty they were. No be about 70 ak the char
M m rb.erve hoe weak they were h wv like ea,h
tbcy were, and be shopld iaploTe them by the re-
peS,brsree oi eyJytbIg that BGs happy in their
IN inisIcy 20 eVerd % these rp6ilt childf
-, tie p5er thar patIpnig@, Jhe.r suecour, an
| ,irce, beug IA scc.llld. he 1eb, with a humane
ms-,bef y: tina: mott humane medical pfJies-
son 20 VIZ see o: lie Ippr .ataoitan.s Of Tie
o! .owc . K1irbur,l. In Il - ~yud, most pr
(sfsls sod y ,a- se,e nm ge,y nearIy AE;i-he
-aw ~ lt'si'y a.d >--s .hlb - > I'd -Vr' 80"
] s..bIr = snr,r'paCs io ms we ct"i dwe.'i-e 70