Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-11
THE GAZETTE.
THURSDAY MORNING. MARCH II, 1855.
CHARLES DICKENS AND LITTLE
CHILDREN.

stitution vas opened in 1852. 81 100 out
patients and 1860 in-Patients have been ad-
mitted, all under twelve years of age, and Of
the whole humber. % 500 under FIVE. The
first festival in aid of the funds was held on
Tuesday evening, the 9Th ult.. at the Free
masous' Tavern. London. Mr.. Charles
Dickens occupied the chair, and in giving
the toast of the evening he said that from the
earliest day of his life it had been one of his
maxims to disbelieve the man who told him
that he took no Interest in children. lie ielt
still bound to that principle by al cousiae'
rations, because he knew that any heart th"t
could toughen itself against these little Pc,
pie must be wanting IN 50 many ouman'
sing experiences as to be perfect mons'ros'
ity in nature. llear.) lie therefore ~hen
we met with the assertiou--sometimes not
oftep--set it down as an idle word orig'na-
ting 10 a momentary lsngour, ana meaning
about as much as the assertion that this
world had outgrowu all the cardinal virtues.
(Cbeers.l A few years more would be ne
cessary for the increase of their strength and
the expansion of their figures. and then thei:
tables, which now had few tucks 10 them,
would be let out, and that hail, which now
fitted them 80 easily, would be found too
tight and small for their wonderfully To-
creased proportions. (Cheers) But even
in the present company they were not with
out persons who had some experience OF
spoiled children. He did not msaD OF their
own. IF course laugh)-for no one ever
spoiled his own children; but he meant the
disagreeable children of their particular
friends. (Lsugbter.) Toey knew by expe-
rence what it was to have them down after
dinner. plunging recklessly into the dessert,
and with the family doctor Looming darby
in The distance. Continued laughter.l No
doubt they all knew what 1t was u SIT and
see maternal disquietude painfully evoked by
what be might call, after the manner OF his
friend Mr.. Albert Smith, the toilsome ascent
of Miss Mary, and the Eruption (cutaneousl
of Master Harry. Great laughter They
were all painfully aware that such tlresome
children would never 60 t. bed. until at last
they were carried of bawing and kicking by
main force (Grest laughter An eye-Sl,-
ness bad once told him that, being once IN
company with learned pupdt who had as
sembled all the distinguished philosophers OF
the day at his house to hear hin expound DIS
views respecting infant education and early
mental development, while the pund't was
LAYING dowu his principles, bis little boy
amused the company by plungiDg boldly into
an apple pie. amounting his hair With the
syrup, combing it with fork. and then care
fully smoothing it down with spoon
Much laughter.) But tho spoilt children
be had to present after dinner on that day
had been spolt in a far different manoei;
and they were q far more numerous, and, II
possible. far more interesting class
The children to whom he aiiuoed were the
spoilt children Of the poor OF this great city,
the children who we're efectualiy spoilt oil
this life by tens of thousands, but who IN
vast numbers might be preserved 1t they
not contravenine the way OF Providence
would only help and save them. Hear,
hear) Those two grim nurses, poverty ara
sickness, which brought these poor children
before them that day, breathed the breath OF
fever over their wretcbed cradles. nailed up
their little Collins, and piled up the earth up
on their graves: Of the annual deaths 10
this great town the unnatural ones formed
more than one-;brd Of the whole number
He should not ask his audience, as in the case
Of other spoit children. to observe how good
or how pretty they were, but bow like death
they were, and be should implore them by the
remem brance of every thing that was happy
in their own infancy to extend to these
spoilt children Of the poor their patronage.
their succour. and their compassion. Lear
hear) Some time since. being In Scotland,
he went with a humane member OF that most
humane medical profession to visit some OF
the poor Inhabitants of the old town oil Edin-
burgh 10 close wynd, most picturesque
place-he was sorry to say that the pictu'
rescue and typus were often very nearly al
lied -he saw more poverty and sickness than
be had ever seen within a similar space. In
one wretched dwelling be saw poor s'ck
child Graded in an egg-box which Its moth
ar bad begged from the shop, ard that little
wan child, With his fevered countensnce, his
wasted hand. and his bright waketul eye,
was ever before his sight lie could see him
at that moment, and lancied he heard bm
saw: why am lying here shut in from the
light of day and from the play with other
cbildren?"
That case was only type of thousands
occurring in London every day; aud II the
company he saw around him, which form
ed a drop of the life blood Of the great
public heart of the county. would only
come forward, three-fourths OF these meian-
choly cases might be annually saved
Hear, hear.) Having described the Dos
pitsl and it's accommodations, the chairman
proceeded to say that the most charming
ESSAY of the immortal Charles Lamb rep
resented him at lis Own Preside telling
stories to bis dear children, until suddeniy
the illusion was dispelled and be iound
they we're only dream children the chii-
dren which he ought to have bad. had be
not devoted his life to solitude. Nov, the
dream children which he MIR. Dickens
would raise before every one who heata
him should be the dear child that they 'oVeh'
the dear child they might have hao' tne
child they certainly had then, and be would
make these dream children say, Assist
these little sufferers in the bospltal-assist
them for our sakss." CHEERS And when
he bad Impressed that vision hrmiy on their
imagination he should wish them sudden
" to awake, and, finding themselves IN the
Free-masons' Tavern, at once to commence
vigorously adding their names to the i's'
of subscriptions. (Cbeers and aug inter- =
He had now arrived at the close OF hls TOO
long speech and had only to propose Pros,
ner,tv to the Childrens's Hospital" Loud
cheers. A., ,o,d
The list of subscriptions was then read,