CHARLES DICKENS. 183 



•The way to your good opinion, favour, and support has 

 been to me very pleasing — a path strewn with flowers and 

 cheered with siinshine. I feel as if I stood amongst old 

 friends, whom I had intimately known and highly valued. I 

 feel as if the deaths of the fictitious creatures in which you 

 have been kind enough to express an interest, had endeared us 

 to each other as real afflictions deepen friendships in actual 

 life ; I feel as if they had been real persons, whose fortunes 

 we had pursued together in inseparable connection, and that I 

 had never known them apart from you. 



* It is a difficult thing for a man to speak of himself or of 

 his works. But perhaps on this occasion I may, without 

 impropriety, venture to say a word on the spirit in which mine 

 were conceived. I felt an earnest and humble desire, and 

 shall do till I die, to increase the stock of harmless cheer- 

 fulness. I felt that the world was not utterly to be despised \ 

 that it was worthy of living in for many reasons. I was 

 anxious to find, as the Professor has said, if I could, in evil 

 things, that soul of goodness which the Creator has put in 

 them. I was anxious to show that virtue may be found in the 

 by-ways of the world, that it is not incompatible with poverty 

 and even with rags ; and to keep steadily through life the motto 

 expressed in the burning words of your northern poet : 



" The rank is but the guinea stamp, 

 The man's the gowd for a' that." 



And in following this track, where could I have better 

 assurance that I was right, or where could I have stronger 

 assurance to cheer me on, than in your kindness on this to 

 me memorable night ? 



' I am anxious and glad to have an opportunity of saying a 

 word in reference to one incident in which I am happy to 



