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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



seen at the meanest auctions, where she 

 arrogates to herself much pretension and 

 consequence ; and henoe, indeed, she retires 

 with capital booty. You may observe the 

 auctioneer most anxious to please this house- 

 letting lady, and hear him exclaim to 

 " John," who is making his brown-paper cap, 

 in a terrible flurry — John! hand the lot to 

 Mrs. Dumbledoor ; don't you see ! 



She is as keen as the edge of a razor; as 

 sly as the most experienced reynard ; as im- 

 moveable as Mount Gothard. No auction pa- 

 laver, no tinselled articles, no burnished tin 

 passed off as silver, will entrap her. In the 

 wink of an eye she runs through the tables 

 of profit and loss, dissects the lots into naked 

 reality, and as she has fifteen or more lodging- 

 houses deposited in her " mind's-eye," can tell 

 you at a glance how any article will " come 

 in ;" — she is not to be " done." 



In front of her are a lady and a gentleman I 

 apparently an officer and his wife. It is laugh- 

 able to observe them ; — the husband is come 

 to town, and intends to " settle;" well ; furni- 

 ture must be obtained, and he is now dancing 

 round every auction in the neighborhood. 

 And how he bids ! — nothing comes amiss to 

 him, everything seems so "excellent;" so 

 "precisely fitted" for his purpose^ that he 

 cannot resist. He has obtained a few hundreds 

 with his wife, and " it would look very mean 

 not to have his house handsomely furnished." 

 His lady appears rather more prudent. 

 She is perfectly aware that fine furniture 

 will not be all that is wanted — and on this 

 account, by various contortions in her fea- 

 tures, inuendoes, tender little pokes in the 

 side, and looks that speak the meaning — en- 

 deavors to restrain his extravagance. But it 

 is in vain. He turns round to her after a most 

 tremendously foolish bargain, and whispers 

 into Louisa's ear ; — " You know, my dear, we 

 can easily dispose of any article we may not 

 want." That sounds very well ; but it does 

 not in the least abbreviate the lengthening 

 visage of " dear Louisa :" — she is " certain " 

 that her husband is auction-mad, and would 

 tug him away. At the close of the week there 

 is enough " furniture" to fill several of Pick- 

 ford's vans — and what for? — a cottage with 

 four rooms ! I have always noticed this kind 

 of fool at an auction. 



There are fifty more " characters," who 

 haunt the auction-rooms; one out of these, 

 it would be sinful to omit- the universal 

 bidder — but buyer of nothing ! Perhaps, of 

 all the conceited town-fools who swell them- 

 selves forward at sales, this is the most so. 

 He is mostly a pert, pompous, priggish look- 

 ing creature, with remarkably white hands, 

 and dressed in a black coat that is perfectly 

 speckless. Whatever the lot be, he takes au 

 interest in it ; but is careful to bid early, that 

 he may not endanger himself ! 



But it is in old books he apes the most, 

 and assumes the air of an accomplished bibli- 

 opolist. When a lot of mildewed volumes is 

 exhibited, he smiles and grins, as if they 

 were " a rich treat." Sometimes lie ventures 

 to address the auctioneer, and exposes some 

 error in the catalogue. He knows a mighty 

 deal too, about i/aldus and //elzevir; Edit 

 Prince, is the Prince's edition! He is fond of 

 asking out loud, — " is this the whole of Wir- 

 gilii Uopera V] 



But I will not " dwell" upon more " lots." 

 So here let the curtain fall. 



ORIGINAL COREESFONDENCE. 



[This department of Our Journal is one of its most 

 interesting, as well as valuable features. Amusement, 

 Instruction, Mental Improvement, and all the Social 

 Virtues, are here concentred. Whether the Subjects 

 introduced be on Natural History, Popular Science, 

 Domestic Economy, the Fine Arts, or Matters of General 

 Interest,— all are carefully digested, and placed before 

 our readers in the winning garb of cheerfulness, good- 

 temper, and a determination to please. Our amiable 

 coi'respondents enter readily into our naturally-playful 

 disposition, — hence are their contributions divested of 

 that dry formality which cannot be other than repulsive 

 to a true lover of Nature. Our columns, be it observed, 

 are open to all amiable writers.] 



Spring, and the Feathered Tribes. — I dare say, 

 my dear sir, you thought me very rhapsodical in my 

 last, whilst so prattling away about my flowers, and 

 anticipating the joys about to burst upon us from 

 the lap of Nature. Well, you must he aware, ere 

 now, that I am one of her ladyship's own children. 

 [We take the greatest delight in thee, Honev- 

 suckle. Not one, among all our readers, pos- 

 sesses a larger share of our heart than thyself. So 

 always write freely.] Every living thing I see at 

 this season in the open air, fills me with rapture ; 

 and I really long to have you as a companion in 

 our rural walks. We shall have so much to tell 

 you, and to show you ! [Rely, fair maiden, on our 

 responding to your gentle command ere long.] I 

 have recently been poring over the earlier pages 

 of Ouk Journal, and note again with real pleasure 

 your expressed sentiments about the wickedness of 

 keeping our naturally-wild birds in a state of con- 

 finement. Just now, the cruelty of incarcerating 

 our lovely songsters, strikes one very forcibly. 

 They are so joyous when the sun shines — so busy 

 in preparing to greet us with their sweetest melo- 

 dies! Free as air, they boldly claim their freedom 

 as a right. You should see [We will see them 

 very soon] my numerous company of little winged 

 pensioners ! Imitating your example, I go among 

 them with a jar of mealworms ; and how they do 

 welcome me as they listen to my well-known 

 approaching footstep ! It makes me so happy to 

 win their confidence ! No fear is there about 

 them. No. They follow me from tree to tree; 

 from one end of the garden to the other. The 

 affection we feel for each other is as pure as it is 

 natural ; and we do have such loving, innocent 

 games together ! Do you know, my dear sir, the 

 very sight of a bird in a cage makes me sigh, — 

 unless it be placed there under peculiar circum- 

 stances. Canaries are of course exceptions to my 

 remark. They are bred in cages ; andconihierneiu 



