Have you seen Tom ? He'll be quite overjoyed 

 to see you. I'll call and let him know the pleasure 

 I've had." It is to be hoped, however, that ad- 

 versity will have taught you to value the world 

 and the world's friends at their proper rate ; and 

 that you will have the good sense, when your 

 friend and his companions come, to treat them as 

 they deserve, and to let your door be closed for 

 ever upon such a set of treacherous hypocrites. 

 Let us now consider a friend as described by Dr. 

 Johnson. It must be confessed that the terms 

 friend and friendship, are so misapplied that, as far 

 as the original meaning is conveyed, they are 

 almost obsolete. A friend! What simple, noble, 

 holy associations are connected with that word ! 

 One who is always ready to share your pleasures 

 and joys ; — when prosperity smiles, and your purse 

 is full. One who is ever ready to share your griefs 

 and annoyances, — when adversity frowns. One who 

 makes his heart and purse your own. Who never- 

 refuses to be of use, if it be possible for him to be 

 so. Who is ever endeavoring by kind words and 

 actions to soothe your sorrows. One whose beam- 

 ing eye and cordially-proffered hand are ever ready 

 to greet you with afiection in the saddest day of 

 auction. One who shares your simple fare with 

 more genuine friendship than can be conveyed by 

 words. One whose heart and looks indite every 

 word his mouth pronounces. One whose every 

 word and action, whether in adversity or pros- 

 perity, prove that he is your friend indeed. Such 

 a character is rarely indeed to be met with; but, 

 God be praised, not totally unknown — and would 

 be still more known, if people would take more 

 enlarged views of their duty to God and man; 

 relinquishing a little of their selfishness and pride, 

 and learning to live among, and conduct them- 

 selves towards their fellow -creatures with frank- 

 ness, kindness, and a proper deference. I hope, 

 my dear sir, that you and I may yet live to see a 

 more wholesome state of society than we too fre- 

 quently meet with in the present day. — Bombyx 

 Atlas. 



The Operatives, — " Master and Man."— We 

 p< nned an article last month on " Mechanics' In- 

 stitutions," and similar laudable societies. In it, 

 we glanced at the late " strikes " by operatives, 

 and condemned the principle of their trying to 

 obtain their ends by force; recklessly destroying: 

 the property of their employers, and ill-using the 

 industrious hands who were willing to work to 

 support their families, — preferring that to a life of 

 dissolute idleness. These remarks of ours, so 

 wholesome, have been unfairly dealt with ; and a 

 contemporary affirms we are taking part with the 

 men's oppressors ! So far is this from the truth, 

 that we regard the masters who pay such infa- 

 mously low wages in the light of brutes, — hard- 

 hearted, callous, purse-proud wretches, — in whose 

 heart pity dwells not, and who are quite lost to all 

 sense of justice and common honesty. From our 

 very soul do we sympathise with the many suffei'- 

 ing honest families now bemoaning their unfor- 

 tunate position ; and right glad shall we be to 

 see them restored to their former occupations, — 

 better paid, better fed, and treated, by their 

 employers as if they were really men, — human 

 beings, entitled to be fairly remunerated for their 

 services. Their pay of late has been insufficient 



to keep a fire in the grate; whilst their poor bodies 

 have been almost in a state of starvation. The 

 eye of God is on their oppressors; so let them look 

 to it.— W. K. 



Canaries Living in the Open Air. — Several of 

 our subscribers having expressed themselves 

 anxious to know how Mr. Wollaston's canaries 

 have withstood the intense cold of January, we 

 despatched a letter, requesting particulars. Mr. 

 Wollaston, it appears, has been most successful. 

 Out of twenty birds that have been roaming at 

 large throughout the entire winter, he tells us not 

 one has been lost! This proves how hardy the 

 canary is, if properly tended ; and favors our view 

 that their introduction into shrubberies is a matter 

 of easy accomplishment. Mr. Wollaston is anxious 

 to see us, and we are as anxious to see him. " The 

 first fine day in March " will soon be here ; and 

 shortly afterwards Mr. W. may expect to see us 

 there. Through his kind indulgence, we hope to 

 escort a few of our fair friends to his rural retreat 

 during the coming season of Spring, — Welling, 

 Kent, is a lovely spot. — W. K. 



The Starling. — I have been more than pleased, 

 exceedingly delighted, by a perusal of the many 

 notes that have appeared in Our Journal, from 

 time to time, upon the habits and playfulness of the 

 amiable starling, — a bird who only requires to be 

 known to be thoroughly and heartily welcomed. 

 Unfortunately the race against whom you are 

 (very properly) for ever waging war, slaughter 

 these joyous little rogues directly they enter a 

 neighborhood to find themselves a dwelling-place. 

 Hence their comparative scarcity near towns and 

 cities. However, Jam a favored being, as you 

 shall hear. I reside in the neighborhood of 

 Canonbury Park, where I have been located 

 several years. On taking possession of my present 

 house, I noticed that a pair of starlings had adopted 

 its roof for their dwelling ; and had built a nest 

 there. With great interest, I continued to watch 

 their movements ; ami, in due course, the papa 

 and mamma introduced us to their little family, — 

 another choice pair. That was in 1851. I will 

 not encroach upon your space to tell you all the 

 fun and merry tricks that we have, ever since, 

 witnessed among this " happy family." But there 

 they are now, — tame as ever, — confiding, affec- 

 tionate, and as full of play as these ever-playful 

 birds can be. I only wish your readers could see 

 them comedown, and strut about in their gloriously- 

 gay and glittering colors upon our grass plot ! It 

 is a pretty, — a charming sight. And to observe 

 how they draw up the worms, and devour the 

 grubs ! It is better than any play. I need not 

 tell you what " pets " we make of them. Hitherto, 

 we have managed to protect them; and they stick 

 close to us, as if they really knew there was danger 

 further abroad. I have often quaked lest some 

 sporting neighbor's gun should be brought to bear 

 upon them ; but somehow they possess " charmed 

 lives." May we live till they die ; and may they 

 live till we die ! Few people round London, I 

 imagine, are so favored as we by the company of 

 Sterlings. — Malcolm Goroox. 



[The savage brutality of man, alone prevents 

 these noble little fellows (whose society we dearly 

 love) more frequently domesticating themselves 



