158 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



are among the simplest of these forms. Every day 

 during which the infusion is allowed to stand, will 

 display fresh forms ; and generally those which 

 appeared most abundantly in the earlier stages will 

 be found successively to die out, and be replaced 

 by other species. The more highly-organised 

 kinds will usually be discovered at the later 

 periods. 



Nug^e'. By the Rev. James Banks, M.A., 

 of Lincoln College, Oxford. 12mo. 

 Robert Hardwicke. 



We have here a vast number of fugitive 

 pieces, " original and translated, 1 ' — being 

 what the author terms " the solace of rare 

 leisure." They are all in verse ; and will 

 no doubt find many admirers. 



We subjoin a single specimen, being an 

 address to a fair girl on her birthday : — 



Thou wilt not, dearest girl, despise 



Thy would-be poet's lay ; 

 Nor bid him check the thoughts that rise 



Upon thy natal day. 



Faint token is the gift he gives, 



And faint the votive line, 

 T' express that all the life he lives, 



His thoughts, his hopes, are — thine ! 



Yet still, as such the gift receive ; 



And though, alas! 'tis small, 

 Do thou in kindness, Love, believe 



I fain would give thee — all ! 



May distant years recall to-day, 



And each succeeding prove 

 Of me, the truth I strive to say, — 



Of both, our constant love ! 



There is much feeling in the above ; and 

 no doubt the poetical arrow went direct to 

 the heart at which it aimed. Let us hope 

 so ! 



Poems. By William Molyneux. 12mo. 

 Simpkin, Marshall, and Co. 



This little volume of poems is dedicated 

 by "a grateful Son" to his "affectionate 

 Parents," — a noble commencement to a 

 worthy undertaking. 



The author has, ere now (see Our Journal 

 No. 52), appeared in our pages, and shown 

 himself a true poet, possessed of fine feeling. 

 We here find him essaying a higher flight, 

 and presenting us with a variety of the out- 

 pourings of his gentle muse. The subjects 

 are diversified, — natural, gay, romantic, 

 pathetic, and descriptive, by turns. The 

 Isle of Wight, Hastings, Arundel, and other 

 favorite spots, — all are visited, and all afford 

 food for the pen ; Scotland, too, is laid under 

 tribute. 



The list of subscribers, printed at the com- 

 mencement of the volume, is a pleasing proof 

 of the estimation in which the author is 

 held. The first and second are the Duke 



and Duchess of Sutherland, and the third the 

 Duchess of Argyll ; whilst there are 

 " Honorables" and " Right Honorables" by 

 the dozen. This is " the" way to publish 

 a book of poems. All other ways are 

 useless. 



Elements of Health. By E.J. Tilt, M.D. 

 Henry Bohn. 



The world we live in is a most ungrateful 

 world. A man spends his whole life in the 

 investigation of matters of vital interest to 

 society; he records his observations 5 pub- 

 lishes them ; and the public buy them, 

 without perhaps ever reading them ! They 

 have laid out a few shillings ; and here their 

 gratitude (!) ceases. 



This book is, of its class, inestimable ; 

 addressing itself most forcibly to every 

 parent in the kingdom, — mothers in par- 

 ticular. We have read it with the greatest 

 attention, and marvel at the mass of informa- 

 tion that the indefatigable author has thrown 

 together. If people will not learn wisdom — 

 on themselves alone be the blame ! 



On a recent occasion (see vol. iv., p. 368), 

 we penned an article on the still too prevalent 

 custom of confining the female figure in 

 a cruelly narrow prison of whalebone and 

 steel ; and we directed special attention to the 

 unceasing efforts of Madame Caplin 

 (Berners Street) to effect a reform in this 

 matter. We dwelt at much length, too, on 

 the manner in which this is effected ; and 

 showed how many thousands of lives were 

 saved annually by the exercise of only a little 

 common-sense. Unfortunately, this last 

 commodity is not the reigning "fashion;" 

 hence its banishment from society ! We are 

 pleased to see that Dr. Tilt quite takes our 

 view of this great question, and that Madame 

 Caplin's almost superhuman efforts to bring 

 people to reason are not lost upon him. 

 Philanthropists are not met with every day, 

 and they deserve the encouragement of all 

 good men and women, — alas, how few ! 



We had marked a variety of extracts to 

 prove the truth of what we have advanced. 

 As, however, our columns are at present 

 overcrowded, we shall hold them in reserve. 

 A book like this is worth its weight in 

 Californian gold. If people would but read 

 it, and digest its contents — but, alas ! this 

 involves " thought !" — what a load of misery 

 would be spared to children yet unborn ! 



SJunt 



Davidson's Musical Treasury. Song 

 of the Dog. By Eliza Cook. — God 

 Hath a Voice. By the same Author. 



We have before taken occasion to com- 

 mend the establishment whence issue so many 

 good and cheap pieces of popular music. 



