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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



in the back parlor) might be considered a reason- 

 able complement. On applying to one of them, 

 the present High Sheriff of Devon, he kindly 

 made room foi one of our party, which we decided 

 should be the Dominie ; and my London cousin, 

 notwithstanding his unwonted exertions during 

 the day, manfully made up his mind to walk the 

 seven miles that lay before us. On reaching the 

 half-way house of the morning, we made a pause, 

 and listened to the music of the village choir of 

 Holcombe Burnell, who generally assemble here 

 on Saturday evenings, to practise anthems, and the 

 church services for the following day. Nor is it 

 an uninteresting sight to witness a small body of 

 hard-working agriculturists, who with the aid of 

 two violins, a flute, and a violoncello, and their 

 own really melodious voices joining in the music 

 of Handel, Mozart, and other first-rate composers, 

 contrive to produce a good effect. It was refresh- 

 ing both to mind and body ; and I had the satis- 

 faction of seeing my relative little fatigued after a 

 walk, which, in the morning, he did not believe 

 himself capable of performing. It was a day that 

 each of the party will long remember, — rich in 

 the enjoyment of the sweet beauties of Nature, 

 interesting in many ways ; affording us ample 

 creature comforts, — and yet the whole expense to 

 each of us was less than half-a-crown. — Ephra, 

 Birkenhead. 



English and Foreign Flowers.— I cannot 

 resist saying a few words with reference to the 

 interesting communication in your last, from" The 

 Lily of the Valley." To my mind it is full of 

 truth ; and I rejoice at its being recorded in Our 

 Journal. There can be no doubt that the 

 flowers which clothe the tropical countries are 

 very magnificent, and very effective ; but I must 

 re-quote the words : " For every stem of this 

 kind, we may find another at home of equal 

 beauty, and with an equal amount of brilliant 

 colors." With respect to beauty and effect ; if, 

 my dear sir, you could see the lovely little plant 

 which bears the name of the contributor of this, 

 growing as I have seen it, — covering a space of 

 some 200 feet square, and all in blossom from the 

 10th to the 15th of May, I think you would say 

 that, with all the brilliancy of color that the 

 tropical plants may display above ours, the beauty 

 and elegance of growth of the Convallaria 

 bifolia, and the loveliness of the little expanded 

 bell-shaped corollas, of such a clear and pure white, 

 so prettily placed on little stalks, half concealed 

 by the sheathing leaf, together with the delicious 

 fragrance which arises from them, — is sufficient 

 to make you re-echo with us that we have flowers 

 of equal beauty and brilliancy at home. I eay 

 brilliancy also ; for the effect of these lovely little 

 white flowers is nothing less than brilliant. Nor 

 do I value this wee flower the less that it does 

 not come forward (as do many tropical ones), so 

 that you cannot pass by without being struck with 

 its beauty. No. This little specimen of our pretty 

 wild flowers, is so humble and modest, that it is 

 generally concealed from us in the recesses of 

 some deep and dark wood or copse, where it only 

 enjoys the sun's rays for a small portion of time, 

 as they penetrate here and there between the 

 mixed foliage of the varied trees. I could men- 

 tion other equally beautiful little wild flowers, 



but will rest satisfied with having said a few 

 words about this one emblem of " purity and 

 Bweetness." 



There is a lesson in each flower, 

 A story in each stream and bower. 

 In every herb on which you tread, 

 Are written words, which rightly read, 

 W ill lead you from earth's fragrant sod 

 To hope, and holiness, and God. 



So 6ings Allan Cunningham ; and few, I imagine, 

 of your readers will dissent from such " pure 

 gospel." — Aglia Tau, Stoke Newington. 



Fresh-water Molluscs. — One day last week, the 

 water of the Sheffield canal burst into the works 

 of an old coal mine at Sheffield ; which must have 

 been worked when that large town was (some 

 two or three hundred years ago) but a small 

 village; the consequence was, great destruction of 

 property by undermining the foundation of build- 

 ings ; and also that part of the canal (a length of 

 three miles) was nearly emptied. In passing 

 along the canal banks, after having been to see 

 the devastation caused thereby, I was astonished 

 to witness the innumerable quantity of small 

 bivalved shells adhering to the walls of the various 

 bridges and locks. They were about the size of 

 Windsor beans, and the walls were completely 

 crowded with them. What could they be ? Not 

 mussels I think, as I always understood they 

 embedded themselves in the mud. Can you tell me 

 the name of them, or refer me to any work which 

 will give me some particulars of their economy ? 

 Some of them I have got ; and I am keeping them 

 in a glass in order to watch their movements. — 

 John V., Yorkshire, Feb. 24. 



[If you could contrive to send us in a pill-box 

 (by post), one or two specimens of the bivalves you 

 speak of, we would answer your question at once ; 

 but it will be needful to see them before giving a 

 positive opinion.] 



The Sun-flower. — Tell me, my dear sir, — do, 

 please, why the large flowers of this annual always 

 face the sun ? At sunrise, they are turned 

 towards the east; and at sunset, towards the 

 west. I should very much like to know the cause 

 of this. — Lucr N., Tottenham. 



[The sun-flower, Lucy, is a fervent, true, and 

 constant lover. She rises betimes to greet the 

 God of her idolatry, and never ceases to regard 

 him so long as his golden features remain visible. 

 This is true love. Our flowers study no 

 " fashion." They are " natural ;" consequently, 

 lovely and amiable. Tom Moore has this sweet 

 simile in his " Irish Melodies : " — 



Oh, the heart that has truly lov'd never forgets, 



But as truly loves on to the close ; 

 As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets, 



The same look which she tuni'd when he ?-ose ! 



Let us take a lesson out of Tom Moore's book, 

 fair Lucy ; for constancy and true love are insepa- 

 rable. The flowers were no doubt sent for our 

 instruction and improvement. They teach ub 

 many a profitable lesson.] 



Cruelty of Fowls, one to the other. — Can you 

 in any way account, my dear sir, for the marked 

 antipathy shown by certain fowls towards some 



