KIDD'S OWN JOUKNAL. 



191 



the ever-changing clouds that are mirrored in the 

 water ; or to see the reeds bending and bowing to 

 one another, as if in play ; while some huge tish 

 rises and dimples the water, and sends the ex- 

 tending circle to the very shore, where the ripple 

 rocks every wild plant that touches the current. — 

 T. Miller. 



Little Children. — No man can tell, says Jeremy 

 Taylor, but he who loves his children, how many 

 delicious accents make a man's heart dance in the 

 pretty conversation of these sweet pledges. Their 

 childishness — their stammering — their little anger 

 — their innocence — their imperfections — their 

 necessities, are so many little emanations of joy 

 and comfort to him that delights in their persons 

 and society. — C, A. T. 



The Dormouse. — Much as you have recorded 

 about the history of the Dormouse, I yet thirst to 

 know more of its natural habits. Do they feed 

 by day, principally ; or do the} 7 prefer eating by 

 night? Do they, when in confinement, suffer like 

 ferrets, rabbits, &c, by having water given them 

 to drink? I give mine water, and it grows fat 

 upon it. Is this proper ? She eats oysters too, 

 if she can get them ; and enjoys them more than 

 I can tell you. Perhaps some of your readers 

 will be able to tell us all about this. — Mimosa. 



[Nuts, almonds, canary seed, bread soaked in 

 milk and afterwards squeezed nearly dry, — these 

 are the staple food of dormice ; but no doubt 

 " tid-bits" of all kinds are welcome now and then. 

 We shall be happy to insert any reply to the 

 queries here put.] 



Things made only to be Looked-at. — I observe 

 the following sensible remarks in one of your con- 

 temporaries, and I think them so adapted for 

 the columns of Our Own, that I crave a corner 

 for their reception : — " We sometimes catch our- 

 selves wondering, how many of the young ladies 

 whom we meet with are to perform the part of 

 housekeepers, when the young men who now eye 

 them so admiringly have persuaded them to 

 become their wives? Taper fingers and lily-white 

 hands are very pretty to look at with a young 

 man's eyes ; and sometimes, we have known the 

 artless innocence of practical knowledge displayed 

 by a young Miss, to appear rather interesting than 

 otherwise. But life is full of rugged experiences; 

 and the most loving, romantic, and delicate 

 people must live on cooked or otherwise prepared 

 food, and in homes kept clean by tidy and indus- 

 trious hands. And for all practical purposes of 

 married life, it is generally found that for the 

 husband to sit and gaze at a wife's taper fingers 

 and lily hands, or for a wife to sit and be looked 

 at and admired, does not make the pot boil or put 

 the food in the pot." — There is much good sense 

 in the above, if people would only take a hint, 

 kindly offered. What a pity it is, that usefulness 

 should be accounted vulgarity ; and outside 

 appearances pass for virtue ! — Amicus. 



Royal Panopticon of Science and Art. — The 

 Saracen building in Leicester-square, with its two 

 minarets "pointing to the skies," has long been 

 an object of curious interest to passers-by, and the 

 scientific wonders of the interior are now revealed. 



Entering the porch, in Leicester-square, we find 

 ourselves in a vestibule beautifully ornamented 

 with encaustic tiles and English alabaster ; and 

 passing through the inner porch, we come at once 

 into the principal hall of the building, — a beauti- 

 fully proportioned and brilliantly decorated 

 rotunda, 97 feet in diameter within the walls, and 

 the same in height to the top of the dome, which, 

 surmounts the centre. This dome, which is 72 

 feet in diameter, contains in the centre a circular 

 light of 32 feet diameter, with sixteen smaller 

 lights beneath ; forming, with other glazed aper- 

 tures, apparently ample provision for the admission 

 of daylight. All these windows are provided with 

 blinds, which are moveable by an ingenious appli- 

 cation of pneumatic power. In a very brief space 

 the daylight was completely excluded, and the 

 effect of the building exemplified by gaslight. 

 It is perhaps under this aspect that the interior 

 appears to most advantage, as the varied and 

 glittering ornamentation is softened and mellowed 

 by the artificial light to atone of subdued richness. 

 The first object to strike the eye on entering, is a 

 fountain of great dimensions and power. The 

 base exhibits a beautiful specimen of enamelled 

 slate, inlaid with gold mosaic bands ; while the 

 fountain itself consists of several jets, each playing 

 upwards of 40 feet; with a central column of water, 

 which is thrown to the extreme height of the dome. 

 If the fountain first attracts the eye of the visitor, 

 the grand organ at the east end of the rotunda 

 will not fail, should it be playing, to assert and 

 maintain its claims to be considered the great 

 feature of the building. This magnificent instru- 

 ment presents but a small appearance, as compared 

 with its real magnitude and capabilities ; the 

 greater portion of the works being dispersed on 

 each side, so as to leave a space in the centre 

 through which the lens of the optical diorama will 

 cast its rays. Among the next objects of import- 

 ance are, — the gigantic electrical machine and 

 Leyden battery of Mr. E. M. Clarke (the managing 

 director of the institution), Sicard's diving appara- 

 tus, and the ascending carriage, by which visitors 

 are conveyed up to the photographic rooms. En- 

 circling the rotunda are two light galleries, 

 occupied by stalls, containing various articles for 

 sale ; thus blending somewhat of the character of 

 a bazaar with the other attractions of the place. 

 Ample provision for carrying out the objects, 

 appears to have been provided in the construction 

 of lecture-rooms, laboratories, camera, and photo- 

 graphic rooms with extensive apparatus, and 

 numerous models and machines, — a detailed 

 description of which is beyond the limits of a 

 single visit. — From a Correspondent. 



The Religion of Convenience. — All men profess 

 to have a conscience ; and no doubt they get 

 sundry twitches if they do not at all events make 

 anoutside show of being good. Yet does daily 

 observation prove their hypocrisy in the matter. 

 Family worship is a mere bug-bear ; the very 

 servants ridiculing their masters and mistresses for 

 their farcical attempt at sanctity — put off and on 

 at will ! Thackeray exposes this, charmingly, 

 in "The Newcomes." At the sound, he says, of 

 the 8 o'clock bell, the household is called together. 

 The urns are hissing, the plate is shining; the 

 father of the house standing up, reads from a 



