204 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



The plate is now ready for exposure to 

 the image to be impressed upon it ; but this 

 part of the operation I cannot properly de- 

 scribe. It must really be seen to be under- 

 stood. Delamotte in his lately-published 

 and useful work, says, " Any one who is 

 unacquainted with the use of the camera, 

 should ask for directions from the person of 

 whom he purchases it, as no written instruc- 

 tions can easily explain how to set the camera 

 on the tripod (a stand which is not indispen- 

 sable, and which therefore I did not include 

 in my list), how to obtain the focus for a 

 view, or a portrait, or how to expose the 

 sensitive surface." Alter being exposed for 

 a time, which varies with the state of the 

 day, the time of the day, the place operacing 

 in — the plate is again removed to the dark 

 chamber ; and being taken out, is put into 

 the developing solution, No. 3. This solution 

 is put into one of the porcelain trays, and 

 the plate laid therein ; care being taken to 

 have the collodion side uppermost. A few 

 seconds generally suffice to " develop " or 

 bring out the picture ; but the longer it stays 

 in, up to a certain point, the darker the shades 

 become. The glass should now be well 

 washed, by allowing pure water to run over 

 it ; taking care not to injure the film. 



It is now ready for " fixing." This is 

 effected by placing it in No. 4., the hypo- 

 sulphite of soda bath. This should be put 

 into the other porcelain tray and the plate 

 being plunged in should remain until all the 

 iodide of silver, not acted upon by the light 

 when exposed, is dissolved. As the iodide is of 

 a yellowish appearance, it may be easily known 

 when this is done ; and the plate being again 

 well washed with clean water, the "negative " 

 picture is finished. It should now be visible 

 when held over a dark surface ; if held between 

 the eye and the light, the darks or shades 

 should be transparent and all the lights opaque. 



It must now be put away to dry : if intended 

 to make a " positive^'that is ready for framing, 

 it should be coated on the collodion side 

 with " black varnish " (to be had of the 

 dealers) which is applied exactly as the 

 collodion was directed to be done. It 

 intended for printing from, the plate should 

 be run over with " crystal varnish," which 

 is quite transparent, and is put on simply to 

 prevent the film from being scratched in 

 the printing process, which I shall fully 

 describe in my next. In the meantime, I 

 beg to repeat that any queries that may be 

 made shall have my immediate attention. 



GLEJSELG. 



[We are right glad to notice the "fashion- 

 able" progress of this pleasing domestic pas- 

 time. Young ladies, and their everlasting, 

 useless, silly crochet, may now be lawfully 

 divorced ; and sense take the place of motley 

 nonsense.] 



FASHION'S LOOKING-GLASS, 



OR 

 SOCIETY ANALYSED. 



There is no vice so artless, but assumes 

 Some mark of virtue on its outward parts ; 

 Hiding the grossness by dkceptiox. 



That the world is purely artificial 

 we have satisfactorily proved, long ago. 

 Nothing is genuine, — neither the food we eat, 

 nor ourselves who eat it. All appears fair 

 to the eye, until tested ; and then the decep- 

 tion becomes manifest. Man has very little 

 that is natural about him, — nor has woman 

 either. 



In former numbers we have, by the aid 

 of a friend who contributes largely to " Bent- 

 ley's Miscellany," painted a picture of the 

 fashionable world which is universally 

 acknowledged to be " perfect." We propose 

 to add a few additional touches to-day, from 

 the same master hand. The canvass is large 

 enough to admit of it. The subject is, — 

 Society, inhabiting the world we live in. 



Society (says our friend), according to 

 Johnson, means fraternity. Eefer to the 

 letter F for fraternity, and you will find that 

 it means society. So that, strictly speaking, 

 society means nothing more nor less than 

 that best of all compacts, a brotherly one. 

 Look for society in the world, and you soon 

 discover that it means anythingbul fraternity ; 

 and that poor human nature has chosen an 

 inappropriate word to designate its mixings 

 and political minglings with the every-day 

 world. 



Good society, in fashionable parlance, does 

 not strictly mean a moral and instructive 

 companionship with the highly gifted or 

 good ; but a clique surrounded by a barrier 

 of titles or riches, deeply learned in escut- 

 cheons and the "Court Guide," and very 

 particular about knowing only particular 

 people. Not one, according to the existing 

 codes of good society, can by any possibility 

 be admitted into the charmed circle without 

 having the hall-mark of the " fashionable 

 few." This rule is rarely departed from, except 

 in the case of a Lion. Here the creature, 

 either from fear or love, although plebeian, 

 is admitted for a season to be stared at or 

 stare, that he may lay a soft paw on his 

 flatterers if he be literary, or autograph and 

 sketch in the avalanche of albums if he be a 

 painter. 



Good or fashionable society admits of very 

 little fraternity, as the world is understood 

 by lexicographers; for the youth even of 

 this society are never permitted to, what is 

 termed, " come out," before they have, by 

 the aid of experienced tutors, been fully 

 instructed in the manners and habits of their 

 seniors, " how" to salute, smile, &c. — in fact, 

 come out little ready-made men and women. 



