258 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



Innocence, we repeat, is not recognised — 

 not wanted amongst ns. We are all suspected, 

 naturally, of artfulness, and a knowledge of 

 evil in its many ramifications, the moment 

 we enter a \ rivate family. We may love the 

 inmates — some of them — if we will, and de- 

 light in their society ; but we must dissemble, 

 and stifle all the better feelings of our com- 

 mon nature. To show these, and artlessly 

 discover the sentiments of one's heart, and 

 the love of innocent virtues, would, in the 

 general way, procure immediate banishment. 

 Sinister motives would be attributed to our 

 open disposition, and cold formality would 

 bid us at once begone ! 



Happy are we to have conquered, in our 

 own person, by innocent perseverance, much 

 of the evil against which our pen is now 

 directed. We would be what we seem to be, 

 and practice all that we preach. This is our 

 offence. Heinous is it — very ! 



We hardly need say much on the subject 

 of guilt — so conspicuously marked on the 

 countenances of the many thousands who 

 cross our path daily. Being the very op- 

 posite of innocence — inimical to all social 

 virtues, and the enemy of all that is good 

 both in theory and practice, we see it " burnt 

 in " the human system. A man or woman 

 may be fairly judged of by their physi- 

 ognomy. AVe are quite sure of that. We 

 rarely indeed foil in forming a correct judg- 

 ment of those on whom our eye falls. Inno- 

 cence, in spite of all that is said, we do see 

 now and then ; and fraternise with its 

 possessor gladly. Guilt, however, stands 

 before us in the face of nearly every second 

 person who passes us on the highway. Is 

 this natural ? We say not. Upon " some- 

 bod v " then devolves a serious responsi- 

 bility. 



Here let us offer a fe\v passing remarks on 

 the lamentably degraded state of society in 

 which we are now living. It is proposed to 

 open the " Crystal Palace," at Sydenham, in 

 a few days. Among the articles of virtu to 

 be exhibited in that vast arena, are a goodly 

 number of sculptured figures, many of them 

 of the rarest beauty and exquisite symmetry. 



In viewing these, a chaste mind would take 

 infinite delight ; admiring the skill of the 

 artist, and worshiping our Creator for having 

 bestowed so noble a gift upon man. Inno- 

 cence could never be offended whilst gazing 

 upon the natural form of humanity. It is 

 impossible — utterly impossible. 



But we are going, it seems, to travel 

 directly out of our way to strive and make 

 people immoral ; to drive impure ideas into 

 honest hearts — ideas which never would have 



he good.^ Here is the marrow of all divinity. 

 Love to God, good-will to man, and a life spent 

 in the innocent pursuit of all that is amiable. 



found entrance there but for our abominably 

 evil conceptions, and anticipations of sin. 

 We invite Satan to enter into our dwellings ; 

 and as the right-minded Berridge has well 

 said — we hand him a chair, entreating him to 

 sit down in it. The heads of our (so-called) 

 Protestant Church have, in a word, caused 

 every piece of chaste statuary* in the Exhi- 

 bition to be deformed with unsightly tig- 

 leaves ! The plasterers have been at work 

 day and night to make aprons for the inno- 

 cent figures. We blush to record the fact ; 

 and well we may. 0, England ! — England ! 

 " How are the mighty fallen ! " 



As for suspicious people, they are for the 

 most part " offsets " from the guilty. At 

 all events, they have been brought up in a 

 very bad school. Our lot has been cast 

 among some of these gentry — not many years 

 since. Devoted as we were to their best 

 interests — striving daily and hourly to do 

 them good service — yet were our untiring 

 efforts said to proceed from interested 

 motives, and ourself suspected of plotting 

 some horrible (imagined) wrong ! We were 

 glad indeed to escape from such an atmos- 

 phere, and to have our eyes opened ere some 

 plan — it was brewing — might have been 

 secretly concocted for our ruin. Suspicion 

 brings with it its own punishment, for it 

 keeps its victims in one continued life of 

 torment. Thankful are we to be strangers 

 to its power. Both it and its brother guilt 

 trouble us not. 



We know other men of a suspicious tem- 

 perament. They are at once a terror to 

 themselves and to all about them. Happy 

 they are not — never will be, never can be. 

 Now in an even temper, they are pleasant 

 and cheerful; anon they become suspicious, 

 and, without the slightest cause for offence, 

 quarrel with their best friends. What a life 

 to lead ! 



We must trace all we have here unveiled, 

 to the school in which people are educated. 

 Early associations most assuredly form a 

 person's character, either for good or evil ; 

 contact being undeniably beneficial or preju- 

 dicial We cannot associate with the good 

 without imbibing some of their virtues, nor 

 keep bad company without being infected 

 by its baneful influence. Habit either makes 

 us or mars us. 



Let us then plead hard for innocence, 

 sincerity, disinterestedness, and purity of 

 heart ; and not side with those who place 

 them among the " impossible" virtues. Bad 

 the heart may be ; alas ! we see it is so — 

 but if cultivated, it will assuredly put forth 

 healthy shoots, and bear good fruit. 



Innocence is the very best of fruit ; for — 



" He is armed without, who's innocent within." 



* See the Times, May 9. 



