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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



to its original state. We destroyed it again, and 

 it was again rebuilt. On pulling it to pieces a 

 third time, the insect flew out, and shortly after- 

 wards returned, accompanied by another of the 

 same species (supposed to be of the other sex), 

 whom, as it were, it had gone to fetch, in order- 

 to assist in the rescue, for they together seized up 

 the caterpillars with their jaws and feet, and 

 bearing them off as well as they could, flew out of 

 sight, never again to revisit the ill-fated spot. 

 With these caterpillars, no doubt, their eggs 

 would have been deposited. The whole pro- 

 ceeding is strongly indicative of the affection and 

 assiduity with which these insects will labor on 

 behalf of their young. — L. Jenyns. 



Infidelity. — Sir Isaac Newton set out in life a 

 clamorous infidel; but, on a nice examination of 

 the evidences of Christianity, he found reason to 

 change his opinion. When the celebrated Dr. 

 Edmund Halley was talking infidelity before him, 

 Sir Isaac Newton addressed him in these, or the 

 like words — " Dr. Halley, I am always glad to 

 hear you when you speak about astronomy, or 

 other parts of the mathematics, because that is a 

 subject you have studied, and well understand. 

 But you should not talk of Christianity, for you 

 have not studied it. I have, and am certain that 

 you know nothing of the matter." This was a 

 just reproof, and one that would be very suitable 

 to be given to half the infidels of the present day. 

 — Lily of the Valley. 



a lesson that he may never live to remember ! 

 The blood of the innocent, cries from the ground 

 for retribution ! — W. K. 



Launch of the Royal Albert. — This screw line- 

 of-battle ship, of 131 guns, was safely launched, 

 from Woolwich dockyard, on Saturday, the 13th 

 ult., in the presence of Queen Victoria, Prince 

 Albert, the Royal Family, the Court, the Foreign 

 Ministers, the members of the Legislature, the 

 naval and military authorities, and an assemblage, 

 ashore and afloat, of not fewer than 60,000 spec- 

 tators. Her dear little Majesty (God bless her !) 

 performed the ceremony of breaking the bottle on 

 her bows ; but not without some little difficulty, 

 arising from the imperfect information which had 

 been given her respecting the nature of the 

 arrangement. The noble ship remained, for more 

 than ten minutes, immovable after the shores had 

 been knocked away ; and when at length she 

 began to " draw," her progress was so slow that 

 she occupied 40 seconds in moving over the first 

 inch. Once started however, the pace rapidly 

 increased ; and in another minute the colossal 

 fabric glided steadily down the slip into the river, 

 amid the thundering cheers of the spectators, 

 among whom there were few whose hearts did 

 not involuntarily echo the benediction of the 

 Queen, who, in naming her, said with emphasis, 

 " God bless the Royal Albert ! " The proportions, 

 armament, and propelling power of the ship, place 

 her on an equality with the Duke of Wellington. 

 She is nearly 4,000 tons burden, 272 feet in length, 

 61 feet broad, and 66 feet deep, and will be pro- 

 pelled with engines of 500 horse power. She will 

 carry 131 guns, with a 68 pounder on the forecastle, 

 weighing 5 tons, and capable of throwing round 

 shot a distance of three miles. May she " astonish" 

 the foe against whom her powers are directed ; 

 and teach the miscreant of the North (who impi- 

 ously talks of being God's minister upon earth) 



The Brain in Connection with Intellectual 

 Labor. — One of the worst results of overworking 

 the brain, in any exclusive direction, is, that it 

 tends, when it does not absolutely break down that 

 organ, to produce mental deformity. As the 

 nursery-maid, who carries her burden with the 

 right arm, exclusively, is afflicted with spinal 

 curvature, so the thinking man, who gives his 

 intellectual energies to one subject or class of 

 subjects, gets a twist in his brain. Those, there- 

 fore, who are chained to mental labor, and cannot 

 give the brain repose, should try to vary their 

 labors, which is another form of repose. Intense 

 and prolonged application to one subject is the 

 root of all the mischief. As your body may be in 

 activity during the whole of the day, if you vary 

 the actions sufficiently ; so may the brain work 

 all day at varied occupations. Hold out a stick 

 at arm's length for five minutes, and the muscles 

 will be more fatigued than by an hour's rowing : 

 the same principle holds good with the brain. — 

 Frank. 



More Fun ! — A Comic Duet. — I find the 

 following anonymous, racy fragment, in my weekly 

 newspaper ; and I send it to you, my dear Sir, 

 for registration in Our Own, as being of its kind 

 ''droll exceedingly." You are an avowed advocate 

 for laughing. Whoever reads this must laugh ; 

 and, let us hope, "grow fat!" i, too, love 

 laughing, — oh, how much ! — 



He struggled to kiss her. She struggled the same 

 To prevent him, so bold and undaunted ; 



But, as smitten by lightning, he heard her exclaim, 

 " Avaunt, sir !" and off he avaunted. 



But when he returned, with the fiendishest laugh, 

 Showing clearly that he was affronted, 



And threatened by main force to carry her off — 

 She cried " Dont ! " and the poor fellow donted. 



When he meekly approached, and got down at her 

 feet, 



Praying loud, as before he had ranted, 

 That she would forgive him, and try to be sweet, 



And said, " Can't you ?" the dear girl re-canted. 



Then softly he whispered, How could you do so ? 



I certainly thought I was jilted; 

 Bnt come now with me — to the parson we'll go; 



Say, wilt thou, my dear ?" and she wilted. 



Then gaily he took her to see her new Lome, 



A shanty by no means enchanted ; 

 " See ! here we can live with no longing to roam !" 



He said, " Sha'n't we, my dear?" So they 

 shanted ! 

 — Lucy N., Tottenham. 



The Delights arising from Benevolence. — If, 

 says Bacon, there be a pleasure on earth which 

 good angels cannot enjoy and which they might 

 almost envy man the possession of, it is the power 

 of relieving distress. If there be a pain which 

 evil angels might pity man for enduring, it is the 

 deathbed reflection that we have possessed the 

 power of doing good, but that we have abused 

 and perverted it to purposes of ill. — Mimosa. 



