350 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



ing of Margaret made me feel like a lover to the 

 whole sex.) " The woman isn't so ugly ! after 

 all," thought I. " The mother is in her face." 



Bahy still clung to my flowers, looking up all 

 the while and smiling in my face. " What does 

 this smile insinuate ?" thought I. l< Ah ! the sex 

 begin their arts early. The baby is certainly the 

 mother of the woman. This little piece of 

 coquetry here has put on her pretty wiles to 

 seduce a flower from me. Shall I be boy enough 

 to yield?" I pursed up my mouth, and locked 

 together my teeth ; resolving to come off victorious. 



" The gentleman is very kind to let you look 

 at his flowers, isn't he, Addy ?" said the mother. 

 Oh ! how these words pierced my conscience ! I 

 " kind !" No ; I was the greatest churl in exis- 

 tence. (What would Margaret have thought, — 

 my kind, gentle Margaret, who had collected 

 these sweet flowers to cheer me on my journey ? 

 Would she not have deemed it a poor requital of 

 her love to refuse a flower to a poor little suffer- 

 ing infant ?) The blood flushed to my cheek — 

 my hand fidgeted among the roses — I drew one 

 out from the cluster — I — I — I blush to confess it, 

 — I gave it to the baby ! 



When I recovered from the shock which this 

 worldly folly gave me, I heard Addy expressing 

 loud delight and the mother earnest gratitude. 

 I don't know how it is, but there is something in 

 a woman's thanks that goes directly to my heart. 

 I commenced serious efforts to assist her in 

 amusing her hungry child. Whenever the baby 

 began crying for " mippy," I began conjuring up 

 expedients to pacify her. I pulled out my gold 

 repeater, and held it up to the darling's ear. I 

 gave her the keys and seals, to jingle in her dirty 

 fingers. I even played bo-peep with her from 

 behind my bouquet. Addy smiled like a little 

 cherub. The mother's eyes shone with gratitude. 

 I was the happiest of the happy. In vain were the 

 smiles and comical expressions upon the faces of 

 my fellow-passengers. "Poor misanthropes!" 

 thought I, " they cannot understand the luxury 

 of conferring even the most trivial benefit upon a 

 fellow-being. Let them laugh ! they are too 

 ignorant and selfish to appreciate my elevated 

 motives!" — Oh happy self-conceit, what a con- 

 soler thou art for all the jeers and malice of this 

 scornful world ! 



From this felicitous reverie, I was aroused by 

 the whistle of the engine and the stopping of the 

 cars. " Thank you for your kindness, sir," said 

 the mother, rising to leave. " Oh ! do you stop 

 here?" I exclaimed, quite aghast. I took the 

 baby in my arms — yes, in my own arms, and 

 followed with it to the door of the car. The 

 mother received it with renewed thanks ; and I 

 had just commenced pouring forth a volley of 

 heartfelt regrets that they must leave us, when 

 the bell rang, and we w T ere off again. 



I returned to my seat, but it looked desolate 

 enough. I cast my eyes around the cars, in hope 

 to discover another baby. The search was vain ; 

 and I don't know how I should have become 

 reconciled to my loneliness, had not my eyes 

 rested on my bouquet. Sweet visions of Margaret 

 began to flit through my brain ; and I sunk into 

 another reverie, which was not disturbed till the 

 bell rang again at the termination of the road. 

 I started up. " God bless the women !" was my 



involuntary ejaculation. " Thank you, sir !" said 

 a little laughing beauty, who had occupied the 

 seat behind me, and who now stood curtseying 

 at my side. 



I blushed and glowed like a full-blown peony ; 

 and hiding my head behind my bouquet, rushed 

 from the car. 



P.S. — I shall never forget the smile on the face 

 of that crying baby ! 



MESMERISM AND ITS RAPID PROGRESS. 



ANNUAL MEETING OF THE INSTITUTE. 



On Wednesday, June 7th, the Annual Meet- 

 ing of the members and friends of this excellent 

 Institute (36, Weymouth Street, Portland Place), 

 took place at Willis's Eooms, King street, — R. 

 Monckton Milnes, Esq., in the chair. The large 

 room devoted to the meeting was filled at an 

 early hour. 



It happened well for the future prospects of this 

 grand undertaking, that the recent remarkable 

 case of tumor, successfully removed without any 

 pain from a female's breast, had become known 

 all over the kingdom (we reported it at some 

 length in our last). Mr. Tubbs, the operator on 

 that occasion, has immortalised both himself and 

 the science of mesmerism. If there existed any 

 doubts before as to the latent powers of mesme- 

 rism, they are now removed once and for ever. It 

 is " something" to slay prejudice. The power of 

 God in Nature can no longer be hid. Our Creator 

 has imparted a natural gift to man, — the gift of 

 healing. Let him gratefully acknowledge it, and 

 practice it unceasingly. 



Humbug is fast dying away ; medical men know 

 it, and tremble. They continue to shake their 

 heads as usual, it is true ; and try to look 

 " grave ;" but the cloven foot is becoming visible. 

 Physic has had its day; and people at last are 

 becoming '* sick" of it. Farewell, soon, to three 

 draughts and the pills — " as before ;" and to those 

 many little pleasantries between doctor and 

 patient that so nicely introduced the sundry 

 grosses of graduated phials, filled with pretty 

 colored fluids. " How are we to-day ? " " Is our 

 pulse more regular? " " Is our tongue cleaner? " 

 "Have we slept better? "—" Good ! " This 

 delectable gossip is passing away. Its days are 

 numbered. Even Homoeopathy — another gigantic 

 humbug* — is beginning to be looked upon with 



* Habit is everything, in this as in all other 

 matters. Fancy goes nine-tenths of the way to- 

 wards the recovery of patients. They have faith in 

 their medical attendant; hence his power over 

 their weak minds. What he gives them, he alone 

 knows, — albeit a certain smell is imparted to the 

 colored fluids, for appearance sake. Fancy, too, 

 and an egregious "swallow," attend all who 

 advocate homoeopathy. They fancy they are better; 

 faith persuades the mind ; and all goes on merrily. 

 The art of a skilful physician, it has been well 

 said, consists in amusing the patient whilst 

 Nature cures the disease. Amusement and 

 common sense are the " one thing needful" in the 

 practice of physic. But horrible doses are super- 

 added ! — " There is a better time coming." 



