352 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



the grounds themselves, have been so 

 minutely detailed {ad nauseam) by the 

 press (all of whom, it appears, have received 

 fitting " consideration " for their services), 

 that WE shall merely record the simple cir- 

 cumstance of the opening ; leaving the public 

 to believe what they will, and to see " with 

 their own eyes" how much of what they 

 have heard is true. "Truth lies at the 

 bottom of a well." Everybody should go 

 once.'* 



The real facts of the case are assuredly 

 against what is told us. The speculators in 

 this wild-goose undertaking are in the posi- 

 tion of Frankenstein. They have created a 

 " monster," and have succeeded in animating 

 it. Terrible thought ! It will inevitably 

 strangle them ; there can be no reasonable 

 doubt about that. However, the public 

 have nothing to do with the speculative part 

 of the business. There is quite enough 

 (even in the present lamentably- imperfect 

 state of the works) for their shilling ; so 

 they need not complain, though all should 

 remain in statu quo. 



The hasty opening at the fag-end of a 

 London season was, by many, deemed im- 

 politic, — but there was a powerful motive for 

 it. Money must be had, under any circum- 

 stances ; and in no other way could it be 

 obtained. The sale of "Season-tickets" 

 was by no means large; although we 

 observed, two days previous to the opening, 

 printed posters announcing a considerable 

 " reduction on taking a number of tickets." 

 This eager anxiety betrayed the true state 

 of things. Many admissions were bought 

 " cheap," and the public were not long in 

 " smelling a rat." This is not the only wild 

 speculation of modern times ; though it 

 must be admitted that a million and a half 

 of money might have been more advan- 

 tageously laid out. 



Altogether, the affair hangs fire. Already 

 have the ultra-puritans commenced a crusade 

 against it and its supporters. They say, 

 the poor man and the " shilling visitors " 

 have no right to drink beer with their 

 dinners ; and they have been loudly peti- 

 tioning against the introduction of any such 

 crying sin in the grounds. They have 

 already caused the masses to desecrate the 

 Christian Sabbath in riot and excess ; and 



* It must not be supposed that we are in- 

 different to anything that may tend to improve 

 the taste of the public. Had this bubble been 

 blown on a more diminished scale ; and had all 

 that was noble in its avowed object been carried 

 out, — then would our comments have been widely 

 different from what they now are. The specu- 

 lators have been grasping at too much. Thus, 

 we have lots of shadow given us, but very little 

 substance, — a good idea, in fact, spoiled. 



now they are completing their intolerance 

 by depriving them of one of the needful 

 enjoyments of life on the other days of the 

 week. This truly disgusting cant is worthy 

 of a heathen country, — not of England. 

 Our word for it, — all who thus exclaim 

 against the working-man having his half- 

 pint of porter at dinner time, rarely confine 

 themselves to a similar quantity of wine, if 

 not of ardent spirit. " They say, — and do 

 not." 



That people are not better than they are, 

 and not fond of observing the Sabbath other- 

 wise than they now do, is entirely owing to 

 puritanical intolerance. We want to make 

 people " good," and we take the direct 

 means to make them hate what is good. It 

 is the same in Glasgow. The people there, 

 desecrate the Sabbath, week after week, by 

 getting drunk, — simply because every 

 avenue is pertinaciously closed against their 

 enjoying the air of Heaven. We hear of 

 this repeatedly ; and a foul blot it is on the 

 hypocrites who make the Sabbath a day so 

 much to be dreaded. (By the by, we observe 

 that cholera has again broken out in Glas- 

 gow ; and that many deaths occur from it. 

 " Drunkenness" is assigned as the proximate 

 cause !) 



People never yet were to be made religious 

 by an Act of Parliament. Compulsory piety 

 is a high offence against Heaven ; and woe 

 be to the Mawworms who do so much serious 

 mischief both in England and Scotland. 



GOOD -NATURE AND SLANDER. 



A TALE FOR OUR TIMES. 



Oh ! did you not hear in your nursery, 



The tale that gossips tell, 

 Of the two young girls that came to drink 



At a certain fairy well ? 

 The words of the youngest were as sweet 



As the smile on her ruby lip ; 

 But the tongue of the eldest seem'd to move 



As if venom were on its tip. 



At the well a beggar accosted them, 



(A sprite in mean disguise); 

 The eldest spoke with a scornful brow, 



The youngest with tearful eyes. 

 Cried the Fairy, " Whenever you speak, sweet 

 girl, 



Pure gems from your lips shall fall; 

 But whenever you utter a word, proud maid, 



From your tongue shall a serpent crawl." 



And have you not met with these sisters oft 



In the haunts of the old and the young? 

 The first with her pure and unsullied lip, 



The last with, her serpent tongue? 

 Yes, — theirs* is Good-nature — diamonds bright 



On the darkest, theme she throws ; 

 And the last is Slander — leaving the slime 



Of the snake wherever she goes ! 



Thomas Haynes Bayly. 



