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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



human breast, undermining health, temper, good- 

 ness, nay, even the quiet of conscience, and con- 

 juring up all the spirits of darkness. So does the 

 corroding rust eat into the steel plate, and deface 

 its clear mirror with a tracery of disordered cari- 

 catures. " He who has no employment to which 

 he gives himself with true earnestness, which he 

 does not love as much as himself, has not dis- 

 covered the true ground on which Christianity 

 brings forth fruit." — So says a very sensible 

 writer ; and I agree with him. It is impossible 

 to be " happy " without having some end to gain 

 — something to live for, some one to love. Affec- 

 tion, as you say, is " Heaven upon earth." — 

 Phcebe, Brighton. 



[So it is, dear Phcebe. It makes us all sweetly 

 happy.] 



Avarice — a Timely Mint. — I once knew an old 

 man, says a writer in "Blackwood." He was 

 rich, and his riches were his god. 1 rode in com- 

 pany with him a considerable distance through his 

 possessions. I sought means to turn the conver- 

 sation from his groves and his orchards, his fields 

 and his treasures, to something more serious and 

 profitable. But no; his heart was on these 

 things ; they engrossed his thoughts and his 

 affections. He was between 80 and 90 years of 

 age, and yet I could not bring him for a moment 

 to speak of leaving his earthly inheritance. It 

 was painful to see an old man, just ready to close 

 his eyes on all that belongs to earth, refusing to 

 admit into his mind a single thought of death, 

 and that eternity so shortly to be his home. With 

 a kind of melancholy satisfaction, I saw him take 

 a different road to myself; thus releasing me from 

 fruitless efforts to direct his mind towards that 

 world where his real interests lay. Not long after 

 this conversation, disease attacked his mortal 

 frame, giving no doubtful intimation that the 

 machine which had been in motion more than 

 fourscore years, was about to stand still. As he 

 lay struggling with death, he spoke of fields of 

 corn, and then said, " Bring me my bundle of 

 notes." Inspecting one of them, he said with 

 earnestness, " I — believe — we — shall — not — lose 

 it," or to that effect. While he thus lay, holding 

 his notes in his withered hand, he died! — This 

 greedy old man is " a portrait " of thousands of 

 other greedy old men, now living — worshippers of 

 gold, gold, gold ! — Emily P., Carshalton. 



Does Difference in Birth create any Distinction 

 between Man and Man f — Tell me, my dear sir, 

 do the descendants of a noble family differ from 

 those of more lowly individuals? Tbis is a ques- 

 tion often mooted, and as often answered in the 

 negative. It needs hardly be mentioned that a 

 difference does exist, but as to wherein this dis- 

 tinction consists, there are various opinions. 

 Education, intercourse with the world, and early 

 imbibed ideas, are the causes to which it is mainly 

 attributed. It certainly must be admitted that 

 these (especially the latter) produce great effect 

 on the mind, and frequently we can assign no other 

 reason. It often happens that a man is raised 

 from a low station, by an accumulation of riches, 

 to fill a much higher situation in after life than in 

 his youth and earlier days. His children are then 

 educated in accordance with the rules of the 



society they move in ; yet do they betray many 

 little irregularities and ignorances. These may 

 be partially attributed to home influences. They 

 may not, perhaps, attract attention from a careless 

 observer, or casual acquaintance ; but their more 

 intimate friends cannot fail to discover these dis- 

 crepancies. A native of any country whatever, 

 educated in the ways, customs, and manners of 

 another nation from his youth, will still retain the 

 peculiarities which are the distinguishing traits of 

 his race ; and which will most probably be per- 

 ceived in his descendants for many generations. 

 As it is with national, so is it with individual pecu- 

 liarities, — education may soften and render them 

 less easy of distinction ; but it never can entirely 

 eradicate them. We might as well expect the 

 " Ethiopian to change his skin, or the leopard his 

 spots." Phrenologists tell us, that a great deal 

 depends on the formation of the cranium, and the 

 development of the organs. No doubt they are 

 right. — Alfred H. Hetherington. 



[If we say the world is "mad," we solve all this 

 at once.] 



" Please ' ring 1 the Belle, next Time.'" — Your 

 amiable and lively correspondent, " Lucy N.," 

 Tottenham, who sent you that witty "comic duet," 

 will no doubt like to share with us in another 

 laugh; for, as she sensibly and naively hints, 

 laughing is good for us all. What a pity 'tis, 

 that people should so delight in pulling long faces! 

 [So we continue to tell them ; but with very 

 little effect!] Harmless mirth, and innocent play- 

 fulness, do the very heart good. In this matter, 

 Our much-loved Journal has been truly eloquent; 

 and no doubt it has worked much practical reform, 

 for I see extracts from it in nearly every news- 

 paper I take up. But now for the little morgeau 

 of which I have already spoken : — 



I'll tell you a story that's not in Tom Moore : — 

 Young Love likes to knock at a pretty girl's door ; 

 So he called upon " Lucy"— 'twas just ten o'clock, 

 Like a spruce single man, with a smart double 

 knock. 



Now, a handmaid, whatever her fingers be at, 

 Will run like a puss when she hears a rat-tat i 

 So " Lucy" ran up — and, in two seconds more, 

 Had questioned the stranger and answered the 

 door. 



The meeting was bliss, but the parting was wo ; 

 For the moment will come when such comers 



must go; 

 So she kiss'd him and whispered — poor innocent 



thing — 

 '" The next time you come, Love, pray come with 



arm#." 



I think I see "the color" now, mantling on the 

 fair face of your interesting correspondent ! Sbe 

 will, I know, good-humoredly allow us to share in 

 her " gentle confusion." There is a heartiness 

 about her innocent expression, that tells us she 

 will join merrily in the " odd idea ! " — M One" of 

 Four Brothers, Windsor. 



Genius, and its Twin-brother, Labor. — " I have 

 known, " says a popular writer, " several men in 

 my life who may be recognised in days to come as 



