KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



that the proposed and needful change took 

 place at Christmas.* We had so much to 

 prattle about at this season — so much of 

 the interesting to communicate in the matter 

 of social reunions, and the annual renewals of 

 those affectionate feelings of love and friend- 

 ship which do such honor and service to 

 humanity. Well is it for us, that " Fashion" — 

 the universal tyrant, has not swept away this 

 annual custom of meeting together, as well 

 as so many other of the wholesome ob- 

 servances of life ! 



There is a great deal of rust contracted on 

 the human heart, in the course of a single 

 year — aye,in the course of a few short months. 

 Absence very often produces a cruel coldness 

 amongst those who ought to be the best of 

 friends ; and this coldness of feeling too often 

 grows into something worse than indifference. 

 Then, people will get fancying all sorts of 

 silly things ; nor does ill-nature slumber 

 under such circumstances. Many a sly hint 

 will be thrown out by a venomous tongue, 

 interested in spreading dissension, that will 

 keep the choicest of friends at variance. 

 However, " Time-works wonders." The 

 season for friendly meetings again comes 

 round. Invitations are given and accepted. 

 Old acquaintances meet ; the hand is offered 

 and taken — aye, shaken too ! Doubts are 

 cleared up ; the heart expands under Nature's 

 warmth, and all are ; ' happy" — as they should 

 be. Nature ! how we love thee ! 



Well ; all that we have been talking about 

 has already taken place. Friends have em- 

 braced, laughed, danced, sung, played, and 

 made merry. Youth and age have melted 

 into one. The follies of fashion have, among 

 the sensible, dwindled away ; and Nature has 

 reigned triumphant amongst her children. 

 Thus has the New Year come in, radiant 

 with smiles. The glorious sun heralded in 

 the 1st of January, 1853. We saw his face 

 with delight. It was but a glimpse, truly ; 

 but that glimpse shadowed forth a host of 

 " promises " now in course of daily fulfil- 

 ment. 



Now let us improve these few opening ob - 

 servations on the season. Let each one of 

 us boldly ask himself — if his heart does not 

 feel all the lighter for the share he has taken 

 in promoting the happiness of others ? And 

 the beauty of it is, the pleasure of pleasing 



* We have before mentioned ( see our Second 

 Volume, passim), "why" we have been con- 

 strained to convert Our Journal into a Monthly 

 Periodical. The booksellers refused to procure it 

 in its iveelchj form ; and the complaints we re- 

 ceived from all parts of the country in conse- 

 quence, have left us no alternative. The tender 

 mercies of a bookseller are indeed cruel ! Their 

 community stand unenviably " alone " in their 

 feelings of envy and hard-heartedness. 



far exceeds any other pleasure. It leaves a 

 goodly savor behind it. Selfishness must not, 

 cannot intrude at such seasons. Beholding 

 our friends happy, their hearts' warm, their 

 countenances radiant with delight ; and 

 whilst listening to the joyous sounds of 

 merriment proceeding from their innocent 

 children — we behold a sight, and hear sounds, 

 which we cannot but rejoice in. May the 

 time never arrive that shall see us differently 

 minded ! 



Whilst very many thousands have been so 

 enjoying themselves, it will hardly be ima- 

 gined that we have stood out. Oh no ! 

 Familiarly and pleasingly known as " Our 

 Editor," we have dropped in here, there, 

 everywhere — a welcome, privileged friend. 

 We were an invalid too ; and, on that account, 

 the more " interesting ! " 



Christmas Day was, of course, our " first 

 appearance this season." On that happy 

 day we were enrolled — Self & Co. — among 

 the members of a numerous " happy family.'' 

 We passed the day as it ought to be passed — 

 in amity, friendship, love, and unity. We 

 never tell tales ; but we may relate, in cc n- 

 fidence, that the " good old customs " were 

 rigidly and properly kept up. One arch 

 face — we will not say how many more arch 

 faces followed the good example — slyly 

 drawing us beneath 



" The blossom that hangs on the bough," 



playfully remarked, — " Our Editor, being 

 invisible,* is nobody !" The arch face, with 

 a pretty mouth, then whispered something— 

 oh, how sweet ! — in our ear ; and as we sighed 

 out, — " Take heed, — whisper low ! " the 

 lisp died softly away in the distance. 

 " Sweet seventeen ! " ( — aye, and " Sweet 

 twenty-one !") how we love thee ! Long 

 may innocence like thine live to greet us 

 annually ; long may we live to go through 

 the same pleasing ceremonies of the season 

 with thee ! So treated, we will remain " no- 

 body" all our life. We never can grow " old." 



We have, no doubt, here touched a chord 

 that will awaken in other breasts besides 

 ours, many a pleasing reminiscence of Christ- 

 mas 1852-3. 



We are all children at such times, and 

 ought to be so. It is Nature's gentle law, 

 and must be obeyed. Thus do our minds 

 become unbent, our best feelings expanded ; 

 and thus are all the avenues opened which 

 lead to kind, friendly, and affectionate so- 

 licitude, one for the other. 



Prudery must never dare show her ugly 

 deformed features at holiday times. No ! 

 No ! We will have none of her detestable 



* Hereby hangs a curious tale. Our invisible 

 cloak, and its mysterious properties, will be found 

 duly chronicled in our first volume, page 104. 



