158 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



made his appearance again in the spring, with 

 four children — not at the dressing-room window, 

 where there was scarcely a sufficient resting-place 

 for the young brood, but at the nursery window, 

 which was fronted by a parapet that ran round the 

 house, and where they might rest for a time at a 

 safe distance, and pick up the crumbs thrown to 

 them without running the risk of entering the 

 room. 



It is rather singular that he should always 

 attend them, and never the mother. At this 

 time he never left them to enter the room, or 

 approached nearer to the window than was 

 necessary to obtain the food, which he adminis- 

 tered impartially to all. These visits were, how- 

 ever, of course, not of long duration, as the young 

 were soon able to provide for themselves, and the 

 advancing spring furnished them with a plentiful 

 supply of their natural food. 



Here, as I supposed, ended our intercourse 

 with this interesting and beautiful little creature ; 

 but my surprise was great when, about the 

 middle of the following winter, and during some 

 severe weather, our little tail-less friend again 

 made his appearance; not, however, with his 

 former confidence and familiarity, but with much 

 more caution, and even alarm, and as if rather to 

 take refuge from the attack of some enemy, than 

 to obtain food, or resume his old habits. He 

 rested for a minute on the door, looking suspi- 

 ciously around him, then flew down, but soon 

 rose again ; and after flying round the room in a 

 hurried manner, endeavored to hide himself 

 behind the music-stand. In short, he appeared 

 so uneasy and alarmed that I opened the window, 

 and he immediately darted out of it. He re- 

 turned, however, occasionally, by his old entrance, 

 but his visits were short, and he was wild and 

 uneasy while with us. After calling home in this 

 manner, now and then, for about three weeks, I 

 totally lost him, and never again either saw him 

 or discovered any traces of him ; and I greatly 

 fear he fell a victim to one of our numerous cats, 

 as he was seen in the court by the servants two 

 or three times, after he had entirely discontinued 

 his visits to the dressing-room. 



It may be asked, by what means I could posi- 

 tively ascertain that this was the same bird which 

 had visited us the preceding winter. The loss 

 of his tail was a mark of distinction from others, 

 (though I am surprised the feathers had not 

 grown again,) but from the minute observations 

 on his plumage and general appearance, which 

 his familiarity had given me the opportunity of 

 making during a whole winter, I think 1 could 

 have distinguished him among any number of 

 his species. The tameness of the Robin is 

 almost proverbial ; but there was almost a mixture 

 of reason with the instincts of this little animal ; 

 and the recollection for so many months of the 

 place where he had been sheltered during the 

 preceding winter, and his return to it at the 

 same period of the following year, are very re- 

 markable circumstances. Had I taken this little 

 bird, and confined him in a cage, I might pro- 

 bably have kept him for years as a tame com- 

 panion ; but I could not be so treacherous as to 

 repay his unbounded confidence in us with the 

 loss of liberty. 



THE MONTH OF APRIL, 



OR, 



A WORD IN SEASON. 



We prophesied in our last, that we should 

 win many a heart by our frank manner of 

 "speaking out." We were not a false prophet ; 

 as the loveable tracery of many a fair hand has, 

 in various colored inks, attested on paper of every 

 hue. Some say " the truth should not be spoken 

 at all times." We ask — why? 



Well ; leaving the wise to their debate, let us 

 employ our time more profitably. March has 

 fled — and left behind it sad proofs of its power. 

 Thousands and thousands who saw its advent, 

 have not lived to see its close. Despising the 

 ordinary rules of prudence, health has been sacri- 

 ficed to appetite ; and fashionhas trampled discretion 

 under her feet. Thin shoes and wet feet ; semi- 

 nudity and severe cold ; excess and indisposition ; 

 late hours and shattered constitutions — have tra- 

 velled as usual, in company. The result is known 

 by some already ; and will be felt, more or less, by 

 others for years to come. 



We must again refer our readers to the article 

 of last month, (see page 79), and enjoin the con- 

 tinued observance of the rules we there laid down. 

 March is gone, we admit, — nominally gone ; but 

 we know his pranks too well not to beware of his 

 ugly tricks. We slink away from the whisper of 

 his breath ; but when he " blows us up," there is 

 really no bearing with him. We turn and flee. 



April of late years, is not the April that once 

 was. For one genial visit, we now have a dozen 

 chilly ones — a hot sun and cold winds, despatching 

 our inhabitants by the hundred. Fickle as a 

 fair maid, the month must be guarded against. It 

 promises fair ; but these promises are seldom made 

 good. They are blighted by the return of Easterly 

 winds ; and the very revival of increased life and 

 vigor is oftentimes the source of dangerous or 

 fatal inflammatory disorders. Consumption stalks 

 abroad with fearful strides amongst adults ; and 

 children fall a prey to measles and hooping-cough. 

 Bronchitis, gout, and rheumatism, way-lay all who 

 are proof against advice ; and what these enemies 

 are, let those say who have faced them. 



Provide, therefore, proper clothing for the body, 

 and let your feet be well and strongly shod. Avoid 

 large fires, and walk abroad whenever the weather 

 will admit of it. 



April is a month, in which to rise early is in- 

 dispensable. There is no valid excuse for lying 

 in bed. The sun is up ; the birds are up ; the 

 flowers are growing ; the trees are budding ; and 

 everything that has breath (man alone excepted) 

 is using it to the glory of its Creator. The house 

 is all very well, to shelter us when it rains ; but 

 " health" must be sought abroad. Novels — those 

 pestiferous emanations from half-turned heads — 

 must be laid aside altogether. They poison the 

 mind whilst they affect the body. Vain is it to 

 court the goddess, Health, whilst we are enter- 

 taining these, her enemies. She will not be thus 

 wooed, or thus won. Make a clean breast of it. 

 Out at once into the fields. Raise your eyes and 

 heart to the blue ether. Let your ear be attuned 

 to the anthem of the rising lark, and your lovely 

 locks wet with the early dew of the morning. Then, 

 fair maidens, come home to the well-spread table 



