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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



these rays, re-absorb the oxygen again when 

 no longer so exposed. Hence, the pleasing 

 surprise often experienced on examining our 

 once shabby babiiiinents. After being deposi- 

 ted for weeks in the lumber-chest, we find 

 them look again " almost as good as new," in 

 consequence of the coloring matter of the 

 dye re -absorbing in the dark the oxygen pre- 

 viously extricated from it by the sun's rays — 

 on the presence of which oxygen in the 

 coloring matter, its hue entirely depended. 

 By our knowledge of the sun's deoxidising 

 rays being reflected back to our earth by 

 the moon, we can readily explain the obser- 

 vation of the olden physicians, of intermit - 

 tents and other diseases, produced by vege 

 table putrefaction, being most prevalent 

 during full moon — in consequence of the 

 sun's direct deoxidising rays, and those in- 

 directly reflected by the moon, exerting a 

 simultaneous influence. Also, as is evident, 

 a double power upon vegetable matter ; thus 

 producing a more speedy decomposition 

 thereof. Probably, also, the paroxysms of 

 lunacy, during full moon, may be ascribed 

 to the above greater vegetable decomposition 

 at that period — lunatics being people of 

 strong nervous susceptibility, consequently 

 strongly influenced by atmospheric changes. 

 To what are we to attribute the curious 

 anomaly of the sun's heating rays not being 

 reflected back to us b} T the moon, equally 

 with the luminous and deoxidising rays ? 

 Can it be owing to the violet and other the 

 most refrangible rays (in which the deoxi- 

 dising rays are most intense, from their 

 equal refrangibility therewith) being reflected 

 back to the earth by the moon, while the 

 red and other the least refrangible rays (in 

 which, for the same reason, the heating 

 rays are most intense), are not so reflected ? 

 If this surmise be correct, the lunar rainbow 

 will be found destitute of the red ray of 

 light. The softest and mildest of the sun's 

 luminous rays are the violet, and other the 

 most refrangible rays ; and therefore it may 

 be in consequence of these rays only being 

 reflected back to the earth by the moon, 

 that moonlight is so soft and pleasing to the 

 human eye. The dissolution of mists by the 

 moon has probably no connection with what 

 is here referred to, being doubtless referable 

 to her attractive powers. 



A "REAL" CHRISTIAN. 



He that can apprehend and consider vice, with 

 all her baits and seeming pleasures, and yet 

 abstain, and yet distinguish, and yet prefer that 

 which is truly better — he is the true wayfaring 

 Christian. I cannot praise a fugitive and clois- 

 tered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed ; that 

 never sallies out and sees her adversary, and slinks 

 out of the race where that immortal garland is to 

 be run for, not without dust and heat. — Milton. 



CRUELTY TO ANIMALS. 



We receive from time to time some 

 verydistressing communications from parents, 

 relative to the seemingly innate cruelty to 

 animals existing in their children ; and en- 

 treating us never to lose sight of an oppor- 

 tunity to crush the feeling. 



W T e are sorry to say that there does 

 exist mu; h cruelty in the world, — not only 

 among children, but among grown-up people. 

 Many who keep cats and dogs, positively 

 more than half starve them. Hence the 

 depredations committed on their neighbors' 

 larders and poultry-houses by the former, 

 and the pitiful bowlings of the latter, — 



" Making night hideous." 



Talking of children, we ourself know a 

 boy who, though he has an excellent mother, 

 is so abominably cruel that if walking in a 

 garden he would kill every living thing he 

 saw ; and if near the poultry-house, he 

 would maim nearly every one of its inmates. 

 Horses, dogs, cats, birds, — all are alike to 

 him. He glories in the sight of a broken 

 limb, and loves to witness the tortures he 

 has inflicted upon his poor innocent victims. 

 Education has done nothing for him. A 

 brute he is ; a brute he ever will be. A boy 

 like this — he is some fourteen years of age, 

 is enough to contaminate a whole school. So 

 fearful are the dangers arising from contact ! 



The punishment of such boys, if neglected 

 by their parents in early years, will be visited 

 doubtless on the latter in full measure, at 

 some period of their lives, — and very pro- 

 perly so too. A cruel child can never make 

 an amiable member of society. 



Apropos to the subject of cruelty, is the 

 subjoined chapter, written by Peter Parley. 

 Although addressed nominally to little peo- 

 ple, it hits hard at large and small. Let us 

 all read it, and examine ourselves faithfully 

 as to whether it has a voice to us : — 



God loves all things. He kisses them in his 

 sun-shine, fondles them in the summer breezes, 

 and joy is in their eyes and in their hearts. 

 Plants and flowers, beasts and birds, fishes and 

 insects, all feel the law of love from their 

 Creator. 



The plants bloom in beauty, the beasts skip 

 and play in rapture, the birds sing in sweetest 

 melodies, the fish leap joyfully in the limpid 

 stream, and insects dance in delight in the 

 sunny air. 



Love is everywhere. The love of Him, who 

 is all love, dwells in every creature, the con- 

 stant spring of all that is. Little girls and 

 boys, who have not love in their hearts for all 

 that lives, are very far from deserving the love 

 of their good Creator. 



And yet there are many little girls and boys, 

 and, alas ! many grown-up men and women, who, 

 although they may feel quite certain that it is 

 right to " love one another," have very little love 



