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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



sleeping, are the gods we worship ; and I have no 

 inducement to early rising. Oh, if you lived 

 nearer; if you would hut knock at my casement at 

 sun-rise, and let me join you — how gladly would I 

 hecome your pupil, and emerge into a new and 

 blissful life ! I should like to see an article on 

 Early Rising from your pen. — Fanny, Liverpool. 



[We have curtailed your letter, Fanny, but we 

 are well pleased to let the sentiment remain. You 

 feel, just as we wish all our readers to feel — that 

 the life we are compelled to live is an artificial one. 

 We sacrifice nature altogether, and pay dearly 

 for the sacrifice — at this lovely season in particular. 

 We have in our former volumes gone largely into 

 the subject of Early Rising. Consult the index to 

 each volume. Hear what Daniel Webster says 

 about enjoying the Beauties of the Morning : — 



" Everybody knows the morning in its meta- 

 phorical sense, applied to so many occasions. 

 The health, strength, and beauty of early years, 

 lead us to call that period 'the morning of life.' 

 Of a lovely young woman, we say she is ' bright 

 as the morning ;' and no one doubts why Lucifer 

 is called ' son of the morning.' But the morning 

 itself, few people, inhabitants of cities, know any- 

 thing about. Among all the good people, not one 

 in a thousand sees the sun rise once a-year. They 

 know nothing of the morning. Their idea of it is, 

 that it is that part of the day which comes after a 

 cup of coffee, or a piece of toast. With them, 

 morning is not a new issuing of light, a new 

 bursting forth of the sun, a new waking up of all 

 that has life from a sort of temporary death, to be- 

 hold again the works of God, the Heaven and the 

 earth — it is only a part of the domestic day, be- 

 longing to reading the newspapers, answering 

 notes, sending the children to school, giving orders 

 for dinner, &c. The first streak of light, the earliest 

 purpling of the east, which the lark springs forth 

 to greet ; and the deeper and deeper coloring 

 into orange and red, till at length the glorious 

 sun is seen, regent of the day — this they never 

 enjoy, for they never see it. I never could think 

 that Adam had much the advantage of us, from 

 having seen the world while it was " new." The 

 manifestations of the power of God, like his mer- 

 cies, are, ' new every morning,' and fresh every 

 moment. We see as fine risings of the sun as 

 ever Adam saw ; and its risings are as much a 

 miracle now as they were in his day, and I think 

 a good deal more ; because it is now a part of the 

 miracle, that for thousands and thousands of years 

 he has come to his appointed time, without the 

 variation of a millionth part of a second. I know 

 the morning; I am acquainted with it, and I love 

 it. I love it, fresh and sweet as it is — a daily 

 new creation, breaking forth, and calling all that 

 have life, and breath, and being, to new adoration 

 and enjoyments, and new gratitude." — Let these 

 remarks, Fanny, rouse you to an effort in our 

 absence. We thank you for your good-will, and 

 shall be happy to hear you have become an early 

 riser. Having no precise address, we could not 

 write you privately.] 



The " Spirit Rappers" — You deserve public 

 thanks, Mr. Editor, for having so completely ex- 

 posed these WTetched impostors. From what I 

 hear, and from what I have seen, I imagine their 

 reign is nearly over. It is to be lamented that 



such a man as Dr. Ashburner should have been 

 duped by so shallow an artifice, and given sanction 

 too to the imposture by the publication of his 

 name ! As for Robert Owen, the octogenarian, 

 it is no wonder if at his age he should exhibit 

 signs of decay ; and we can afford to smile at the 

 poor old man's egotistical credulity. * It seems 

 that women always officiate in these matters. 

 Dux focmina facti ! Is it then a matter to marvel 

 at, if petticoat influence should warp the judg- 

 ment ? I am very greatly mistaken if I did not 

 one day observe Mrs. Hay den, the rapping 

 "Medium," walking arm-in-arm through the 

 public streets with one of our professed modern 

 philosophers, a man ranking high in the medical 

 profession. Hence his perversion from the cause 

 of truth ! Mr. Robert Spicer is another singularly 

 demented individual, the avowed champion of Rap- 

 ping Spirits. He has been inditing a very silly 

 letter to the Critic, which, to show his ignorance 

 I imagine, they have cruelly printed at length ! 

 When he talks about Spirits conversing by 

 alphabets under the table, he quite upsets one's 

 gravity. Besides, the Spirits give incorrect re- 

 plies in ninety-nine cases out of every hundred ; 

 the single correct reply is by a lucky guess. The 

 humbug has been got up in a slovenly manner. 

 In the haste to get money, the rehearsals have 

 been neglected. The cloven foot is ill concealed. 

 The impostors may " pay " well to be written up ; 

 but it will not do. We can deal with science, and 

 believe everything that is connected therewith. 

 But let this world be the limit ; and let ns not 

 presume publicly to recognise any new editions of 

 the " Witch of Endor." The trick is stale ; the 

 imposition is detected ; the public are wide awake. 

 — Lynx. 



[You have only anticipated what we would 



* Poor Robert Owen was sadly hoaxed. His 

 seduction by the fair " Medium " was compara- 

 tively easy. The following is his confession. — 

 " While conversing with Mrs. Hayden, and 

 while we were both standing before the fire, and 

 talking of our mutual friends, suddenly raps were 

 heard on a table at some distance from us, no one 

 being near to it. I was surprised ; and as the 

 raps continued and appeared to indicate a strong 

 desire to attract attention, I asked what was the 

 meaning of the sounds. Mrs. Hayden said, they 

 were made by Sjnrits anxious to communicate 

 with some one, and she would inquire who they 

 were. They replied to her, by the alphabet, that 

 they were friends of mine who were desirous to 

 communicate with me. Mrs. Hayden then gave 

 me the alphabet and pencil, and I found that the 

 spirits were those of my mother and father. (!) I 

 tested their truth by various questions, and their 

 answers, all correct, surprised me exceedingly. 

 I have since had twelve seances, some of long 

 continuance, and during which I have asked a 

 considerable number of questions ; to all of which, 

 with one exception, I have had prompt and true 

 answers, so far as to the past and present, and very 

 rational replies as to the future." — After this, 

 Mrs. Hayden raised the ghosts of Benjamin 

 Franklin and others ; among them, the ghost of 

 Mrs. Owen, and her younger daughter ! All this 

 garbage is printed and published — and how much 

 more ! — Ed. K. J. 



