KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



25 



pany of nearly every one of our summer 

 songsters. Perched aloft, you may hear the 

 blackbird all day pouring forth gushes of 

 the purest melody. These no doubt are 

 intended for the ear of his mate, who is 

 seated on her nest. Nor are those who 

 take a lower flight less eloquent in the 

 brushwood. The skylark is now high on 

 the wing, seeking " Heaven's gate " with 

 a voice that seems to gain him entrance ; for 

 as he again nears the earth his strains are 

 more seraphic than ever. The wren and 

 robin too seem hardly able to get through 

 all their songs of praise. As for the tit- 

 lark, woodlark, and blackcap,— we have 

 never before heard them in such beautiful 

 song. Kew Gardens, and Friar's Place (near 

 Acton), seem particularly blessed this year 

 with these lovely visitants, of whom, did 

 space permit, we should never cease writing. 

 We are sometimes guilty of talking about 

 these, matters to folk who reside in our great 

 city ; and we try hard to inoculate them 

 with our ideas of a country life ; but alas ! 

 we cannot succeed. If we were to suggest 

 a trip to Gravesend, a ramble to Rosher- 

 ville, a journey to Blackwall or Greenwich 

 (to eat white bait), or indeed a visit to any 

 other place of excitement ; then should we 

 find a ready response. How true it is, that 

 to all who are engaged in the pursuits of the 

 world, " rural sights, and sounds and 

 smells" — indeed all the pleasures of innocence 

 and simplicity, are perfectly insipid ! 



The odor of flowers, the purling of 

 streams, the song and plumage of birds, the 

 sportive innocence of the lamb, the fidelity 

 of the dog, and a thousand other rational 

 enjoyments, — these have no charm for a 

 citizen of London. He recognises no bird 

 but the sparrow, and cares nothing for 

 flowers beyond eyeing them with listless 

 apathy as he saunters through Co vent Garden 

 Market. Only just imagine our asking such 

 a man, to stroll out with us some vernal 

 evening in the garden, just after a shower, — 

 when every leaf breathes fragrance and 

 freshness ! Why, he would see ten times 

 more beauties in the pestilential fumes of 

 tobacco ; and consider us a bore, a perfect 

 Mar-all to his " enjoyments " of — Smoke ! ! 



Every man has a right to do as he will, 

 and we never disputed that right ; but we 

 really do wish we could work a renovation 

 among some of our brother citizens. They 

 live a life of constant excitement, and never 

 know rest either of mind or body. Many 

 of them take in our Journal, and say they 

 are delighted with it. How can this be? 

 While they are for noise, racket, confusion, 

 agitation, " smoke," and ambition, we are 

 eloquent about simple pleasures and " sweet- 

 smelling flowers." Loud are they in praise 

 of '• bulls and bears," whilst we speak 



wooingly of " Venus' looking glass," and 

 " Love lies bleeding." They speak, it is 

 true, in praise of stocks, but not our " Ten- 

 weeks' stocks ;" and they intimate a desire 

 to visit the " diggings ;" yet did they never 

 handle a spade in their lives. In a word, 

 while they are incessantly advocating the 

 game of speculation, we are as eternally 

 contending for the enjoyments of a fine day, 

 a beautiful garden, a rural stroll while 

 leaning devotedly on the arm of a " fair and 

 much-loved friend," and all such delectable 

 country joys. Surely 



Nature never did betray 

 The heart that loved her! 'Tis her privilege 

 Through all the years of this our liie, to lead 

 From joy to joy. For she can so inform 

 The mind that is within us, — so impress 

 With quietness and beauty, and so feed 

 With lofty thoughts; that neither evil tongues, 

 Rash judgments, nor the sneers of selfish men, 

 Shall e'er prevail against us, or disturb 

 Our cheerful faith, that all which we 



BEHOLD 

 IS FULL OF BLESSINGS. 



We have before spoken of the joys of the 

 hayfield ; and now, of the birds, the flowers, 

 the fields, and the gardens. Let us indulge 

 the hope that some few, at least, will come 

 and see if our picture be " after Nature." 



Talking of Nature, reminds us, in connec- 

 tion with the rays of a brilliant sun now 

 streaming through our open window, that 

 the time of " Pic-nics" is at hand. 



" Pic-nics !" There is magic in the word ! 

 What say our brother Cits, and our friends 

 in the Great Metropolis, to getting up some- 

 thing of this sort on a grand scale, — and 

 appointing us " Arbiter elegantiarum " for 

 the day ? We are " immense " at anything 

 of this kind, — either on the water, in the 

 woods, the forests, or the creeks. Let them 

 bring with them as many of their " inter- 

 esting friends" as they will, — the more the 

 better, — we undertake to find " animal 

 spirits " for the whole ; and to do the honors 

 of the " spread" on the green sward in a 

 manner that shall be pronounced truly unex- 

 ceptionable. Whether the scene of action 

 be Epping Forest, Norwood, Hanger Hill, 

 Harrow, Twickenham, — or Richmond, we 

 care not a rush. 



Let the day be named, and ourselves ap- 

 pointed ; and we pledge our word that we 

 will do our best to make every one of the 

 party in love with the country, and its 

 inexpressible delights. This is our own 

 proper vocation. Why should we be back- 

 ward in exercising it ? 



Romping. — Never find fault with girls if they 

 are decided romps. But take care that they keep 

 the health and spirits necessary for romping. 

 Better to be an innocent romp, than to have a 

 narrow chest and flushed cheek. 



