KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



55 



although the birds' plumage may suffer from 

 this agitation, they will regain their self- 

 possession, and their usual flow of spirits, 

 in a few weeks. Still you will observe 

 occasional signs of melancholy throughout 

 the autumn. 



Birds caught immediately on their arrival 

 in England, are of little value the first year. 

 Their song seldom lasts in a cage more than 

 three weeks. Whenhowever,use,whichissaid 

 to be second Nature, reconciles them to their 

 master or mistress, they show great gradual 

 improvement. They break out into song 

 either at Christmas, or early in the follow- 

 ing year ; and continue in fine song until 

 June. They are then silent until October ; 

 when they " settle down " with the family in 

 a nice snug room, warmed by a bright 

 cheerful fire, and gaily lighted for the happy 

 enjoyment of a merry round party. Then 

 will the mellifluous jug-jug, the soul-enchant- 

 ing water-bubble, and the thrilling love- 

 chant, be heard throughout the house. Then 

 will the inherent excellences of our noble 

 hero be universally acknowledged. Then 

 are our household-gods " complete." 



It is perhaps not so well known as it 

 ought to be, though we have already hinted 

 at it, that the nightingale, when in confine- 

 ment, is a most cruelly -jealous bird — jealous 

 not only of his master or mistress noticing 

 any other bird than himself, but jealous of 

 his own tribe. His motto is, Ant Caesar, 

 out nullus. He will admit no rival near the 

 throne. Hence, to keep two of these birds 

 in one room would be ridiculous. 



The same extraordinary failing prevails 

 in most of our " warblers." If out-done in 

 song, they frequently fall " dead " from off 

 their perches. Some of these rival musi- 

 cians, be it known, do not weigh a quarter 

 of arrounce ! When, therefore, it is consi- 

 dered desirable to keep several nightingales, 

 let each occupy a separate apartment. By 

 this precaution, not any one of the birds 

 will be put down or silenced, and each will 

 sing without having his temper ruffled. It 

 is sometimes a hard matter to restore the 

 serenity of one of these " enraged musi- 

 cians." Even then, his rage smoulders ! 



When autumn visits us, and there is a 

 sudden change of temperature, be sure and 

 keep your birds in a warm, cheerful room. 

 Never leave them by any chance, in a room 

 without a fire. They are very sensitive, and 

 soon fall sick. Extreme cold inflicts blind- 

 ness on them, and they cannot see to find 

 their food. Their finely- constructed lungs 

 require to be studied in the minutest parti- 

 cular. Never therefore let them remain in 

 a smoky room ; and let them be always 

 removed pro tern., when your Abigails have 

 a " domestic rout;" also when there is a 

 general sweeping of carpets. Attend to 



these little matters, and you will be rewarded 

 to your heart's content. 



CHILDHOOD. 



Many people differ about the " happi- 

 ness" so called, attached to childhood; 

 and no doubt some, and indeed all children 

 have their trials and troubles at certain 

 times. We had many of these ; for the 

 angel of death seemed oftentimes about to 

 claim us as his own before we reached the 

 early age of eight years. We remember it as 

 yesterday, and are grateful that our later 

 childhood, or manhood, has given us since 

 what was denied us then. The following, by 

 W. Howitt, is so pleasing a picture of child- 

 hood as it ought to he, that we have pleasure 

 in transferring it to our pages. It may read 

 a lesson to some folk, who expect miracles 

 of learning from mere children, whose only 

 occupation ought to be rambling in the 

 fields, and whose only lesson ought to be 

 gratitude to the Author of their being. Then 

 should we have fewer lunatic asylums, and 

 the bills of mortality would be very con- 

 siderably lessened. — " Let those talk," says 

 Mr. H. " of the miseries of childhood that 

 will, I never knew misery in mine ; and woe 

 to him that makes the glad heart of infancy 

 sad! He sears the future bud of promise, 

 he is making that woful which God intended 

 to be glad as the angels in heaven. The 

 wisest and the best of men, let them have 

 grown great, and learned, and honorable as . 

 they might, have always looked back to the 

 shining days of their early youth, ere care 

 had made its nest in the heart, and said with 

 a sigh, ' that I were a boy once more !' 

 Mauds a being that must be pursuing some 

 object ; the boy in the country has a thousand 

 objects of beauty and curiosity to call forth 

 his attention and his ardent spirit, and he is 

 happy as the day is long, at the same time 

 that he is laying up a store of strength and 

 health for years of care and grave duties as 

 he grows up. Ah ! those were the times. 

 After years, we may be successful and even 

 glorious : we may conquer difficulties, and 

 dispense good, and achieve genuine honors : 

 we may grasp power, and dwell in the very 

 lap of riches" : but there never will come 

 flowers like those then gathered : pleasures 

 so pure and exquisite as those then enjoyed: 

 never such sunshine, never such dews, never 

 such beauty in air and earth, in thicket and 

 wood and water- -never anything so like to 

 heaven — till heaven itself is reached." — We 

 have often said, and we wish ever to dwell 

 on it, that on early education depends all the 

 happiness or misery in life. 



The necessities that exist, are in general 

 created by the superfluities that are erg -yetl. — 

 Zimmerman. 



