KIDD'S OAVN JOUENAL. 



201 



Then we have been on other railroads, — 

 east, west, north, and south. We have con- 

 sulted "time-tables;" but found them 

 useless. We have asked, graciously, on 

 many of the lines, for needful information ; 

 but they would not give it us. Several 

 times have we miraculously escaped being 

 " labelled," and forwarded " on" to a wrong 

 destination — all for want of people civilly 

 opening their mouths when spoken to. Time 

 would fail us, were we to record, formally, 

 all our just grounds for complaint against 

 the railway companies — whether as regards 

 their reckless disregard for life and limb, or 

 for the general accommodation of the public. 

 We do hear of many accidents ; but not one 

 in twenty of those which really occur ever 

 meets the public eye. Bribery keeps all 

 quiet. Money shuts the eyes; money keeps 

 the mouth closed.* 



As for the watering places — we have no 

 need to record what we have seen there. If 

 you see them once — you see them always. 

 There are stereotyped faces on the pier and 

 sands ; stereotyped legs and feet, stereotyped 

 bonnets, shoes, and boots, and stereotyped 

 " glances " under " shrouds " or uglies as 

 they are called. These " shrouds," let us 

 repeat, are so awfully disgusting, that we 

 dare not trust ourselves to speak of them as 

 they deserve. Every woman — no " lady " 

 would wear one — who sports them, ought to 

 be unhesitatingly sent to Coventry, and the 

 inventor " hanged" without trial by jury. 

 The " article," if produced in court, would 

 be the " warrant" for his " immediate exe- 

 cution." If any man's wife were to appear 

 in public, so habited, he would be justified 

 in seeking " a divorce" on the instant ; and 

 it would be granted, nem con. 



The close of this month, now so near at 

 hand, will finish at once all further cause for 

 complaint on these general heads. The 

 weather has been fine. The public have 

 been, as usual, well fleeced ; the railway 

 proprietors have had a golden harvest , the 

 steam-boat companies ditto. And now, — 



* The safety of the Public is now so little 

 regarded, and the loss of " a few lives " is deemed 

 of such trifling moment, that it really is high 

 time for the Government to interfere. Until our 

 Railways are under their control, and our Steam- 

 boat Companies are by them in some degree held 

 responsible for their reckless and wanton acts, 

 travelling is assuredly " not safe," A gentleman, 

 who accompanied us to town the other day, told 

 us he made a regular practice of taking an " in- 

 surance ticket" for his life, " every time he went 

 on a line of English railway,"— however short 

 the distance! He added, " Thank God, I do 

 not have to travel very long journeys on these 

 fatal high-roads!" As for the overloading of 

 steam-boats, —we have been horror-struck at 

 what we have ourselves seen even within the last 

 month. — Ed. K. J. 



despite all the calamities attendant upon 

 these his " enjoyments, John Bull " will 

 till next season patiently settle down, 

 Issachar like, beneath the burdens so con- 

 siderately imposed upon him by his oppress- 

 ors of the railway and the steam -boats ! 



Sic transit gloria mundi ! 



Nothing rejoices our heart more, 

 than to find other people rowing in our boat 

 — we mean, of course, people of a genial 

 spirit. We are truly social ; and never so 

 happy as when being useful in our vocation 

 as well as playful. Playfulness and use- 

 fulness, amiability and devotion to the true 

 interests of society,should be u inseparables." 

 With us, they are so — ever will be so. 



It has been our habit through life to make 

 converts to our own faith, by pleasing exam- 

 ples — by bringing before the eye, matters of 

 every- day occurrence; and then commenting 

 upon them. This is a sure way to secure 

 attention ; and it is the readiest mode of 

 reaching the heart — " the seat of the affec- 

 tions." 



We have said repeatedly, that the world 

 we live in is a good world — good as ever it 

 was ; and we have tried (we hope success- 

 fully) to prove it. The " abuse " we make 

 of it, is alone the cause of our unhappiness. 

 Every day that closes upon us, proves this 

 beyond all dispute. 



The sun each morning rises kindly ; goes 

 his daily rounds ; and sinks happily to his 

 rest. Nature, out of doors, does his bidding ; 

 yields to his influences ; and accomplishes, 

 in proper order, all her prescribed duties. 

 If we, the so-called superior world, did our 

 duties in the same manner, Paradise would 

 be our dwelling — the love of God, and the 

 welfare of his creatures, our object. But as 

 we eschew these blessings, of course we 

 must take the necessary consequences of our 

 choice and folly. 



These few remarks lead us to the subject 

 of this day's reflections : — viz. the inordinate 

 craving we all have, whilst living, to pursue 

 the ideal in preference to the real ; to wear 

 ourselves out in the world of commerce, and 

 in the pursuit of vanity, to the entire de- 

 struction of domestic felicity. Gold is our 

 God. 



If the evil rested with ourselves alone, and 

 we were mere units of society — free to range 

 where we would and do as we would, then 

 should we be entitled to the option of 



" To be, or not to be?" 



But when we associate our destiny with that 

 of another, and that other a loving, tender, 

 confiding woman, who lives but for us, and 

 for our happiness — in connection (of course) 

 with her own — then, the case is altered 

 altogether. In killing ourselves, we kill her 



