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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



SLOW PEOPLE. 



By another " Emancipated Visitor." 



" A fellow feeling makes us wondrous kind." 



So said my friend, Mr. Slowboy, whilst 

 enforcing bis invitation for me to spend a 

 few days with him, at his paternal residence 

 in the neighborhood of the English Lakes ; 

 and quite overturning in his ardor all my 

 asseverations of " engagements, want of time, 

 short acquaintance," and a hundred other 

 reasonable excuses — all tending to show why 

 I should not forsake my many duties for a 

 week's ramble in the country. 



Mr. Slowboy was a naturalist ; that is, he 

 had a tolerable museum — unarranged how- 

 ever — and so passed for one. He was fond 

 of the country, and would never tire of a 

 day's excursion, be it never so long. He 

 could talk about geology, press plants, sketch 

 old churches, quote poetry, and do many 

 other things to make himself pleasant and 

 agreeable. And yet, with all this, my fort- 

 night in the lake district — the fortnight 

 which cost me so much extra work before 

 starting, and so much more on my return — 

 the fortnight in which I expected to regain 

 twenty years' worth, at least, of health and 

 vigor — the fortnight in which I expected to 

 feel all the delights and joys of a free nigger, 

 roaming far nippier than a bee, or skimming 

 o'er the clear lakes in the early dawn, or 

 stilly even, like a very nautilus itself — was 

 doomed to be one of the most miserable I 

 ever spent. And why ? Listen, and you 

 shall hear. 



Well ; the books were brought up, the 

 letters filed, and my little junior was installed 

 sole master of the office, the messenger, and 

 — himself. Then did I, armed with a carpet 

 bag, top coat, fishing-rod, and umbrella, 

 march forth for the railway station ; and 

 taking a late train, to save time and expense, 

 in time got turned out of the second-class 

 carriage at the lake end of the line. I had 

 no alternative but to walk on, a distance of 

 ten miles, hire a car, or put up at a first-class 

 hotel. The first would look shabby ; the 

 second respectable, but it was dearer ; and 

 the third was out of the question So a car 

 1 had, and most heartily did I grudge the 

 fellow his seven-and-sixpemry fare. Most 

 lustily, too, did he abuse me, when I abso- 

 lutely refused him more than two and six- 

 pence u for himself." 



It was about eight, A.M., when I drove up 

 the lawn in front of Slowboy Hall ; and giving 

 the genteelest tap in the world, I inquired 

 of the half- awakened servant if my friend 

 was at home ? " Master isn't up yet," 

 yawned the rough-headed monster. I was 

 expected to breakfast, which was to be 

 " early ;" and in I walked, thinking that the 



lord of the house had been entertaining some 

 friends over night, and would be down soon. 



I am not a very impatient man, so I bore 

 an hour's waiting with a truly martyr-like 

 spirit; and even warded off my inclination to 

 sleep till the clock struck ten. Nor did I 

 once wish I had got my host by the ear ; 

 but when the monotonous " tick, tick," of 

 the time-piece brought the long hand again 

 slowly round to the top, and told on a silver 

 bell that the hour of eleyen had arrived, my 

 impatience knew no bounds. I was about 

 to leave the house, when the sound on the 

 stair of a gracefully-carried pair of feet, done 

 up in fur slippers, announced the arrival of 

 Mr. Slowboy. Looking up, I endeavored 

 to put a good face on it, when he " opened" 

 thus : — 



" My dear fellow, is this you? when di^ 

 you come ? — travelled all night, eh ? Well, 

 I'm glad you have come ; we'll have such a 

 time of it ! I suppose you have planned out 

 how you purpose to spend every quarter of a 

 minute. You business people are so regular!" 



I had indeed planned, at least, what I 

 should do every day ; for being a thorough 

 business man, I like to make the most of my 

 time, and even go about taking my pleasure 

 in a " business-like manner." 



"Only a fortnight to spend? Oh! non- 

 sense. Going to try Helvellyn to-day ? 

 My dear Sir, impossible. In the first place 

 we have a twelve miles' drive there, and the 

 same back ; and then your want of sleep ! 

 Oh ! that would never do. In the first place 

 we'll have breakfast ; look at the pictures, 

 gardens, grounds, and so forth ; and to- 

 morrow I'm with you for anything." 



Breakfast did come, and not too soon ; 

 and then we adjourned to his picture-room, 

 he to torture me with long accounts of each 

 daub — (who it was painted by ; who it was 

 done for ; who bought it ; and a hundred 

 other little marvels of intense interest to 

 himself, but of none to me) — and I to play 

 the hypocrite. Well was I punished for it ! 



Luncheon, at one, was neglected. He was 

 too busy ; and I was too patient under the 

 infliction, to mind creature comforts. At 

 length we did get down to it, — perhaps 

 about half-past two ; and then for a wade 

 among his curiosities, which occupied us till 

 an hour after dinner time. The rest of the 

 evening was spent in the greatest of pain, 

 over wine and fruit. Thus passed my first 

 day among the Lakes. 



Plague on his pictures ! I have seen better 

 in hundreds of the galleries. His curiosities, 

 — what were they? a mass of endless con- 

 fusion, which he was always " going to put 

 in order." His natural history specimens 

 were as bad. And what was worse than all, 

 they kept my longing heart more sensibly in 

 chains than ever it had felt in my office in 



