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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



selves — by dropping in at this season, by- 

 candle-light. They will then find the place 

 nightly thronged. A charming idea, say we, 

 for a susceptible child to quit the " Chamber 

 of Horrors," and retire for the night to its 

 own little bed ! We will not speak of the 

 conversation that passes on the way home, 

 about what has been seen. This, ere now, 

 we have had to listen to, and to shudder at. 



Have we not all some little moral respon- 

 sibility attaching to us in these matters ? 

 Ought the mind of an innocent child to be 

 thus habituated, or seasoned, to sights of 

 horror ? Is it not sad, to behold the pure 

 mind of rising youth so dimmed in its lustre? 

 Verily, these questions are worth attending 

 to. Early impressions are never totally era- 

 dicated ; and they certainly assist in forming 

 a man or a woman's character through life. 



The early education of children is a sub- 

 ject in which we especially delight. Infa- 

 mously conducted, or rather neglected, as it 

 now is — how much might be written about it ! 

 We shall never lose sight of it whilst we can 

 hold a pen. Not a day passes over our 

 heads, without affording us many sad oppor- 

 tunities for beholding what we now deplore. 



We are, be it known, never so happy as 

 when in the company of children, — that is, 

 when they are well brought up. But we find in 

 the present day, very few indeed that are well 

 brought up. Artlessness, simplicity, and 

 innocence, were " once upon a time " the 

 characteristic charms of children. We re- 

 cognise no such charms now. They eat of 

 the " Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil" 

 far too early. Their pure minds are tainted 

 by foul examples, ere they quit the cradle 

 (their parents love to have it so) ; and be- 

 fore they can run alone, they are, to mamma's 

 delight, perfect little specimens of cunning 

 and deception. How the little dears are 

 dressed out ! Oh, the disfigurements of our 

 incipient men and women ! 



By the way, what a subject is here for our 

 fair and able ally, Forestiera, to enter 

 upon ! Her observant eye, graphic pen, 

 tender heart, love for the human race — would 

 be irresistibly powerful in an appeal to the 

 public feeling. Let us hope so. No stranger 

 is she to the artificialities of life. That she 

 is eager as ourselves to reform them, has been 

 proved. And who so proper, let us ask, as 

 a woman of such noble independent senti- 

 ments, to give utterance to honest thoughts 

 touching the welfare and healthiness of soci- 

 ety at large — her own sex hi particular? 



But let us now glance at the recent cases 

 of " cruelty to animals" at Cremorne Gardens. 

 The proprietor is not more to be blamed 

 than other proprietors of similar exhibitions. 

 He well knows what the " people'' delight in. 

 The greater the cruelty, the richer the "fun." 

 The more danger to life and limb, the more 



glorious the " lark." He attends the theatre, 

 and sees how the public applaud Jack Shep- 

 pardva. his house-breaking expeditions. He 

 reads the " literature of the day;" and finds 

 what the "taste" is ; he provides accordingly. 



Mr. Simpson is summoned for " cruelty to 

 animals." It is proved that certain poor 

 brutes — heifers, bullocks, ponies, are daily 

 decorating a balloon ; that they are tightly 

 girded, and afterwards sent up to a fearful 

 height " suspended" in the air ! ! The blood 

 spirts out from their nostrils. What of that ? 

 It is only caused by the heaviness of the air 

 pressing unduly uporr the -animals' lungs. 

 They are " used" to it. Besides, they are 

 very well now. Indeed, they never were 

 better. They quite " enjoy it."* Of course 

 they do. They have been "up" before, 

 "some fifty times;" and this "proves" the 

 enjoyment. The magistrates confer-together. 

 They look doubtful ; listen to Mr. Simpson's 

 persuasive eloquence ; and canvass his logic, 

 although it is not quite in accordance with 

 " Dr. Watts' Art of Logic." They say they 

 will take some days to "consider." They do 

 consider ; and, odd enough, eventually agree 

 among themselves that it is " cruel" to tor- 

 ture animals — by dragging them through the 

 air, and over hedges, ditches, rivers, and seas ; 

 every moment appearing to them (happy 

 creatures !) likely to be their last ! The fine 

 is £5. It is " paid" of course ; the parties 

 bow themselves out ; and here the matter 

 rests. 



Is it not — or rather, ought it not to be, a 

 national disgrace, let us ask, for public gar- 

 dens to be thronged by well-dressed people, 

 — men, women, and children — to behold a 

 brazen female habited as Europa, seated on 

 the back of a bull, and mounting high in the 

 heavens to the terror of right-minded men ? 

 And yet, all London were poured out in the 

 streets to see this filthy sight. Such shout- 

 ing, such bellowing, such a noise, we never 

 heard before. The bull was " supposed" to 

 be Jupiter. By Jove ! it was a droll con- 

 ceit ! 



A s for men hanging by their feet to the 

 car of a balloon, and so going up — let them, if 

 they will, commit suicide ; but poor innocent 

 animals were not made for such heathenish 

 amusement. 



There is a morbid craving amongst us for 

 these cruel pastimes and delights ; and so long 

 as the " people" will encourage them, so long 

 of course will the proprietors of public gar- 

 dens continue to provide them. Gladly 



* One of the magistrates, on hearing this re- 

 mark of Mr. Simpson, elevated his spectacles and 

 his eyebrows — the latter fearfully. He asked him 

 " if he would be kind enough to repeat it?" Mr. 

 Simpson took breath, and had time for "reflec- 

 tion." He did not repeat it : we respect him for 

 it.— Ed. K. J. 



