KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



251 



have called on you to ask you to do me 

 and the public generally, a very great favor." 

 " Tell me what it is, and how to do it," re- 

 plied Mr. Playfair, "and consider it done." 

 " Listen!" replied Mr. Heartenall (during this 

 colloquy, we sat rivetted to our seat by an 

 indescribable feeling of gratifying curi- 

 osity) — 



"There is a periodical published in Lon- 

 don, called Kidd's Own Journal. It is a 

 work devoted, not only to Natural History 

 in all its branches, but it seeks, Avith un- 

 wearied assiduity, to Avork out a salutary 

 reform in our social system — a reform much 

 needed ; as you, Mr. Playfair, must be well 

 aware. The playful but energetic manner in 

 which this reform is proposed to be, and is 

 effected, is so popularly pleasing, that if the 

 work be encouraged and fostered as it de- 

 serves to be, I feel sure the benefits that 

 will be thereby conferred on society are 

 inappreciable. Will you, my dear Sir, unite 

 with me in giving the proprietor a helping 

 hand? The bookselling trade, generally, 

 hate the work, I observe, because of its moral 

 and healthy tone. Hence they have, from its 

 birth, opposed it tooth and nail ; and the 

 proprietor tells us candidly, week after week, 

 that under such opposition, his vessel must 

 'sink.' No doubt it will sink, if the pub- 

 lic do not take out ' a policy of insurance' 

 to protect its interests. What say you to 

 my proposition? I think I know the gener- 

 osity of your heart." 



Our eye was never once removed from the 

 countenance of the speaker, as he delivered 

 the foregoing pithy speech. We hung upon 

 every word as it fell from his lips (and much 

 more was said than we have reported) ; and 

 we felt ready to embrace him. However, 

 some hidden power paralysed all attempts of 

 ours to move. Not long was Mr. Playfair 

 in replying to the question. With equal 

 ardor, and at much length, he seconded all 

 Mr. Heartenall's wishes. We only wanted 

 at that moment a daguerreotype ! Two such 

 expressions as lighted up these human coun- 

 tenances, were surely never before seen. 

 Good-will to man, and to Our Journal in 

 particular, irradiated every lineament in 

 each one of their benign faces. We regret, 

 we say, that such likenesses could not have 

 been " fixed." 



Mr. Playfair's speech we need not mi- 

 nutely detail, though every single word of it 

 is indelibly graven on our memory. He told 

 Mr. Heartenall, that "he was busy reading 

 Our Journal at the very moment he en- 

 tered the shop." He said, moreover, that he 

 had been sitting up reading it the whole of 

 the night previously, being absorbed with 

 its interesting contents ; nor should he rest 

 until he had finished reading the last few 



numbers (he had arrived thus far).* When 

 we heard him inveigh against our oppress- 

 ors, and, in his honest wrath, strike the 

 table with the strength of a giant — WE too, 

 actuated by a similar feeling, felt renewed 

 vigor, and tried to shout " Hurrah !" Still 

 was our voice chained ; our tongue felt 

 clammy. 



For one entire hour at least, was the 

 conversation kept up with undiminished zeal, 

 for our particular benefit ; although it was 

 clear that neither of the speakers knew us 

 personally. We heard them arrange their 

 plans for introducing the Journal into all 

 the respectable families in the town — for 

 calling on the different Editors of the news- 

 papers, and soliciting their aid ; and for mak- 

 ing known the objects of the Journal far 

 and near. 



Mr. Playfair's final remarks delighted us. 

 " Now, Mr. Heartenall," said he, " that wor- 

 thy man shall find [our eyes started at this, 

 like meteors, and our hair stood erect with 

 emotion], that his appeal to true-hearted 

 men has not been in vain. We will befriend 

 him, as he deserves. His losses in a good 

 cause have indeed been great. While you 

 are introducing his Journal among your 

 acquaintances, I will make a direct set at 

 every one of my customers. There are at 

 least 100 families who frequent my estab- 

 lishment ; and one word from me will cause 

 every one of them to read the work. If 

 once they can be prevailed upon to l read' 

 it, Mr. Heartenall, I need hardly tell you 

 that they will at once become willing sub- 

 scribers. If they want their children to love 

 virtue and hate vice; to improve their minds, 

 and cultivate a good understanding, — here 

 are all the elements, I shall tell them, at the 

 nominal cost of three-pence per week" 



We listened thus far with tolerable for- 

 bearance ; but on putting forth a super-hu- 

 man effort, to tell Mr. Playfair that " if every 

 present subscriber to the Journal would 

 procure us only one other, we should 

 be able to • weather the storm,' " — we upset 



* Mr. Playfair's features will never be ef- 

 faced from our memory. We should know him 

 again out of ten thousand. He was a fair spe- 

 cimen of what a bookseller ought to be — active 

 in his business, beloved by his customers, and 

 respected by all about him. We heard him say, 

 that the inquiries for the Journal had been very 

 numerous, and that this caused him to read it 

 very carefully. Before he had; perused the 

 three first Parts, he had actually seen reason to 

 order half a dozen of the first volume, bound. 

 To our amazement, we saw them — some on the 

 counter, and others on the library-table. If the 

 booksellers, generally, had only shown the slight- 

 est good feeling towards us — in what a flourishing 

 state should we now be ! However, we believe our 

 dream augur's " something good," and in the near 

 distance. — Ed. K. J. 



