KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



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book-knives ; pen. trays ; fine military men, with 

 stiff collars and gilt buttons; handsome naval 

 officers Avil.li peculiar noses — very knowing; 

 ducks, geese, pigeons, scent-bottles, pencil cases, 

 egg-boilers, and baby tea-caddies; matcb-boxes, 

 curiously-cut Ci Ladies' eaude vie bottles" (in case 

 of illness!); pocket-books, decorated bon-bons; 

 many duplicates (with various colored eyes) from 

 Noah's Ark; pirouetting ballet -girls, with 

 imploringly -.bewitching looks ; blushing-Bloomers ; 

 thimbles; happy, care -for -nothing little men 

 (with their hands in their pockets), standing on 

 round balls. These last, " when put down," 

 refuse to remain down; but spring up again.* 

 Lanterns, steam-engiucs, nutmeg-graters, fifers, 

 jarretieres, kerchiefs, knives, combs, trinkets— 

 and, in short, nic-nacs ad infinitum. 



All these, and many hundreds of others 

 which oar memory fails to record, adorn in 

 greater or less number, and with mysterious 

 but unmistakeable grandeur and brilliancy, 

 —the " Christmas Tree. 1 ' 



It is not for us to dwell upon the thoughts, 

 hopes, and thrilling expectations that fill 

 the breasts of the army of rosy urchins, 

 and their happy friends — papas, mammas, 

 et infra. None of them are as yet in the 

 secret ; but cannot we see them " peeping" 

 from the room up -stairs — over the banisters, 

 big with imaginings of what is in store for 

 them presently in the room below ! 



We can well conjure up the scene that 

 offers itself, when the doors of " that room" 

 are thrown open ! — when that Fairy Tree, 

 with all its blushing honors thick upon it, 

 meets the " hundred pair of anxious eyes " 

 for the first time ! Was there ever a more 

 exciting, a more pleasing scene ? — We think 

 not. 



And when mamma — dear mamma, mys- 

 teriously entering, takes her seat ; and places 

 on her lap the lucky-bag, filled to the very 

 top with prizes, — is not that moment one of 

 the very happiest moments of her life, and 

 of our lives ? Look at those faces — those 

 merry, arch, roguish, innocently-roguish 

 faces ! We see them now. Oh ! might those 

 happy faces never be dimmed by care,— 

 those happy hearts never be made sad by the 

 calamities and chances of life ! 

 %$ And now — the " prizes" are being drawn. 

 Do watch the sparkling, speaking eyes, as 

 each several allotment is called out to the 

 fortunate owner in expectancy ! Of incon- 

 siderable value in themselves, yet what an 



* We have often smiled, whilst regarding 

 these knowing little men; and have taken a 

 lesson out of their books. " Cast down" they 

 may be; and they daily are; but they always 

 " rise up," and with a smile on their coun- 

 tenances. Their hands', too, are ever in their 

 pockets, as if counting their money ! We may 

 learn a lesson even from a child's toy! — • 

 Ed. K. J. 



intrinsic value do they not inherit from 

 having once grown upon " that tree !" But 

 why should we forestall all these enjoy- 

 ments ? Will they not soon again be rea- 

 lised ? Shall we not all soon be there to 

 witness them ? Of course we shall. 



Let us add, there is much moral good 

 effected by these annual ; aye, and by semi- 

 annual meetings. We would on no account 

 whatever have them clone away with. Human 

 nature is frail — sadly frail. " Out of sight, 

 out of mind ;" is a proverb that may be fre- 

 quently, too frequently adopted among us. 

 Long absence, and interrupted friendships, 

 make many people painfully indifferent 

 towards each other — aye, callous. Matri- 

 mony, too, strangely changes some people's 

 hearts. We know some whom we dearly 

 loved — and they seemingly loved us too. As 

 brothers and sisters were we ; played like 

 children together ; talked together ; had but 

 one interest in common. They are now 

 married; and we are become aliens to them. 

 Much colder are they than ice. We never 

 meet ! 



We have yet to learn that Matrimony has 

 any just right to such restrictive power over 

 true friendship. Such at all events is not 

 the principle that reigns in our royal heart. 

 Whom once we love, we honestly and truly 

 love for ever. In this matter, some may re- 

 gard us as singular ; but we were brought up 

 in a very good school, and see no reason 

 whatever to change our sentiments. Modern 

 customs and habits may be different from 

 those of the olden time, — we admit sorrow- 

 fully that they are. Simplicity has indeed 

 left us ; and the superficial has usurped its 

 place. Are we any the better for it ? " Ques- 

 tion." 



Men and women " should be, doubtless, 

 what they seem ;" but they are not so. Hence, 

 the distracted and " hollow" state of the world 

 we live in. To see the human countenance 

 veneered with a smile,while cold deceit lurks 

 deep in the heart,— this liketh us not. No ! 

 Rigid li Old Honesty" for us, in defiance of 

 fashion ; and a heart capacious enough to 

 contain all whom we hold dear ! How very 

 sweetly sings " our own " Poet Laureate on 

 this subject ! 



So — let Christmas come ; and with it, all 

 the much-loved socialities of that happy 

 season. 



We shall begin to grow young again, 

 from this very day. 



Reading. — I see you read, all very right. We 

 should begin life with books ; they multiply the 

 sources of enjoyment ; so does capital : — but 

 capital is of no use, unless we live on the inter- 

 est, — books are waste paper, unless Ave spend 

 in action the wisdom we get from thought. 

 Action, action ; that is the life of us. — Bulwer. 



