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KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



and had their clothes torn off. This was 

 " nothing." In a state of semi-nudity, they 

 were borne off through the rabble, on men's 

 shoulders, in a fainting state. This was 

 " nothing." They were not thankful for 

 their preservation ! Their only regret was, 

 that they " were prevented seeing" what they 

 went to see ! 



Next, — life fell a sacrifice. Bodies were 

 brought out with life extinct. Lovely faces, 

 illuminated with smiles, and radiant but a 

 few short hours previously with the rosy 

 hue of health, were now seen stretched out, — 

 pale, livid, ghastly. Even now, the number 

 of injuries sustained remain unknown. Hun- 

 dreds have been rendered cripples for life. 

 Fathers groaned ; mothers shrieked ; brothers 

 waxed frantic. Victim after victim was 

 dragged bodily forward ; most of them were 

 only half-dressed, and many of them nearly 

 half-dead. Our heart sickens at the recital. 



Were these sight- seekers uneducated peo- 

 ple ? Were they for the most part people who 

 knew no better, and to whom such a sight 

 was a rarity ? Far otherwise. Among them 

 were the richest of the rich ; the gayest of 

 the gay; the most giddy butterflies of fashion. 

 They wanted for nothing, — but were dying 

 for excitement ! By main force alone could 

 they be driven bach, in the very teeth of the 

 dying and the dead. Thus did they return 

 home in their carriages — not heart-broken, 

 but morose and sulky. 



As for the heads broken by the police, and 

 the fractured arms of many who tried to get 

 out but could not, — these were treated as 

 " matters of course." 



Again we say, — the month of November, 

 1852, will never be forgotten. 



It was not ouk intention to take any 

 particular notice of the late Grand Funeral 

 Pageant ; but having witnessed its progress, 

 and feasted our eyes on the noble horses that 

 formed in our opinion one of the most in- 

 teresting portions — if not the most interesting 

 portion of the Procession, we feel they de- 

 serve one word at least by way of panegyric. 



We ask our readers one and all — such of 

 them at least as gazed upon the continuous 

 line (three miles in extent) that passed before 

 their eyes on November 18,' — if they ever 

 saw such sweetly-beautiful, intelligent, amia- 

 ble, and loveable heads, as graced the no less 

 symmetrical forms of those innumerable 

 horses ? 



Much as we detest all these " grand dis- 

 plays" in the general way, yet were we on 

 this particular occasion ravished with delight 

 by what we saw of the animal world on No- 

 vember 18. We let the words " animal 

 world" stand as we have written them, quan- 

 tum valeant. There needs no conjuror to tell us 

 that those animals love their masters ; and 



that their masters love them. How proudly 

 majestic did they shine forth in the golden 

 rays of the glorious sun, who came out, as 

 it, would seem, specially to do them honor ! 



Of the procession itself, we need only 

 remark that its arrangement was admirable ; 

 perfectly unique. We heard rain pouring 

 down in torrents throughout the night. We 

 found floods of water surrounding us on every 

 hand in the morning. Yet were not these 

 facts visible in the line of route. The road 

 had been carpetted — as if by magic, with light, 

 soft, gravel. The mud had disappeared. Sol 

 shone forth benignantly; the fondest wish 

 of every heart seemed fully gratified. Before 

 noon, the streets — westward, were given up 

 to the people. All excitement had ceased. 



For ourself, — we were a Prince for the 

 day. A neighboring friend drove us up in 

 his carriage at 8 o'clock, and conveyed us 

 and our Princess safe to the very door which 

 was open to bid us welcome, in the Strand. 

 Here had been provided ample entertainment 

 for more than one hundred sight-loving 

 guests ; and a welcome awaited us all, that 

 left nothing to be desired. 



True English hospitality, positively with- 

 out limit, sparkled on the board of our wor- 

 thy host — Oeorge Biggs, Esq.* Proudly emi- 

 nant stands he forward, as an Englishman 

 who has kicked the tempting offer of some 

 £250 clean out of the window, in order that 

 he might rejoice and make merry with his 

 friends, and show them that he has a heart. 



To have a heart under such circumstances, 

 is — in these grovelling, money-getting days, 

 "a very great fact." It is as great "an ho- 

 nor" to the breast of the Englishman which 

 holds it. One of these Englishmen is, — 

 Geoege Biggs, Esq., of 421, Strand. 



* All the establishment, — lads and lasses, as 

 well as " children of a larger growth," must 

 come in for a full share of praise. Each seemed 

 a " Family Herald," Avafted on wings. Their 

 indefatigable zeal for the comfort of the assem- 

 bled guests cannot he defined ; yet did every- 

 body feel it. Electricity itself could not have 

 worked more wonderful marvels. The * l good 

 things" came in as if by the aid of magic, — they 

 departed in a similar manner! — Ed. K. J. 



ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE. 



A Singular Instance of Revenge in the Ass. — 

 I was invited, in the summer of 1827, to pass a 

 few months with a friend in Staffordshire. A 

 day or two after my arrival, I was introduced to 

 a favorite and remarkably handsome Norfolk 

 donkey — Pluto by name. It was his duty to 

 attend us in our stroll's, and frequently did I seat 

 myself on his back to be carried to the top of 

 the beautiful hills forming a portion of the Cham- 

 nock Chase. Pluto was a universal favorite; 

 and lived sumptuously in a meadow, not very 

 far distant from the hill, and where I was frc. 



