KIDD'S OWN JOUKNAL. 



375 



c oming very quietly down stairs, he just caught 

 mine host dexterously fitting a cork into some 

 bottles he had just filled with new wine, and 

 which he was going to pass off as old "vin 

 bouch£!" "Why you abominable scoundrel! " 

 says Jean; " do you think I'll stand this? Now 

 if you don't bring the clef of the cava, and 

 show me your best wine, I'll just brush your hair 

 for you with my serpetta." 



There was no escape: he was detected. So 

 he very quickly did as he was ordered, and we 

 got some good wine at a moderate charge ; after 

 which we walked home, making a mark against 

 " l'Etoile de Prilly." I must not forget to 

 mention that we took against the old church 

 some fine specimens of " Catocala Nupta " and 

 " Sponsa." Here also we took first the cater- 

 pillar of " Saturnia Pyri." The original and its 

 portrait both adorn the old Bombyx's little study. 

 It measures at least six inches in the expanse 

 of the forewings. This is the largest European 

 moth, and a noble insect it is too. The cater- 

 pillar is perfectly lovely. ^ 



Many a time since then, have we passed 

 through Prilly ; but I always turned up my nose 

 at " l'Etoile sale." 



Now, dear Mr. Editor, adieu for the present. 

 Your affectionate friend, 



Tottenham, Dec. 1, 1852. Fino. 



THE BLESSING OF AFFECTION. 



The consciousness of being beloved, soft- 

 ens our chagrins, and enables the greatest 

 part of mankind to support the misery of ex- 

 istence. The affections must be exercised on 

 something, for not to love is to be miserable. 

 " Were I in a desert," says Sterne, " I would 

 find out wherewith to call forth my affections. 

 If I could do no better, I would fasten them 

 on some sweet myrtle, or seek some melan- 

 choly cypress to connect myself to. I would 

 court their shade, and greet them kindly for 

 their protection. I would cut my name upon 

 them, and swear that they were the loveliest 

 trees throughout the desert. If their leaves 

 withered, I would teach myself to mourn ; and 

 when they rejoiced, I would rejoice with 

 them." But a short story will illustrate this 

 better than the most beautiful reflection. 



A respectable character after having long 

 figured in the gay world at Paris, was at 

 length compelled to live in an obscure retreat 

 in that city, the victim of severe and unfore- 

 seen misfortunes. He was so indigent, that 

 he subsisted only on an allowance from the 

 parish ; every week a quantity of bread was 

 sent to him sufficient for his support, and yet 

 at length he demanded more. On this, the 

 curate sent for him. He went. 



" Do you live alone ?" said the curate. 



" With whom, Sir," answered the unfortu- 

 nate man, " is it possible 1 should live? I am 

 wretched, you see that I am, since I thus so- 

 licit charity, and am abandoned by all the 

 world." 



" But, Sir," continued the curate, " if you 

 live alone, why do you ask for more bread 

 than is sufficient for yourself?" 



The other was quite disconcerted ; and at 

 last, with great reluctance, confessed that he 

 had a dog. The curate did not drop the sub- 

 ject ; he desired him to observe that he was 

 only the distributor of the bread that be- 

 longed to the poor, and that it was absolutely 

 necessary that he should dispose of the dog. 



" Ah, Sir 1" exclaimed the poor man.weep- 

 ing, " and if I lose my dog, who is there then 

 to love me ?" The good pastor, melting into 

 tears, took his purse, and giving it to him, 

 " Take this, Sir," said he ; " this is mine — 

 this I can give you." 



WHY?— AND BECAUSE. 



Why does sunshine extinguish a fire ? — 

 Because the rays engage the oxygen which 

 had hitherto supported the fire. — Why does 

 a fire burn briskly and clearly in cold wea- 

 ther ? — Because the air, being more dense, 

 affords more nourishment to the fire. — Why 

 does a poker laid across a dull fire revive 

 it ? — Because the poker receives and concen- 

 trates the heat, and causes a draught through 

 the fire. — Why does flour of sulphur, thrown 

 into a fire-place, extinguish a chimney when 

 on fire ? — Because, by its combustion, it 

 effects the decomposition of the atmospheric 

 air, which is consequently annihilated. — Why 

 are urns for hot water, tea-pots, coffee-pots, 

 &c. made with wooden or ivory handles ? — 

 Because, if metal were used, it would conduct 

 the heat so readily that the hand could not 

 bear to touch them ; whereas, on the contrary, 

 wood and ivory are non-conductors of heat. 

 — Why will a vessel which has been filled 

 to the lip with warm liquid, not be full 

 when the liquid has cooled ? — Because of the 

 expansion of the fluid by heat. Hence some 

 cunning dealers in liquids make their 

 purchases in very cold weather, and their sales 

 in warm weather. — Why is a glass stopper, 

 sticking fast in the neck of a bottle, often 

 released by surrounding the neck with a cloth 

 taken out of hot water, or by immersing the 

 bottle up to the neck ? — Because the binding- 

 ring is thus heated and expanded sooner than 

 the stopper, and so becomes slack or loose 

 upon it. Why does charcoal prevent meat, 

 &c, becoming tainted ? — Because it absorbs 

 the different gases of putrefaction, and 

 condenses them in its pores, without any al- 

 teration of their properties or its own. — Why 

 is baking the least advantageous of all modes 

 of cookery ? — Because meat thus dressed 

 loses one-third of its weight, and the nourish- 

 ing juices are then in a great measure dried 

 up. Beef, in boiling, loses 261bs. in lOOlbs.; in 

 roasting, it loses nearly one third. 



