104 



KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Larry. — "We thank you. But before your article 

 arrived, one on a similar subject (St. Valentine's Day) 

 from our own pen, was in type. It cannot now be 

 rendered available. Should like to know where to 

 address you. 



"A Plain Speaker" who, for the second time, be- 

 strides us, is a very impertinent, as well as a singularly- 

 ignorant man. We write out his "character," gra- 

 tuitously. To quote his own ridiculously-familiar 

 words, "This is quite between ourselves!" If this 

 " Old Man of the Sea" again trouble us, we will print 

 both his letters in full, a punishment not greater than 

 the offence committed. 



Bullfinch. — Bead page 28 of the London Journal, 

 very carefully. You will there find your questions fully 

 answered. 



A. L. — It is too early yet to " pair " your birds. We will 

 tell you all about it in good time. 



Flora G. — It is "trying" to us, when our Correspondents 

 neglect to send their addresses. How can we reply 

 " promptly " in such cases 1 Write again. 



J. S. — Our space is so circumscribed, that "Fugitive 

 Poetry" can only be admissible under very peculiar 

 circumstances. We are already overwhelmed with 

 similar "kind offerings." This "reply" will suffice 

 for all the writers. Their favors have merit, and 

 would be readily available in a Monthly Magazine. 



New Subscribers, and Casual Readers, are referred to 

 the Leading Article in our First Number for the 

 detailed objects of the London Journal : to these 

 we shall rigidly adhere. 



Private Letters. — Of these we daily receive such 

 immense quantities, that we must really beg the 

 writers to excuse our not replying to them. Our time 

 is more profitably occupied. All vacancies, as they are 

 called, are filled up. Let this general answer suffice. 



Correspondents sending in any " facts" connected with 

 Science or Natural History, are requested in every 

 case to append their names and places of abode. In no 

 instance, however, will their names be published with- 

 out their express sanction. 



Notice to Subscribers and Others. — It having been 

 deemed expedient, to meet the views of the Trade, that 

 this Journal should always be published by anticipa- 

 tion, Contributors and others will be so* kind as to 

 bear in mind that they must give us an extra " week's 

 grace," and wait patiently till their favors appear. 



All persons who may send in MSS., but which may not 

 be " accepted," are requested to preserve copies of 

 them, as the Editor cannot hold himself responsible 

 for their return. 



To obtain this Paper without any difficulty, our readers 

 need only order it to be sent to them by any of their 

 local Booksellers or Newsvendors. It is published 

 simultaneously with all the other weekly periodicals. 



KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 

 Saturday, February 14, 1852. 



" Can I see the Editor of Kidd's London 

 Journal ? " asked a very interesting young 

 lady, in her expiring teens, and with golden 

 ringlets, of our worthy publisher the other 

 day. (She held a " sealed packet " in her 

 tiny hand.) 



"No, Mademoiselle," replied the worthy 

 bibliopole, with the radiant smile that always 

 illumines his benevolent countenance— es- 

 pecially when addressed by a lady — "No! 

 Mademoiselle, you cannot." 



" May I ask when he will be here ? " con- 

 tinued the fair questioner, with increasing 

 interest. 



" You may ask, Mademoiselle, certainly," 

 was the rejoinder ; " but I can give you no 

 satisfactory ' answer.' I have myself trans- 



acted many — very many matters of business 

 with the Editor, and handed him over large 

 sums of money for the sales effected on his 

 Journal; but I have never seen him, 



— AND NEVER SHALL SEE HIM." 



On this, we are told, the fair postulant 

 looked sorrowful — her heart being too full 

 for utterance. Let us here do honor to the 

 kindly disposition of our publisher. Calling 

 her aside, he spoke to the golden Niobe as 

 follows :— 



" You are not perhaps aware, Mademoiselle, 

 that the Editors of our public Papers are 

 never known — never seen. As ' divinity 

 is said to hedge about a King,' so doth ' in- 

 visibility ' hedge about an Editor, We 

 sometimes hear his footstep, it is true ; some • 

 times see the bare outline of his shadow — 

 but it is invariably gone 'ere we can reach 

 it." 



" Is it even so ! " groaned his fair auditor ; 

 " then have I come all this long distance, to 

 open my heart to him, in vain ! I observed 

 in his own Paper, that thrice a-day was the 

 task his, to call here, and carry away the 

 contents of his Letter-box. Is this not 

 true ? " 



" It is true, and yet it is not true, sweet 

 lady. Something calls here thrice a-day, 

 concealed in a large cloak ; and from this 

 mysterious cloak issues as mysterious a hand, 

 with a key in it. We see ■ the hand ' 

 plainly, and see it apply the key to the casket, 

 or ' lion's mouth,' as we call it. An im- 

 mense packet of letters is then carefully 

 removed by the hand ; the box closes ; the 

 lock is shot ; and the same mystery that 

 accompanied the visitor on its entrance, at- 

 tends it on its exit. You, Mademoiselle, 

 are not the only inquirer after the Editor of 

 Kidd's London Journal ; we are literally 

 besieged, day by day, by ladies and gentle - 

 men, who say they must and will see him. 

 We tell them just what we have told you ; 

 and now, with your kind permission, as 

 time presses, I must take my leave." 



Thus spake the Bookseller — whilst his in- 

 nocent listener, in confusion, glided from 

 his sight. We are not quite sure whe- 

 ther some portion of this ' confusion ' 

 does not attach to us, whilst we pen this. 

 The paper we write on, is certainly damp ; 

 and it was dry when we took it from the 

 Letter-book. " Odd " this, very ! By the 

 way, we had the above little narrative " hot " 

 from a party who had concealed himself 

 behind the "pillar of the Confessional." 



This is truly consolatory to us ; and we 

 rejoice to have pitched upon so discreet a 

 publisher — and not only discreet, but so po- 

 lite and courteous withal. We have cud- 

 gelled our brain, till our sight has become 

 dim, |to imagine who the possessor of the 

 fairy golden tresses can be ; but no clue exists 



