238 



KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



a small size in the interstices ; the whole of 

 which should not be less than 1£ inches in 

 height. On this place a little of the coarser 

 soil, and then more of the soil over it, 

 with which it will have to be filled up. 

 It should be made as follows : — One-half of 

 light garden mould, as free from dung (how- 

 ever decomposed) as possible; the poorer 

 the better. With this, thoroughly incorpo- 

 rate one quarter part of soft porous brick, 

 broken up into the size of small peas, and 

 one quarter part of very old lime rubbish, 

 which has been exposed to the atmosphere 

 for years. Let this be all well mixed to- 

 gether ; then with one hand hold the plant 

 upright, placing the roots in the pot in the 

 best manner possible, so as to prevent them 

 becoming entangled. With the other hand 

 gently sprinkle the soil in among the roots, 

 holding the plant up, and shaking the pot 

 and plant so that the soil may fill up all the 

 crevices among the roots. Now press the 

 soil down firm, and place the pots out in the 

 open air, so that they may have the full 

 benefit of the sun. Rain must be kept off 

 (this will be in the months of June and July) ; 

 and in about ten days water them, not 

 sooner ; for if any of the roots have been 

 injured, water will do them harm at that 

 time. When they have grown as much as 

 you wish — which should be determined by 

 September at latest — withhold water, and 

 let them be fully exposed to the sun to ripen 

 their growth. As soon as the temperature 

 begins to grow cool, take them into their 

 winter quarters, and give them no water at 

 all, till about the following March. Treated 

 in this way, they will live during the winter, 

 if they have light (and which is very impor- 

 tant, several degrees of frost) ; this, how- 

 ever, of course should never be the case 

 where it can be avoided, as it does no good, 

 and may do harm. If, on the contrary, they 

 are kept in a room where there is always a 

 fire burning, with a temperature of 55 or 

 60 deg. by day, and say 40 deg. by night, 

 they should have a little water about once a 

 month during their season of rest. — This 

 treatment is entirely intended for plants 

 located in dwelling-houses. I have grown 

 and flowered them as well in this way, as 

 many gardeners with well-fitted-up green- 

 houses and regular attendance. 



N. B. 



KEEPING UP APPEARANCES. 



Concluded from page 224. 



After the usual congratulations, &c, had 

 been given and received, and other subjects 

 arising out of them discussed, Mrs. G-eorge 

 Tobin inquired what I thought of her ar- 

 rangements, or rather how I liked her draw- 

 ing-room? The tone in which she asked 



was so modest, so far from self-satisfied, that 

 it would have been a thousand pities to have 

 put her out of conceit with an article in it, 

 (and the arrangement of them was faultless). 

 I answered, with the only complaisant reply 

 truth left me, that it was very gay and pretty. 

 And this it certainly was ; for the bright- 

 patterned paper — the amber-colored cur- 

 tains, chair- covers, &c, — the polished sur- 

 face of the centre table, strewed with 

 annuals and other ephemera of the book 

 tribe, in their vary coloured silk bindings — 

 an ottoman or two, covered in needle-work 

 and really beautiful specimens of my friend's 

 imitative art and industry — with divers glit- 

 tering ornaments, and a perfect chimney 

 glass, gave a very pleasing tout ensemble to 

 the room. It was only as you perceived 

 the worthless quality of its fineness, that 

 you became discontented with its preten- 

 sions. - Our sitting-room, as you have 

 seen,' said my friend, ' is very poorly fur- 

 nished, but everything must have a begin- 

 ning.' I could not help thinking how much 

 better it would have been to have begun on 

 the foundation floor, and Mrs. Tobin went 

 on — ' And George says, it does not signify 

 so much for ourselves, but that it is abso- 

 lutely necessary to ' keep up appearances,' 

 and have one smart room for visitors.' How 

 many fall into my friend Mrs. George 

 Tobin's error, and prefer keeping up exte- 

 rior appearances to concentrating home- 

 comforts, and making their common hearth 

 the gathering place of all that can add to the 

 charm of a husband's society, and tend to 

 strengthen his affection. I have no great 

 hopes of the future for them, for I find the 

 greater part of my friend's fortune has 

 gone to pay her husband's debts, and with 

 the remainder a showy, second-hand phaeton 

 has been purchased, by way of carrying out 

 his principle and ' keeping up appear- 

 ances.' 



Formerly, when a person in the middle ranks 

 of life began to launch into supernumerary 

 expenses, and affect the airs and elegances of 

 the higher order, men wrote as it was vul- 

 garly but pithily expressed ' Snug ' over his 

 door ; and young men, on the look-out for 

 wives, knew exactly where it was safe to 

 commence a suit. Wanting the income tax, 

 one's expenditure was the index of his pos- 

 sessions and the outward and visible sign of 

 a warm homestead and easy circumstances : 

 whereas now, it is more frequently the 

 beacon on a shifting sand or sunken rock, 

 and equally to be avoided ; for I have often 

 observed, that in proportion to the want of 

 means, becomes the desire to affect them. 

 This ' keeping up of appearances ' is the 

 bane of all friendly feeling and hospitality. 

 The pleasantest of all parties were those 

 impromptu gatherings of the young people of 



