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KIDD'S LONDON JOURNAL. 



vocates for its further extension are daily on the 

 increase ; and we may look for many interesting 

 and important results ; rewarding those who are 

 devoting their leisure hours to this delightful 

 study, which cannot fail to exalt our ideas above 

 the ordinary level, and teach us to appreciate 

 more fully the wonderful dispensations of an 

 all-wise Creator. 



Nature, a mother, kind alike to all, 



Still grants her bliss at labor's earnest call. 



TO CORRESPONDENTS. 



Alexis. — The price of the Volume bound, is 2s. Gd. 



Free, by post, for Gd. extra. 

 Goldina,— River water is best, and it should be changed 



daily. You will find an article on the subject of Gold 



Eish in this day's Jotrnal. 

 Delta. — Thanks. We have delivered the twelve copies 



of our First Volume according to the Addresses sent 



us. We are fully sensible of this, and several similar 



kind offices on the part of others, who are anxious to 



serve our interests. 

 G. JN. W., Dublin. Thanks. You will find what you 



require at p. 243. Will you send us your address I 



Correspondents sending in any " facts " connected with 

 Science or Natural History, are requested in every 

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Private Letters. — Of these we daily receive such 

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To obtain this Paper without any difficulty, our readers 

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 simultaneously with all the other weekly periodicals. 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 

 Saturday, April 24, 1852. 



Every day now reminds us that our long 

 patience is about to reap its reward. We 

 have perhaps some reason to rejoice, now 

 that the day of trial is over, that we have 

 had keen, biting winds from the north-east, 

 and a succession of changeable weather. 

 We have experienced much suffering ; our 

 deliverance will be the more highly prized. 

 It is ever so with the moralist rising from 

 the bed of sickness, — for strong, hearty 

 folk, who never knew what sickness was, 

 never can know the joys of recovery. We 

 have known both ; and the feeling lives with 

 us never to be forgotten. 



But let us see what now awaits us out of 

 doors ; for at this season we have no busi- 

 ness in the house. Of course, we all rise 

 early, to greet the morning sun ; and enjoy 

 a lovely walk before we sit down to the 

 morning meal. Every reader of our 

 Journal either does, or must do this. 



The first thing to admire now is, the 

 grass. How green it looks ! how refreshing 

 to the eye after so long an absence ! And 

 see the buds all swelling, and ready to burst 

 into floAver at the sun's bidding. The gorse 

 is in full bloom ! Along the hedge-rows, in 

 the woods, and in the dells, the primroses 



lie like sunshine, and breathe forth their 

 delicious perfume. Cowslips abound all 

 over the meadows; and daisies with their 

 lovely frills, smile on us with all the modesty 

 of their native purity. Bees are everywhere 

 upon the wing, to gather sweets from the 

 expanding flowers ; and their snn-shiny hum 

 gives ample evidence of their renewed, hap- 

 piness. Butterflies too have made their ap- 

 pearance ; and several of the " birds of 

 passage " have reached their summer 

 quarters. The " jug" of the " nightingale " 

 greeted our ear some days since. These 

 birds, be it known, hold our grounds as 

 sacred. They build with us, and return re- 

 gularly to the same quarters, year after year. 

 We must soon attempt to sing their praises 

 at greater length. 



The grand charm of this month, both in 

 the open country and in the garden, is 

 beyond all doubt the restoration of that 

 beautiful color, green, — which pervades all 

 nature in every direction. On this, we 

 should gaze our fill whilst we may,—- for it 

 lasts but a short time. Too soon will it 

 merge into an endless variety of shades and 

 tints that are equivalent to as many dif- 

 ferent colors. It is this, and the budding 

 forth of every living member of the vege- 

 table world after its long winter death, that 

 constitutes our Spring, aud raises in us 

 emotions known at no other period of the 

 year. 



We have remarked, that the general pre- 

 valence of refreshing green is the principal 

 charm of Spring. It is tso doubtless. But 

 there is another charm, hardly less attrac- 

 tive, — and that is, the bright flush of blos- 

 soms that prevails over and almost hides 

 everything else in the fruit garden and or- 

 chard. What exquisite differences, distinc- 

 tions, and resemblances there are between 

 all the various blossoms of the fruit trees ; 

 and these are observable no less in their 

 general effect than in their separate details. 

 The almond tree, in its blushing attire, 

 looks like a huge rose, magnified by fairy 

 magic to deck the bosom of some fair 

 giantess. The plum, peach, and nectarine 

 too, are equally lovely. The blossoms of 

 the two latter, now fast resolving themselves 

 into fruit, look peculiarly pretty. They have 

 all the appearance of growing out of a hard 

 bare wall, — or from a rough wooden paling. 



Let us not take our leave of the blossoms 

 of April, until we have done due honor to 

 the cherry tree. What a sight have we 

 here ! What a luxuriance of flower, — what 

 a promise of fruit ! Who can regard without 

 feelings of intense admiration this beautiful 

 tree, — clasping its white honors all round 

 the long straight branches from heel to 

 point ; and not letting a leaf or bit of stem 

 be seen, except the three or four leaves that 



