KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 
A SONG TO THE SEASON. 
BY BARRY CORNWALL, 
Tf life be ever pleasant, 
"Tis in merry hours like this ; 
When the wine is old and sound, 
And the laugh is running round; 
When each maiden mouth discloses 
Buds of pearl in beds of roses— 
Roses that we fain would kiss. 
If life be ever gloomy, 
"Tis as when we, long ago, 
Saw the friend we loved so well 
Swiftly borne to debtor’s cell; 
And not one of us could lend him 
Gold or silver or befriend him; 
Scarce had time to soothe lis woe. 
Ah! Life has many changes, 
Sunny seasons, winter rains ; 
So let’s pluck the summer flower, 
Bravely front the frowning hour,— 
Cherish allwho'd fain befriend us, 
Whether good or ill attend us, 
Long as life remains ! 
’ 
WEDNESDAY-EVENING CONCERTS. 
WE are glad to find that public taste 
inclines kindly towards these entertainments. 
The concert given on Dec. 7th was very 
numerously attended, and went off with con- 
siderable eclat. 'The audience were evidently 
“fond” of music. 
The excellence of the programme satisfac- 
torily accounted for the attraction. It was 
another “ Night with Mendelssohn.” The 
two great features of the former selection— 
the pianoforte concerto, No. 1, and the sym- 
phony in A major—were retained; the over- 
ture and the vocal music were changed. The 
whole was admirably performed, and enthu- 
siastically received. 
The selection of vocal music was parti- 
cularly interesting. Two of the “Six Songs, 
Op. 57” —“ Of all the pretty darlings in the 
world,’ and “ What means this strong emo- 
tion ?”—-were respectively sung, and well 
sung, by our old friend Miss Poole, and Miss 
Fanny Ternan. ‘The graceful ballad called 
“The Garland” was given, with much taste, 
by Mr. Perren. The Savoy ballad, “ With 
my mandoline ”’—so quaint and full of cha- 
racter—was entrusted to Miss Poole. We 
hardly need say she did it ample justice. 
Nor must we omit to speak of the beautiful 
duet, as beautifully sung by the lovely Josx- 
PHINE BrouGHAM and her equally lovely 
sister ELISABETH. We mean the duet, “I 
would that my love could silently flow.’ It 
was listened to with delight, and received 
with rapturous applause. It well deserved it. 
These young ladies have such a pure taste, 
and sing so very sweetly together, that it is 
really a treat to hear them warble. 
We are 

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such advocates for natural simplicity that we 
must be excused if we speak pointedly when 
we have occasion to do so—alas, how seldom! 
The second part, which began with the 
overture to Semiramide, and ended with a 
march from La Donna del Lago, also in- 
cluded the Polacca from Spohr’s opera of 
Faust, which was played with great spirit by 
the band. Among a multitude of minor 
things, we can only mention that Madame 
Amedei (the new contralto with the beautiful 
voice) confirmed her previous success, by 
her really clever singing in the grand recita- 
tive and aria of Arsace, “ Eccomi alfine” 
(Semiramide) ; that Miss Thirlwall made a 
further advance in public opimion by her 
execution of Rode’s air; that Mr. Chipp (of 
Her Majesty’s private band), produced a 
legitimate effect in a fantasia on the violon- 
cello, composed and executed by himself; 
and that a new and clever song, entitled 
“The Hound and the Horn,” by Mr. Lovell 
Phillips (a composition of decided merit), was 
sung by Mr. Weiss and most favorably 
received. 
The hall, as we have before said, was 
crowded ; and the concert went off with un- 
flagging spirit, 
WHAT DO WE LIVE FOR? 

THERE is nothing created but what is destined 
‘to perform some part in the great work of creation. 
No man nor woman was ever born to do nothing. 
No flower that blooms, nor star that decks the 
Heavens, was simply made to be of no utility, or 
to hide away itself from the face of Nature, but 
rather destined to perform some particular work. 
The great end of life is “happiness ;”’ for all 
nature converges to this point—happiness based 
upon the moral and intellectual powers of men ; 
not the mere selfish pleasure of life. Life hath 
something more for its object than the mere 
heaping together of gold. We live; but itshould 
be to promote the well-being of our fellow-man, to 
enrich his mind with knowledge, to lead his 
wavering footsteps to the shrine of wisdom, and 
there to fraternise with his fellow-men in searching 
after the elixir of life—true happiness. 
We live ; but it is not for selfishness. It isnot 
to persecute and to wrong, but to shield and to 
protect. It is not to spread misery and to foster 
vice ; but to cherish virtue, and to stem the im- 
petuous torrent of human degradation. It is not 
for sowing the seeds of discord, and nourishing the 
germs of chicanery; but for unity of action, and 
succoring honesty and truth. ‘Thus alone can we 
arrive at perfection. 
Teach every man that he has a great duty to 
perform, and life has some charm for him. It is 
no longer the wearisome, dull, and monotonous 
thing that Mawworms would make us believe it is. 
No! a brighter world opens before him, replete 
with loveliness. Oh, how great a pleasure it is 
to live only for the purpose of doing good to man- 
kind! To love,—and be loved ! 


