
374 
KIDD’S OWN JOURNAL. 

Fairly exhausted, they flew away, and the cock- 
sparrow chirped loudly in praise of his victory. 
His triumph was short. In less than a quarter of 
an hour, the sound of a multitude of strange voices 
broke upon my ear. A whole flock of martens 
had been summoned to do battle; and there they 
were, all marshalled in full array, attacking the 
sparrow. Long did he hold out; but he was at 
last fairly dislodged, and chased away. ‘The 
champions waited awhile to see their friends re- 
stored to their lawful occupation, and then took 
their departure. Such a twittering there was 
among them! All now went well. The sparrow 
never returned. My little visitors were no more 
disturbed ; and in due course they reared a fine 
little family.—J. R., Hull. © 
[This is one of some fifty similar cases that have 
come before us. Beyond all doubt, birds perfectly 
comprehend one another, and assist each other in 
cases of emergency. Why should they not? It 
is delightful to note these things; for they lead 
us on to pursue our observations with an increasing 
ardor. We shall have an immensity to say about 
these matters by and by.] 

The Voice of Nature.—The most beautiful flowers 
are those which are double; such as double pinks, 
double roses, and double dahlias. What an argu- 
ment is this, against the chilling deformity of 
single blessedness! “Go marry!” is written on 
everything beautiful that the eye rests upon; 
beginning with the birds-of-Paradise, and ending 
with apple-blossoms.—T. 

Local Treatment of Acute Gout.—The extreme 
pain attending acute gouty inflammation may, it 
appears, be very quickly relieved by the applica- 
tion of pure spirits of wine. We witnessed a 
trial, says a writer in the Medical Times, of 
this remedy by Dr. Goolden, on a patient in St. 
Thomas’s Hospital, who was suffering at the time 
agonising pain in the foot ; and the result was an 
almost immediate relief. Dr. Goolden informed 
us that be was in the habit of using it very fre- 
quently in private practice, and always with the 
most pleasing effect. He believed it 1o act by 
being absorbed, and not by mere evaporation. 
The mode of application is by a piece of lint satu- 
rated in the spirit, laid over the part, and then 
covered with oil-silk.— Humanrras. 
Keep the Mind employed, and the Body active. 
—“ To be employed, is to be happy,” said Gray. 
And if he had never said anything else, either in 
prose or even in verse, he would have deserved 
the esteem of all posterity. He certainly 
practised as he spoke. His library bore witness 
to an extent of curiosity, a perseverance of 
research, and an accuracy of observation (with a 
minute diligence in recording what he had 
gained) and gathering in the harvest of the day,— 
that is hardly to be paralleled in any one who was 
so gifted with original genius and the power of 
forming his own creations of thought.—Coriopsis, 
Clijton. 
The Dog.—I quite rejoice in reading the many 
interesting anecdotes of animals that find a place 
in your delightful columns; and observe with plea- 
sure that the Dog, in your estimation, ranks very 



high. So he does in mine. Dogs have such a 
habit of watching one’s face - searching and read- 
ing one’s thoughts! They really penetrate into 
our wishes and wants, and sympathise with our 
infirmities. A well-bred black and tan terrier of 
mine was possessed of a charming trait. Nothing 
pleased her so well as taking care of ladies when 
walking alone. On such occasions, she would 
gladly forego all her favorite amusements, —such as 
hunting in the fields, barking at every bird on the 
wing, &c., &c. She would also keep quite close to 
her charge; looking up every now and then into 
her companions’ faces, as much as to say,—‘‘ Don’t 
be afraid, ’m here. I'll take care of you.” I 
remember this same pretty little ‘‘ Rose ’’ accom- 
panying two ladies and myself in a walk. One of 
our party—an invalid—being fatigued, said she 
would return home. This put Rose’s good qualities 
toasevere test. She longed for a scamper far away, 
on the chance of worrying a rat, or catching a 
weasel asleep; and at the same time she felt she 
hada “duty” to perform. It was amusing to 
watch how she deliberated. However, pleasure 
did give way to duty; and, fixing a look (1 shall 
never forget it!) on the lady, she followed her 
closely home,—looking at her every now and then 
patronisingly, as if to say,—‘‘ All is quite right, 
and you know it.” What an amiable trait; that 
this untutored brute should have left her master 
and mistress,—aye, quitted her favorite sport, of 
which Nature had given such a lively and plea- 
surable sense, to follow an invalid stranger! Let 
the human brute take a lesson in self-denial and 
compassion from a dog. I have observed the same 
endearing character in two of Rose’s puppies. 
‘Vhey are the cross of a beagle of high breed. 
The one that resembles the mother in appearance, 
exhibits the same disposition and _ habits,—I 
may say “mind,;” whilst the other (which is 
quite a beagle to look at), has a less open way of 
dealing,—is sneaking and cowardly, and (like a 
worldly-minded person) more full of affectionate 
outward demonstrations.—Pumocyon. 

Susceptibility of Cats to Mesmeric Influence.— 
Are you aware that’cats are very sensitive subjects, 
and that they display some very curious pheno- 
mena when under the influence of Mesmerism ? 
I should like tu see something from your pen on 
this subject, for I imagine you can be no stranger 
to what I allude to.—J. E. 
| We will bear your wish in active remembrance, 
and will gladly comply with it. We sadly lack 
leisure just now ; but we hope soon to make head- 
way. One head and one pair of hands—only, 
demand a little patience.] 

Literary Labor, or ‘‘ Drudgery.”—There is 
no state of slavery on earth, says our excellent 
contemporary, the “Liverpool Mercury,” like that 
attendant upon a newspaper (and. literary) life, 
whether it be as director or subordinately. Your 
task is never ended, your responsibility never 
secured. The last day’s work is forgotten at the 
close of the day on which it appears; and the 
dragon of to-morrow waits open mouthed to devour 
your thoughts, and snap up one morsel more of 
your vexed existence. Be as successful as it is 
in the nature of things to be—be indifferent to 
praise, and lion-hearted against blame—still will 
icneneninessiainennieedemameesioenemememmemees ent ce 

| 


