Antinomic Pathology [pp. 415-419]

. he Old Man's Darling.-Antinomic Pathology.
How much she's like her mother!
She, too. has gone to sleep
Beneath the church-yard willow,
And I must watch andI weep."
THE OLD MAN'S DARLING.
Come, close the shutters, darling,
And stir again th e fire
And sing for me that little hymn
Learned in the village-choir;
Then get the big old Bible-.
3Iy sight is growing dim:Yes, that's the straiui my darling How beautiful that hymni!
ANTINOMIC PATHOLOGY.
Let not our readers be alarmed bythe
Greek compounds which constitute the
title and subject of our essay. A very littie explanation will render them intelligible. Indeed, Antinomic Pathology, is but
common sense and every day practise
erected into a system. Not a system of
universal, unbending rules,-not a system
of speculative a priori philosophy, but just
the reverse of all that; a tentative system,
that feels its way through life, guided by
instinct, intuition, tact, experience and
common sense; rejecting universal rules,
abstract reasoning and philosophical theo
ries. Every prudent and sensible man and
woman practices Antinomic Patholoogy in
all the affairs of life, and rejects the teachings of philosophy. The farmer Wtill not
farm by the book.'he mother will not
train up her children by plhilosophic rule,
but trusts to the dictates of nature, feeling,
instinct, experience and common sense.
Thie doctor has long since rejected his
nosology, or philosophy of disease, and taken up the old woman's practice, only
dubbitig it with a fine Greek name pathology. The lawyer in al.l ages, has found
it impossible to lay down universal rules
to discover the philosophy of law, and has
been driven to the necessity of establisihing dispensing powers to set aside his
laws. Courts of Equity and Executives
are the pathological practitioners who correct the iniquity of the law, by adopting
common sense ant common justice as
their guide. In fine, in every department
of practical life, philosophy has been rejected and pathology adopted in its stead.
Why we employ the term aetinomic, will
be satisfactorily explained -and accounted
for as wve advance.
We now proceed to dilate more at large
on the topics we have suggested, andishall
be repetitious and tautologous inr:;order to
be intelligible.
"There is no rule without exceptkns."
KOur littl e p ray e r is e nded,
Our little hymn is o'er,
Now go up to your chamber,'
And so-,-ood-night once more!
Yet, ere yotu leave me, darling,
Come sit upon my knee,
And in this kiss, my own sweet one,
Know all my love for thee!
'm Goo it od n ight, good night, my darlin g
Sweet dreams be thine to-nightI'm busy with old memories, Mvfy heart w;sll not be light.
1863.1
415
Ry REv. JNo. COLLI.IIS MceAB-E, D. D.
11 Your voice is like your mother's,
When she, like you, was young;
And well do I remember
Those little song.3 she su'ng'
sleeping in the church-yard
But wily be,ad to'ni,,,,,ht?.
The vollin-ie now lies open,
The fire, is burning bright.
' The letters swim before me
I Bless'd are the pure iil heart'Yotir mothers form stoops,,oer me,.
I feel the tear-drops start
Slie watches o'er -lier darling,
Her own, her undefiled;
I feel the angel presence
That stands eside her child!
The pure in heart,' my darling,
Shall see their God, in bliss,
,In tliar bright world of beauty,
How differeit, Oli, froin this!
Their brows eiinvreathed with garlands,
A Palm in every han4,
In robes of dazzling whiteness,'
In lood-wash'd ranks they'll stand.