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November 12, 1853] THE LEADER. 1099
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We should do cut utmost to encourage the...
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[We think it right to impress upon our r...
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" Aboot the resurrection o' the body, am...
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HOW TO MAKE HOME HAPPY. When I read that...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Transcript
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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November 12, 1853] The Leader. 1099
November 12 , 1853 ] THE LEADER . 1099
Fntulh
fntUlh
We Should Do Cut Utmost To Encourage The...
We should do cut utmost to encourage the Beautiful , for the TIaeful encourages ¦ itself—Goethe .
[We Think It Right To Impress Upon Our R...
[ We think it right to impress upon our readers that the following reflections of our " Scotch Philosopher" were uttered with the utmost solemnity of voice and manner , as became the subject of his doubts and difficulties . In transcribing this half of a dialogue from memory , we have not , to the best of our belief , deviateda word from the actual expressions ,
except in one passage , which , in all its rugged frankness and austere simplicity might , we feared , offend the susceptibilities of that large class of the " religious world , " whose faith is best described as Grrundyism : in other words , who reverse the spiritual condition of those who " believe and tremble , " ' by trembling without believing . I ^ o intolerance is so furious and fanatical as that of dishonest and indifferent sceptics towards sincere doubters .
Our Scottish interlocutor on this occasion is a man of the most blameless moral life , and , what is more , a faithful worshipper , struggling to believe These fireside musings of his were uttered in that peculiarly intense whisper which seems like an unconscious and involuntary outpouring of the most secret troubles of the soul . His countenance * as he spoke , slowly and sadly , wore the look of profound humility , and even dejection . From
first to last there was not the faintest approach to a smile : no curling of the lip to indicate any sense of the humorous which may be found in the words themselves . The momentous questions discussed seemed to him , as to all , questions of life and death ; and he probed his reason and his conscience with the implacable severity of a dying man , not predestined to perish without having at least exercised his free will and his right of private judgment .
The same questions have been handled with even greater familiarity in many religious novels , where most certainly no thought of scoffing has been suspected . We hold irreverence in religious matters to be not less unphilosophical than offensive . The man who can accuse this poor inquirer of a thought of mockery , is only to be classed with the pure and virtuous school of pietists who findimpurity in the "human form divine , " idealized by Art . Our day is one of supreme impatience of shams and formularies . Denunciative epithets answer no questions : they do but add obstinacy and indignation to unbelief . !—Ed .
" Aboot The Resurrection O' The Body, Am...
" Aboot the resurrection o' the body , am no doubtin' but what the Kirk is right i'the main ; but , ye ken , as the minister said last sabbath-day frae the pupit , this subject , like mony mair , has its difficulties . Noo , am no constitutionally like Jamie Davidson ; I dinna like mystery aboot a matter . Jamie has Jong been o opinion that its wi' a subject as wi' a man ; when he ' s a' smooth-faced an' fair spoken , its liker he ' s deceivin' you than no . So , you see , lie likes a wheen mystery aboot a gran' subject , as lie likes a wheen mist aboot a mountain ; an ' , by a figure o' speech , he comes to credit that there is aye a tap and a doup to baith , tho' ho canna see them . Passing the kirk yaird the ither day , I saw Tarn Poison diggin' a grave ; so apeirin' o ' m whose turn it was , and findin' it was Lucky Wilson ' s , wha leeved in our hutt twayear syne , I was a wee melancholy ye may suppose , «» vt s-I n n i- . 3 _ _ 1 - _ . > - / I _ _ J . " * -i-1- ^ ' L _ * _ } . 1 . 1 . .... T _ _ _ * aui uuuii Bi / aiic
« "u on a grave- , runeuun on mu vainiy o a carmy JUippinoss . E . oun the grave the grass grew waosomely tlun , ilk blade staumn ' alano by itsel' like ane lookin for its frien ' s ; an' the pootry o' the prospect gacd roun my heart as I saw them look sao laneaome wi'their eyoa o ' daw maiatly turned to the grun ' , neath which , I recollected , my auld crony Jock Pirio was rottin ' . It ' s a fearfu' consideration for a man aittin' a'tap o' his frien ' s , to think there bo others livin' who'll soon ait a'tap o' himael ' . But I couldna suppress my ridiculousness when I fancied tvraa tho day o' tho rcHurroction , an' that I saw auld Jock rism' frae liis grave wi' his left leg , which he lost at the Raw-mill when a wean , danglin' frao hia liip where used to bo his breeches' pocket ! I wonder , Bay ' s I , wi' what leg will Jock eomo ; for I couldna think that Providence wad look after his wooden ano , that was
pawned for tho whisky which wo drunk at his lato wako . An' if no after that , tlion gudo , says I , but fricn' . Jock will cut a waesomo figure on that gran' occasion , whether he'll hue to hop to glory or to damnation , accordin g to tho diapenaution o' the eternal deereea ! It ' a a kittle question too , is tliato' predestination , —what Jamie ami mo <¦& tho Divine Prerogative q hob t ion—involved , aa Saint Paul remarka , i ' the ri ght o' the . potter to make a vessol for glory and anither to hold dirty water in ! There ' s mystery enow' aboot that , T ' ao warrant , aineo a body cannot boo sao far intil't aa intill a mill-stano . I afton puzzle mysol wi ' no consideration o' tho metaphoesioa o' thin subject , but wi' sma' edification . Gudo , it ' s a queer reflection that there waa naething ava' in tho Universe aneo , but ao Gran' Intellect aottin' doun in kin imagination ao }» ur creature , that Ho intended to niak , for eternal torment , and anithor
«> r tii « oontrairy . In tho boginnin ' , an I read , Ho made light , an ' the Hl "n , an' tho moon , an' tho stars , an' the mucklo whales , forbyo the faitlier w » mithor o' tho human family ; but it wan a'foro the beginning , I ' bo War rant , that Ho made the nmokle Doil , unless indeed Tie made him on |< nei Boventh day ( aa Jamie Davidson opines ) , when , ye ken , He had vorm 1 | ttlo to do . f ^ io tl mystory , however , ia tho halo buainoas , that I fear to b « ow yo half o' ma mind on't . It must be tho imperfeotion o' our
faculties that we canna conceive o Deity makin' a Deil ! Of course when He made ane , He made a right gude ane , ance for a ' . He could say when done o ' m , I doubt na , that _ " he was a' verra gude . " An' gude o' his kind , I ' se warrant , He ' s found him . Lord Byron ( wha was born i' Aberdeenshire ) used to keep a bear for his amusement ; but hoo Ane that sail be nameless , cam to keep a deil , passes a' understandin ' . It ' s no but there ' s awayo' gettin' out o' the difficulty ; ye see , He did ' na at first mak a Deil o ' m , but a fine angel misifear , wha was , by the eternal decrees , foreordained to opposishun o' his ain free wuH . So wi ' . our first parent ' s too ; they were free to stan'or fa '; and if they did fa' twas a' o' their ane wnfls , in accordance wi' the decrees we were speakin' aboot .
Am afeerd to trust ma' instincts wi' the next part o' the problum . Original sin is like the blood-stains in Holyrood that canna be washed oot ; an' am afeerd that as the showman maks siller o' the . stains , an ' wadna blot them oot if he could , so the kirk ' s marrow-banes are fa' o ' original sin , an' a gey cripple she wad be without it . There are , it is true , pheesical , what they ca' parallels on this subject , ane o' which is the king ' s-evil , that descends frae faither to son in ordinairy generation . The auld sins live in the blood , it is true , and its mair ' s the pity . Its a fearfu' consideration tho ' , and am no sure o' the justice o't . xou see we
dinna get sin by the measure , as we get talent or a genius for poetry , to be accountable for the use we mak o't ; but we get it in immeasurable quantums , ane and a' o' us , to be damned in . the seethin' furnis by it ' gen we canna get rid o't . An' there ' s Darkie aye ready to strap it on your back , ' gen you shake it aff ; and the kirk telHn' you ye canna shake it aff o' yoursel ; that ye maun get grace afore ye try it ; and pray for grace afore ye get it ; and be " warked on" afore ye can pray ; and be elected afore ye can be warked on ; and a ' along , a ' along , that ye be ' sponsable free agents ! Ah , Jamie , Jamie , here ' s mystery enou '—mystery enou' !
Its a gran' plan what they ca' the plan o' salvation ; but am thinkin ' there ' s ae ither plan to match it—the plan o' damnation ; an' it ' s worthy o ' consideration , that accordin' to the kirk the latter has been , the mair successful as it was the mair comprehensive o' the twa ; an' may be the reason for this is , that it received the first attention , for ye Icen till damnation was determined upon , salvation was a' oot o' the question . I hear a gude deal noo a days frae the south o' the doctrine o' Atonement , and on the subject o' the Incarnation . Far be it frae a simple body like me to pretend to hae an opinion on sic high , matters . Ae professor * that I hear tell o '—a gude man , an' skilled in the learnin' o' the aunciants- —has just got into difficulties frae writin' a buke on sic tonics
for the general edincation . Jamie Davidson has been readin' the man ' s buke , ¦ wi' nae sma' profit , as he says . The warst o't is , that Jamie , wi' a ' his subtility , canna put into wurds what he learn't oot o ' t ; an' am a wee afeerd that it has turned Jamie ' s noddle ;—don't interrupt me , Jamie , for wi' this observation am terminatin' what I hae to say . Ma' advice to ane and a' is , to fash themsels a w ee less wi' sic matters than I hae been doin ' . There ' s nae greater fact than a man himsel ' , an' am sure there ' s nae greater mystery . May be itlier things that are mysterious are facts also . It's at least true that the warld presents enou' for us on our ain level to engage oursels wi' ; and if in lookin' low ye aye see dirt , am o ' opinion that in lookin' high ye'll aye be wallcin' intil't . "
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How To Make Home Happy. When I Read That...
HOW TO MAKE HOME HAPPY . When I read that title on the Lyceum Playbill , my natural exclamation was , — " How to make home happy P nothing can bo simpler : keep lato hours , —be sarcastic on shopping , —admire tlio way Mra . Jones dresses , think Mra . Brown ' s children are ' perfectly managed ' , —bring a friend home suddenly to dinner on Saturdays , —discover that ' other people ' manage to get whatever cannot bo got at homo , and you will infallibly mako liome happy . "
None of these remedial ingenuities are adopted in tho Lyceum farce . In fact , after laughing through that farce , I am still as wise as ever respecting tho proposed means for making home happy . I wish Mr . Brough would explain . As I have no home , and that homo is not happy . I really stand in need of his secret . Does ho mean that I am to invite to my homo that terrible Mra . Prank Matthews , majestic : on domestic " rights , " and copious in tearsP Doea he mean that I am to engago Wright—and at his own priee too P What am I . to do P Why ? when P wherefore P I could atun him with queries , which lie would find it difficult to answer . His farce doesn't teach The how to mako home happy . And yet is not tlio ata ^ o " a lay pulpit "—a kind of chapel of ease ( and ' very free and easy they arc in it too)—and if ho , why am I to ho laughed out of my " moral " instead of being laughed into it P " Ridcntem , diccrc varicm ( jttid vvtut —• what ' s to prevent my telling the truth in a joke P" asked the satirist . To whieh the answer ia , — " Nothing , except the want of truth , and the want ; of a joke to toll it in . " Now , Mr . IJrough , I call upon you jus an august clorieus of tho easy order to answer mo why , with suHi a moral before you , " ao \ ihoI \ iI in fainilie . s , " an that of " how to niiilce homo happy , " you east aside your surplice ' M ^ preach no moral at all , air ,
except that Mra . 'Frank ia jealous , and ought not to be so . It ia of no use your telling mo that ; a dranmtia !; i « not hound to supplement the paraon . I deny it ; I revolt—a ( Jn < rTi ] ful IV you maintain that , you will have to deny that , tho stage ia a " lay pulpit ; " and if you do , —look out for aqualla from Syncrolica and other luminous parties ! Leaving Mr . Urougli to the Syneretiea , I may briefly tell you that hia farce is of Blonder and ancient materials , pleasantly put together , and very humorously played by Wright and Mra . Frank Matthews . The revival of Patter versus Clatter was welcomed almost as heartily m if it luul boon a novelty ; and in one sense it aLwaya will bo a novelty in tlio ( Voalineaa of surprise created by Charles Mntlunva ' a varied volubility . Vivian .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 12, 1853, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_12111853/page/19/
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