FINALITY.
["He was one of those who believed that, even in the ordinary legislation of the House, and still more in a measure of such complexity, it was the utmost folly to talk of finality!"—Mr. J. Redmond the Home-Rule Bill.]
Are our sage legislators, then, set upon finding
A measure that's "final, conclusive, and binding,"
As lawyer-phrase puts it? They might as well try
To fix dawn in the East, or nail clouds to the sky!
There's nothing that's "final" in infinite time,
That great, goalless, measureless race-course sublime?
In which relays of runners must keep up the race?
There's nothing "conclusive" in limitless space;
And "binding" man's soul to his best of to-day
For the future of growth, in an absolute way,
Were folly as futile as binding an oak
To the seedling's first prop, or the sapling's first yoke;
For provisional law, not for secular life,
Such phrases are fit. Yet to heal age-long strife
By the very best "betterment" now in our ken,
Till—a better shines forth's the first duty of men.
Do right to the height of our sight's actuality!—
Yes, that is our best—and our only—Finality!
An odd Advertisement frequently catches our eye. It is "Dr. Gordon Stables's Health Series." Have the Gordon Stables anything to do with "the Gordon Hotels"? If not, why not? as evidently they could work together to their mutual benefit.
A History of Medicine, by Dr. Edward Berdoe, is announced as shortly to appear. It will be illustrated by a Black (-and-White) draughtsman.