The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-06-27
Ruskin ON Miracles.

Some of us may no more be. able to
know genuine miracle, when we see it,
than others to know a genuine picture
but the ordinary impulse to regard,
therefore, all claim to miraculous power
as imposture, or self-deception, reminds
me always of the speech of a French
lady to me, whose husbands COLLECTION
of old pictures had brought unexpect-
edlY low prices in the auction-room,-
Chow can you be so senseless," she
said, "as to attach yourself to the study
of an art in which you see that all ex-
cellence is mere matter of opinion?''
Some of us have thus come to imagine
that the laws of nature, as well as those
of art, may be matters of opinion and
I recollect an ingenious paper by Mr..
Fredrick Harrison, some two years ago,
on the Subjective Synthesis, /" which,
after proving, what Goes not seem to
stand in need of so elaborate proof,
that we can only know, of the universe,
what we can see and understand, went
on to state that the laws of nature
. were not objective realities, any more
than they were absolute truths" Which
decision, it seems to me, is as if some
modest and rational gnat, who had sub
mitted to the humiliating conviction
that it could know no more of the world
than might be traversed by flight, or
tasted by puncture, yet in the course of
an experiment on a philosopher with its
proboscis, hearing him speak of the in
stitutes of Justinian, should observe,
on its return to the society of gnats,
that the institutes of Justinian were not
objective realities, any more then they
were absolate truths. And, indeed, the
careless use of the word "Truth" itself
often misleads even the most accurate
thinkers. A law cannot be spoken of as
a truth, either absolute or concrete. It
is law of nature, that is to say, of my
own particular nature, that I fall asleep
after dinner, and my confession of this
fact is truth but the bad habit is no
more truth than the statement of it is
a bad habit. Nevertheless, in spite of
the treachery of our conceptions and
language, and in Just conclusion even
from our narrow experience, the con-
viction is fastened in our hearts that the
habits or laws of nature are more con-
slant than our own, and sustained by
frmer intelligence SO that without, in
the least, claiming the faculty of recog-
milton of miracle, we may securely de-
fine its essence. The phenomena of the
universe with which we are acquainted
are assumed to be, under general con-
ditions, constant, but to be maintained
in that constancy by supreme personal
Mind; and it is father supposed that,
under particular conditions, this ruling
Person interrupts the constancy of the
in order to establish a par
ticular relation with inferior creatures.
THE OPossUM.-The American Nat
uralist has the following interesting
particulars concerning the habits of the
opossum:
The animal is widely distributed in
the United States. 1t dwells in hollow
logs, stumps, and in holes at the roots
of trees-does not burrow, but takes |
possession of holes already made. Into
Ghesehe will carry leaves, using his tail
for the purpose, and provide himself
with q comfortable bed when bad |
weather threatens. It does not hiber- |
nate, but hunts it's food at all seasons, |
is slow of foot and not very wild. 1t
will eat bacon, dry beef, carrion, any
kind of fowl, rabbits, any sort of small
game, almost all the insects and fruits |
VI OfCAJ NuAAOHJ5 OO1AS O6POOkoAAy 4OhO
of musk melons; and it is eaten in turn
by many people, the flesh being con-
sidered delicious. This has flavor
that of the flesh of a young
hog, but it is sweeter and less gross
negroes and others are exceedingly fond
of it dogs, however, hold a very diff
ferent opinion, and will sooner starve
than consume it. The animal is habit |
ually incautious, and when attacked
seems to possess little power of resis-
tence, literally suffering to be eaten
alive by the turkey buzzards, while it
lies on its side and protests against the
proceeding by succession of grunts.
tenacious of life, it will
survive a severe crunching by the dogs, |
when it seems as though every bone in
its body had been cracked. Although |
sometimes found concealed under the
floors of houses and out-buildings, it |
refuses to be domesticated, and it is
believed to dwell but short time in
any one place.