Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1853-09-09


no teaching of faith in this popular litera-
ture. Its lessons are all of morbid des-
pair. Even authors of high repute, We
repeat, have contributed to disseminate
this dark and hopeless philosophy. Much
as we admire Hawthorne's genius, We
can not but ccnsure linn foremost of all :;
for the harm he has done, and is still do
ing, is in exact proportion to his skill as
an artist. The self chosen fate of Zenobia,
in "The Blithedale Romance" is but q
more dramatic version of the very suicide
under consideration. The naughty beau
ty, who had lost faith in all things, is but
tinseled tragedy queen, where these poor
girls, to whom faith and courage were
equally wanting, are humber imitators in
the same line
One thing is certain. Suicides among
females are becoming alarmingly frequent
in the New England States Just where
the intellect is cultivated the most, the
striking fact is seen of the greatest practi.
cal weakness. But alas it is not always
cultivated right. Else we should not be.
hold so many poor hearts shrinking from
life, at the very first disappointment, as if
never before had hearts been wronged, or
the Temptcr whispered suicide unrebuked
in the ear. We fear that, with all this
intellectual progress, the moral advance
has not been commensurate. Or rather,
perhaps, We should say, religious instruc-
ton has not kept pace with mental culture.
Mothers have failed to teach their daush-
tiers faith, faith in their own capacity to
surmount sorrow, faith IN G cd helping them
bravely to combat misfortune. The plain,
humble, trusting religion Of the past GEN.
tury is too often despised now in the land
even of the Puritans. New beliefs, which
are truly no beliefs, but only skepticism
questioning Of all things: have supplanted
the all-relying, all-trusting beliefs of other
days. We could almost say that there is
no longer any faith among all the preten-
ded faiths of the age. A naughty trust
in self has supplanted a child-like trust in
heaven, and hence, when that fails, all
fails, and the sufferers seek relief from
despair in death.
Yet how Is THO to be currec:edt An OBJ
vious way to begin reform, even if no
more, Is to cease making heroines of sui
cides. The heroic are those "who suffer
and grow strong" not those who weakly
lay down the burden Of l;fs. Il Is s.Ay
thing comparatively to die. 1t is an in
fnitely hard thing to live on uncomplain-
ingly. There are to-day thousands of fc-
males, all over this wide land, who have
borne, in meek silence, the weight of dis
love, who are still bearing it, who
will bear it to their graves. Yet we never
hear eulogies on their heroism. No editor
calls on the public to sympathizc with
them. Few authors make such brave and
true women their theme. All our pity
and admiration is sought to be aroused in
behalf of those who deserve it not, because
what their sufIerings entitle them to, they
sacrifice by their want Of heroism.
But, more potent remedies arc needed.
The cautery must 60 even deeper. Every
where, among all the teachers Of the peo-
pie, there is need Of more earnest incuca-
ion of faith. Poor human nature wants a
,tay in The rough highway of life, a bull
vark against the wild ocean around it. Of
Itself it cannot maintain the struggle. 1t
must have faith to fall back upon, or all
llas is lost. The lMorgue at Paris, is a
laily proof that people with no faith have
40 resource but in suicide Bulletin.
A LARGE ST0Rv.-Some traveller in
Mexico relates the following whopper:
81 was consoled by watching the beau