Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1859-05-07
From the Philadelphia Enquirer.
No object in Living.

An unfortunate, who recently terminated
his life by his own hand left, in writing, as his
reason for the act, that he had mo object in
living" We know nothing of this mans life,
and have no thought of refecting upon him in
anything we may now say. Probably he died
in consequence of insanity for the charitable
presumption is that, in such cases, the victim
of the suicidal blow has lost control of reason.
Life is dear; and, even under circumstances
apparently most unpropitious, hope promises
that the scene may change, and the pros
pect become more endurable.
But-''no object in living" is to many peo-
pie of desponding natures a temptation and a
snare. 1t darkens their views of life, and
makes them discontented and unhappy
What do the words mean Many answers
might be given. The most generally true is
that the people who use them are intensely
and unsocially selfish. They are eaten up
with themselves, and covetous desires of some
sort or other consume them. AS the world
is not inclined to concede every thing that such
men ask, as every member of society has his
wishes and views, he who recognizes no rights,
and no convenience save his own, is ready to
conclude, when his unreasonable wishes or ex-
pectations fail, that he has no object in living.
Many suicides no doubt occur from this in
sanity. And in the cases Of many insane
people, probably of most, we find their dis
tempered fancies centering always in them
selves. There are we know, exceptions. But of
all dangers threateningwreck to the mind none
are so great as asover-indulgence of selfish ankle
ties. Undue application, whether to study,
to labor, to business, to religious theorising, to
politics or craftsmanship, wrecks many minds.
But analyze the motive of this over applica-
ton, and we find at the bottom the usual dis
turbing cause or motive, too much care for
self
lie who would live happily and die content
in the end, must always keep before him an
object in living, and take care that the object
he pursues is not confined to his own good or
prosperity. The best possible object in living
is the advantage of others. The son who
makes the happiness of his parents, or the IA
ther who provides the comfort of his family,
is not likely TO grow moody or discontented
The wife and mother who thinks of her hus-
band and children, the sister and daughter
who lives for home, has an object in living
which will drive away gloom and ennui-
There are cases we know in which it is said
that persons have died rather than see their
loved ones come to poverty. But here again
is selfishness. They fly from an expected evil
which they fear to meet, and permit those for
whom they profess affection to encounter
the evil. This is insanity produced by over
indulgence in selfish musings. .
We all have an object in living while any
one else lives whom we can benefit And
when our own misfOrtunes or disappointments
threaten to sour our hearts, the readiest cure,
the true ministry to the mind diseased, is to
60 forthwith and do good to somebody. Let
man cultivate his interest in his friends, his
country open his sympathies study the
good of others in the individual or aggregate
keep up with what is going On around him,
and not shut down the windows of his heart
and bar the world out, and, our word for it,
an object for living will never be wanting
Look at that boy of yours. Your next door
neighbor cannot set curb stone, and the
worshipful the corporation cannot light new
gas lamp, but he is into the improvement with
all his heart. Let people keep only the natu-
raj manners Of children and forget themselves
in what other people are doing, and misan-
thropy among men would become as rare as
gray heads among children. We can't get
through this world without contact with it,
and if we irritate the epidermis till every
| touch of fellow creature is like a scald or q
burn, to be sure we have no object to live for!
If we are dead to all the rest OF creation, our
life is only death afthe best, and to commit
suicide is work of supererogation.