The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-04-08
Suicides of Children.

! -NANNHANN
Within the last two weeks an epidemic
Of suicide among children has passe,
over the country. One child steals
small sum Of money from his steptnther
and in an agony OF shame kills bimsel
nther than meet the eye of his mother
Another boy who had committed like
fault in the shop where he was employed
puts pistol to his head and blows hi.
brains out, after writing childish,
pathetic letter, in which ho bids every.
body goodbye, and tells his father he
"is not going to make trouble in the
house any more" These are but few
of many instances where some assign.
able cause could be given but the Inst
is that Of n boy who, without any rea-
son, cheerful, merry little fellow, in q
happy home, puts m end to his life
very probably because he had heard the
others did it.
There is, as all Psychologists know, a
contagion Of crime; governed by rules
and refenble to them, rs my contagious
physical disorder. Suicidal manias
have, ut different times, passed over
certain towns and districts until the aid
Of the law was needed to arrest them.
The women OF Lyons, during certain
period, drowned themselves in such
numbers that Government interiered,
9nd, by the public exposure Of the
bodies, put n summary stop to the prac.
tice. In Versailles, this mauia, without
any cause other than that OF the con.
tNgion OF example, reached such hight
that the number OF suicides during one
year was 1900. Other epidemics oI
crime, such an incendiarism, poisoning,
the tarantula fever, which in the SIX
teenth century drove thousands OF the
Neapolitans dancing into tue sea, have
all raged principally among children,
hystcrical girls and excitable boys. The
causes OF such mental diseases arc moi
hard to find. The unhealthy condition
OF public thought, from religious to pO.
litical action, the morbid state OF mind
produced by lack Of any education, ol
overforcing, and, more than all, the
perpetual suggestion OF any certain
crime by the press, to bruins already
thus diseased-every one OF these causes
operates in the case OF our children.
They arc born, to begin with, OF nerv.
ous racc, half OF whom are debilitated
by oyer.work, or the use OF tobacco OF
liquor. The climate is exlausting, MS no
other; the ordinary pace o, life that Of
race-course. The child OF middle.
class family land it is in the middle class
these abnormal cases have occurred)
knows nothing Of the seclusion OF tho
nursery; the frequent holidays, in
which he thinks all the world joins the
blessed ignorances that make the English
and German child's life in Eden, where
his soul aud body may grow strong and
healthy together. The American boy
eats his share Of his fathers knowledge
from the time lie can SIT at the table.
Murders, social evils, aro no mysteries
to him they fill his eais ut every meal
aud his eyes whenever hc looks into n
paper. There is usually no attempt to
hide from him any depth Of human de.
gradation or vice. Even worse than
this /; the troubles OF the iamily-del,ts,
struggles, disagreemeuts-ar laid upon
the little shoulders with cruel careless
ness, ut M age when he should not
know there was such thing ns trouble
in the world. American homes arc sad
and mirthless beyond any others. The
American child is born, in nine cases
out Of ten, to IN inheritance OF utterly
causeless gloom; his Woodworking
father and head-aching mother arc so
occupied in striving for money or posi-
ton for him that they forget the care
less sunshiny happiness which is his
birthright, and which their selfish
troubles have no right to cloud. His
own brain, especially il lie bea boy Of
any promise, Is forced md overwrought !;
he is taught to read as soon MS he is
weaned; parents, teachers, public opin-
ion, spur and goad him thepceioith
without ceasing; il he is to go into trade
his chance for education usually stops
ut fifteen at twenty, II he is to enter
the professions; into these years he
must crowd q smlttering OF all sciences,
knowledges, and arts.
Nothing but sound body and the
tonic Of a pcrpetually happy, mirthful
home.life could support him through
this, and produce rational, strong,
helpful man to take his part in the
world, at the end. When so many Of
our children have neither, there is little
reason for wonder that they nre willing,
for the slightest cause, to turn aside and
shirk the road, which from the begin.
ming bns been made too hard for them.
m Y. Paper.