The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-11-27
WAS IT SUICIDE?
IDr. w. H. IL. Murray in the Golden Rule.l

IDr. w. II. III. Murray in the Golden Rule.l
Two men.
One, John Norton. You all know him,
John Norton, the trapper.
The Other-well, | don't know his name.
John Norton didn't know it himself. You
see, the man came into camp one day
coming up in the Racquette in a boat that
was as old and broken to pieces as himself
came into camp one day in the morning,
coming up the Racquette; and he went ont
of 1t before the next morning by the way OF
another river that most men dread to sail
on, but which seemed to him pleasant
enough to seek 1t; and it is about this other
river and the way the men launched out on
it. and why he came to do so in the way he
did-a rather abrupt way, perhaps, some
would think, that wish to tell you.
/ said l din't know his name. That
doesn't matter, perhaps. At the two ex-
tremilies of life names signify little pro-
yided the circumstances are OF certain
class. What does it matter what the name
of a babe is if there is no one to love him2
Names are for the strong and those that
move amid the worlds activities. But the
weak-the very weak, / mean, and they who
stand on the thin edge OF the worlds doing,
and on the very point Of quitting it forever
well, what use have these for names, and
what matters 1t whether they have a name
or not?
So we all agree that il doesn't matter what
the mans name was.
What sort of a man was he? Well, there
was nothing very remarkable about the man
by which to distinguish him from other
men. He was old-seYenty, perhaps-he
" g pretty well broken down as respects his
bodily structure; that is, he showed signs or
age. His hair was gray. 1t had been black
once. His face was deeply wrinkled. 1 dare
say that his body had the pains that seventy
years bring to flesh ana blood; but beyond
these ordinary marks and Symptoms OF de-
cay there was nothing by which to specially
describe him. Take an old man OF Seventy
that you know, of noble countenance, and
he will look very like the man that came
into John Norton's camp one morning and
went out OF it the next.
Eyes? Well, yes, his eyes were remark
able. BY the way, what strange things eyes
are. What deceIls they are. How they can
lie Don't you think so? Why, l saw a
thief the other, on rail car. caught in the
very act looking into the face of the officer
with the eyes of SAINT How frank they
were! How clear and steady OF gael No
shrlveling of the lid;l No variableness OF
the retnal No uneasinesS in the look; and
vet the man was thief. But this mans eyes
were peculiar in one thing; the look in them
was the look of man that never looks back,
and never looks at things that are near; the
look of man that looks steadfastly for
something ahead and something far away.
/ can't describe il any better than that; per
haps you can catch my meaning. If you
don't it doesn't matter. TIE mans appear.
ance doesn't affect my story much anyway
"Do you think itwrong for man to COM
NIT suicide, John Norton2"
The trapper deliberlted a moment, and
then SAID: The word is a new un to me,
friend. Can ye show me the trail by some
other trackg'
sis it right for a man to take his own life,
John Norton? That is what / mean" an
swered the other.
This time the trapper delIberated even
longer than before. He fingered the ham
mers of his rifle as if he were trying the lock,
for minute, and then said:
1--WE seen the thing did, friend, but the
circumstances was unusual"
"Did you say that you had known a case
where a man took his own lifeG" said the
other.
''SartinIy, sartinly," answered the trapper,
1--WE seed 1t did. Ye see fire is hard to bear,
and the redskins be cunnin' at tormentin'
and TO escape burnin' I've seed men kill
themselves. Yis, I've seed even officers, who
ought to be rational, blow their brains out
with their pistols rather than be taken alive
by the vsrmints."
"Were You ever tempted to do il your
self2' asked the stranger.
Never" answered the trapper solemnly,
"the Ills and the dangers OF life come with
HE life accordin' to the Lords orderin', and
the days of our bearin' them be writ In a
book, and the will of the Lord is that we
live and bear up till the day comes round.
Leastwise, that is the way the thing looks TO
me. Does il not look the same to you,
friend2' queried the trapper.
'It does not" answered the man.
The trapper looked at the man quickly and
searchingly; then the look in his eyes soft
ened, and he said
"Friend, yer hairs be as white as mine, and
the years have made them white, and the
troubles, too, should have made ye wise. /
would like TO hear yer reasons for the sayin'
We have said"
"My years are many as yours, beyond a
doubt" responded the man, and he looked
at the head OF the trapper as one old man
will look at the head of another when speak
ing of their years, land my troubles have
beea many and dire" and here the man
paused a moment and then added, Have
you had many troubles, John Norton?'
"Nothin' with speakin' Of" answered the
trapper. "I've felt the tech Of lead several
times, and the knives have got into me off
and on, and broke my rife stock once afore
the scrimmsge was half over, and wasn't
really contented the rest OF the fight. But
these things was small matters, and sech as a
reasonable man expects. No, can't say
that / ever bad any actual trouble"
Have you ever had any great grief, John
Nortonr
i've buried one or two that made the
world look empty after they was gone" re-
sponded the old man.
"ChiIdrenT' queried the stranger.
"Arter the sperit; yis, children, AFTER the
sperit. That makes them mine, as / con-
eeit, and the look which the trapper gave