The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-13

SAVED FROM SUICIDE.

"Sir, can you give me half-hour of
your time. this motningf'
"Ycs," replied, ''if | can be Of any
service to you by 80 doing"
"Not here, but in your Office privately"
he continued. 81 must speak to some
body, and having heard you preach in
the Church ON Pine street, felt | could
approach you. ] am i'll great trouble
and danger, and must speak to some
onew
His manner was excited, his hand
trembled, and his eye had an insane CLEAN
as he spoke, We walked on in silence
until we reached nay Office on Montgomery
street, when he hucriedly locked the door
on the inside, saying as he did SO:
"This conversation is to be private,
and do not intend TO be interrupted"
As he turned toward me | saw that he
had pistol in his hand which he laid
on desk and then sat down. | waited
for him to speak, eyeing him and the pis-
tol closely, and feeling little uncom-
Portable locked in thus with an armed
madman OF almost giant-like size and
strength.
"Haye yon ever been haunted by the
idea of stiicideF' he asked abruptly, his
eyes glarirg upon me as he spoke.
''No, not particularly" | answered,
"but why DO you astY'
Because the idea is haunting me-"
he said in an agitated tone, rising from
his chair as he spoke. "I have lain for
two nights with cooked pistol in my
hand, calculating the value OF my life. |
bought the pistol to shoot myself with,
and wonder that have not done it;
but something has held me back"
''What has put the idea of suicide into
your mind?" / inquired
"NIy life's a failure, sir; and there is
nothing left for such fool as | have
been" he said, bitterly. "When a man
mas no hope left he should die"
WAS making somo reply when he
broke in:
'ITear my history, then tell me if death
is not the only thing left for me-"
When he told me his name I recog-
nizod it as thatof % man of genius, whose
contributions to a certain popular period
zeal had given him wide fame in the
world of letters. He was the son of a
venerable New England Bishop, and a
graduate of Harvard University / will
give his story Ia his OWE words, as nearly
Us can:
'ln 1850 | started 10 California with
honorable purposes and high ambition.
Ny father being q clergyman, and poor,
and greatly advanced in years, felt that
it was my duty to make provision for
him and for the family circle to which
[ belonged. Animated by this purpose,
| was full OF hope and energy. On the
ship that took me to California ] made
the acquaintance and fell into the snaIes
of q beautiful but unprincipled woman,
Tor whom I tOiled and sacrificed every
Jhing for eight years Of weakness and
folly, never remittiDg dollar to those
intended to provide for al home. | made
immense sums Of money, but it all went
Tor nothing but to feed the extravaganza
and recklessncss of my evil genius. Tor
tured by remorse, made many struggles
TO free myself from the evil connection
that blighted my life, but in vain, when
death lifted the shadow from my path.
The unhappy woman died, and | was free,
| felt like new man. The glowing
hopes that had been smothered revived. |
I worked hard and prospered. | made
money and saved it, making occasional
remittances to the family at home, who
we're oyerioycd to hear from me after 50
long and guilty silence.
"I had learned 10 gamble, of course,
but now resolved to quit it. For two
years ] kept this resolution, and had in
the meantime saved over $4,000. DO you
believe that the devil teEnpts mea? I
tell you il is true. | began to feel
strange desire to visit my old haunts |
yielded, and found my way to we'll
known gambling he'll, where / lost every
dollar of my haId-earned money. Ny
self-coDtcmpt was complete. | sn aked
to my lodgings, feeling that had some
how parted with my manhood as well as
my money.
"rhe very next day ! was surprised by
the offer Of a lucfStiye subordinate posi-
ton i'll federal office in San Francisco
This was not the FIRST coincidence Of the
sort in my life where an unexpected in
tluence had been brought to bear upon
me, giving my plans and prospects a new
direction. Has God anything to do with
these things, or is it accident? l took
the place which was offered 10 me, and
went to work with renewed hope and
Energy. | made VOW against gambling
and determined TO regain all had thrown
away. / saved every dollar possible,
pinching myself in my living, and sup
plementing nay liberal salary by literary
labors. My savings had again run high
up in the thousands and my gains were
steady. The Frazer River mining ex-
element broke out An old friend of
mine came to ne and asked the loan of
a 800 to help him off TO the new mines.
/ told him he slrouid have the money,
and that / would have it ready
for him that afternoon. After he
left the Thought occurred to me
that 500 was very poor outfit for such
an enterprise, and that he ought to have
more. Then the thought was suggested
yes, sir, it was suggested--that | might
take the hundred dollars to faro bank
and uin aDothoy Luudred IN nlace i'm the