Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1883-12-01

this village on Thursday Goth, at
II o'clock, p. M. w. III. Ell. Har-
ley's birthday came duly to hand.
The house was crowded to It's full
est capacity. Our kind host and
hostess rendered themselves con
spicuous in administering to the
comfort of their guests The
tables groaned with all the delica-
cies of the season, and we assure
you ample justice was dore the
insatiate appetites of each one
present. The matchmaking was
the browning feature of the day j;
We watched; twas at the midnight
hour,
When all around was calmly sleep
.Little George" as if by magic pow
Emerges from his secluded keep
ing.
Earnest Faulkner, little son of
Col. James w. Mcdonald, has
been extremely unfortunate, hay
ing last spring contriyed
to have one of his feet almost
mangled by the foot of one of his
fathers horses. Scarcely had the
little fellow recovered from the ef
fects of a mashed foot. than he is
forced to suffer the excruciating
pains of rheumatism. His fate in
deed awakens our sympathy, and
we can bat admire the heroic for
titude with which this little boy
bears up under lis Affections.
Huntspen have become quite
scarce in the past week. We think
the trail left in Darkesyille on
last Saturday eve by two of our
countrymen was enough to intim-
idate the remaining 1900 who are
daily popping away at poor little
bunny. These gentlemen had 2
rabbits and 3 pole cats. We nd
wise them to hold on to their cats,
for in them is a hidden treasure.
Their stencil, we are told, is a
preventative for all such secure es
as smallpox, chicken-pox, measles,
and itch, and we believe the devil
himself would be exceedingly slow
in tackling with the smell thereof.
Is suicide on the increase? This
is a question that should occupy
our serious consideration Every
week our paper brings fresh exam
Piles, until we have grown so cal
lous that we read them, if we
read them at all, with no more
emotion than an ordinary death
notice. Under given circumstan-
ces, which nowadays embraces so
large scope that we can scarcely
limit it, a suicide may confidently
be predicted Formerly disap
pointed or jealous lovers laid vic
lent hands upon themselves and
were declared insane, as no right
minded person was Thought to
value life so lightly; but now, ply
steal pain, poverty, disappoint-
ment, loss of friends, etc. are iass
as likely as not to result in Tie
pistol shot,tde self-prepared moss.
or through some other of the
many exit doors of life From
one cause or another the value set
upon life appears to be decreas
ing one. "Does it pay?" is asked
. upon all side. From one point
of view the present age is one
wherein it is a privilege to live and
and to behold all the rich
fruits which genius, research, and
industry have produced for our
comfort, use and enjoyment. Sep
arated from It's former usual con
comitant insanity, this crime CAM
not be too highly execrated.
Shame and contempt should await
upon the name of its perpetrator
and the would-be suicide be made
in every State amendable to the
criminal law, besides suffering So
cial ostracism. As it is. maud
lin pity is accorded to theman too
cowardly to bear the burden Of
life. We should know, that for a
man to take his own life, is q
great moral wrong, as well as an
act of gross selfshness whose re-
action usually affects directly a
number OF innocent persons.
MORE ANON.