Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-03-22
OUR PARIS LETTER.
A CHAPTER UPON SUICIDES AT THE
FRENCH METROPOLIS.
The Death of Marat at the Eands Of
Charlotte de corday-The Conserv-
atoire OF Music and Its Rival.
PARIS. february 81. 1854.

and though similar document is published |
every wear. it never fails to create a pro-
found feeling of sstonishment and horror. |
Parisians are terrified at the frightful in.
crease of suicides, and are asking seriously |
that something may be done that a law
may be passed, for instance, identical with
that of England. But those who have
thoughtlully studied the pathology and
psychology of suicide know that no law
csn prevent its increase. Since, and long
enough before, the birth of Goethe's
Werther different temperaments have
held different views of suicides, but the
Partisan view seems more particularly to
approach that of snceut Rome, where
SUICIDE WAS A PHILOSOPHICAL PRECEPT.
In almost all countries suicide is generally
regarded as a cowardly act but despite
the horror of the Partisan at the sight of
the bulky statistics, he will tell you that
nothing is a greater mistake-that it is
neither cowardly for Christian believers
nor for intidels, but crime for the former
and an honor for the latter that, in fact,
suicide is almost the only thing which dis
tjnctly marks the difference between man
and beast, if regarded from the material
lists point OF view; that the man who takes
his own life commits an act forbidden by
nature to his horse or to his dog. Taese
last statistics indicate that suicide is less
frequent among the poorer than the wealth
Ter classes, and that artists take their life
much oftener than is generally suspected.
As there are two kinds of artists, the
artist who thinks and executes, and the
artist who executes without thinking, the
first is recognized, while the second suffers
the urbearab'e anguish of neglect, which
often leads to suicide. As there are third
less of suicides among women than men,
it would seem that women were more
hopeful than men, hut Psrisians give
TWO VERY DIFFERENT REASONS.
First, that woman is organized like
child, and can weep over sorrow, and that
no one ever heard of a weeping suicide.
The second reason is, that women have not
the liberty that men have to commit sui
eide. However this may be, the French
physicians all declare that suicide is con-
cealed eight times out OF ten. Il the sta
tistics state that there were 600 suicides at
Paris in 1883, they affirm that the correct
figure is nearly 4, 900; that is to say, at the
rate of ten suicides a day. The Partisan
suicides resort to the most extraordinary
and the most violent means to rid them
selves of the burden of life but the favor
tie method is the inhalation of the fumes
of charcoal. Even children resort to this
means of elf-destruction and as charcoal
is used freely in sill French kitchens, and
even in sleeping rooms, the intention Of
the poor little ones is not suspected until
too late to prevent the mischief. The
Seine is the favorite suicide resort of young
girls. Only the other day two young
creatures
WALKED STRAIGHT INTO THE RIVER,
Hand. in hand, laughing merrily and keenly
Re ioicing in the death they had gone to
seek. The only amusing suicide of the
statistics ia that of young married man,
OF excellent position, who shot himself be-
cause his wife would not permit him to
this was a pretext, and he belonged to the
large family of suicides who take their
lives when apparently happiest. Some
thing from beyond the grave seems to call
them, and they go out of life swiftly and
suddenly, as one leaves ballroom in the
midst of the dance, in response to voice
outside, heard only by the person sum
moned.
CHARLOTTE DE CoRDAY.
Among the private historical houses in
Paris may be mentioned No. 10, Rue Ar.
CONT, where lived Charlotte de C0rday,
and then, as now, it was the Hotel de
Provence This was a favorite hotel of
good old families of the provinces, coming
up to Paris for short stay. Charlotte de
Corday was a young Norman girl, of poor
but noble parentage, who regarded Marat
as the chief of the Red Republicans, and
she resolved to rid the world of him. She
| lived with her aunt at Caen, where she
met Madame Roland and the Girondists,
who had taken refuge there. On the 10Th
| of July she left her aunt's house, and on
arriving at Paris ordered a csbman to
drive to the Hotel de Provence, where she
engaged an apartment for several days. Il
! happened that Marst's house was close
| by, and she soon discovered that
he was i'll and confined to his
rooms. Charlotte requested by letter an
interview, and called at half-past o'clock
on the evening of the 18Th. Msrat was in
bath, but allowed the beautiful young
| girl to enter the room. A cloth was thrown
over the bath, and the two entered into
conversation. The subject was the Gil
rondists who had taken refuge at Caen.
81 Before the week is ended" said Marat,
mot one of them shall have escape the
guillotine. Scarcely had he uttered these
words, when the young girl drew knife
from her ktrchief, and plunged 1T to the
hilt in the monsters heart. He gave one
loud cry, and sank back dead In the bath.
| Two days later she was sent to the gull
lotine, and died saying, Zone man have |
slain to save a hundred thousand" Her
extraordinary beauty gave lively interest
to her heroic deed. The portraits OF Char
lotte de Corday represent her as tall, but
admir- bly, proportional, with figure full
CT grace and dignity. The arms, hands
and shoulders were models of beauty An
expression of gentleness and serenity
characterized her fair oval conrenance and
regular features. Her nose was straight and
well formed, her msuth serious, but very
beautiful Like most of the Norman
women, her complexion was transparent,
and thick brown hair fell in curls round her
neck and shoulders.
THE PARIS CONSERVATORY,
Not long since the Minister of Public
Instruction brought a suit against Mile.
Darland, a talented pupil of the Conserva.
toire of Paris, for having signed, without
his permission, an engagement with the
Theatre Gymnase. TIE Conservatoire s
very strict in these matters, and the friends
of the young lady have been anxious, but
NJ. Ksempfen, Director of the School of
Fine Arts and an old friend of the family,
used his influence, and the young artistic
has been released. It is well for Ameri.
cans DESTROYS to enter the Paris ConserVa.
toire to know that they are the absolute
slaves Of The institute until they are grad
uated, and even afterward, in most cases,
they are not permitted to enter into any
engagement without consent OF the Minis
ter of Pablo Instruction. 1t may seem
hard. but the Conservatoire is Govern
ment institute, and this must be t lken into
consideration.
A FRENCH SCHOOL OF MUSIC
Was founded in 1882 by Remi Montardon,
with ninety.three professors of the first
rank, and from the lst of January, 1884,
this school was declared "as free as the
Conservstorie." There are Sl4 pupils, and
a. t;op - Marob Mill rroha hJ,,