Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1885-03-06
SUICIDE AND CURIOSITY.


SUICIDE AND CURIOSITY.
People Possessed Of Morbid Cravings
Those Who Derive An Cnwholesone
Satisfaction From the Literature Of Self
slaughter.
Human sympathy has its morb d
rawlings. There used to be an old Ia "
n Newport, who had an unwhole>ome
hankering for funerals. She would r't
up early in the morning and run for tn
newspaper 10 see if anybody had del
Turing the night; and if her search :or
melancholy tidings were rewarded b !,
glimpse of black lines and obituary
verse. life would seem mt once to
possess new interest for her. A W IL
conducted funeral was in her judgme IT
one of the most satisfactory events Of
life. She liked everything about it
the ncighborly offices of washing
dressing and earl for the dead; tn.
darkcned windows and the dangling
strcamers of Grape on the bcll-pul,: tn.
undertakcrs frosty SIN l.. and t.p-toe
gait. the min stcr's touching remarks
and prayers for the relatives on tn.
second floor; the long line of carr'a ages
and the drive through the cemetery.
She WAS very helpful in time of be-
rcavcmcnt. She WAS elderly in her
ways. WAS VIII ng to do many
things which nobody else cared
TO do. and had melancholy
smile and sympathetic voice that
comportcd W tn the saddest scenes of hui
man aill It on and separation. Her
usefulness on such occasions was gen
orally recognized, and she was invari-
ably sent for to ass st in making the
preliminary arrangements, and to
have special charge of hous, hold af-
fairs during the brief interval between
death and burial. But it was an open
secret that she enjoyed every funeral
in which she had hand; and it was
one of the grim plcasantries of the
town that she had insisted upon "
ing to an advanced age because she
was unwilling to die unless she could
receive special invitation to attend
her own funeral.
Probably it il this same morbid ele-
ment in human. nature which derives
| IN unwhOlesOme satisfaction from the
literature Of suicide. There are no
columns in the newspapers that are SO
widely read rs those containing re-
citals Of self-murder. Whether there
be much or little method in the mad
ness OF despair that drags the victim
out of the world. the melancholy
story is sure to have an uncanny fas-
cination for very large class in the
community. Human sympathy is Or
dinarily wholesome and healthful.
Why should it have a morbid interest in
anything SO embittered as the mad.
dening unrest. the agonizing suffering.
and the final act of desperation of the
wrctched suicide? Why should rca l.
ers with unimpaired digestion. sound
minds and fair prospects in life evince
so keen an appreciation of the motives
that impcl their fellow-creatlres to end
their existence by their own hands in
the outer darkness of despair. Why
should men and women of healthy
mental organization, who are surround
cd with comforts and leading quiet.
uneventful lives. follow with morbid
curiosity the closing act of the unhap-
py suicides tragedy? Indeed, it is
not easy to explain the popular appe-
tite for such rec; tails as were recorded
in Yesterdays local columns. The lax
ury of enjoying other mems sorrows
and troubles is not taste that is ord
narily INDUCED. Human nature is not
apt to distress itself unnecessarily and
to cxpend its sympathies upon the vc-
tins Of misfortune. If it derives a real,
albeit melancholy. species Of enterta: n
mont from the fate of the suicide. it
must be because there is secret con-
vict;On that human life becomes ut
times an enigma that can easily bafile
the wisest understanding. and that the
earth Is haunted everywhere with the
pale ghosts Of unfulfilled hopes beckon-
ing the victims of illusion toward the
abysses Of despair.
Su eide has its grim pleasantries, its
sentimental vagaries, its inextricable
mysteries. a. well as all the vulgar as
poets of selfishness, cgotism and cow
ardice. 1t is sometimes dull and me-
thodical. every step in the process OF
leaving the world being carefully CAL
culxted in advance; and then again it
10 capriciOus and impulsive. ending in
sudden leap from bridge and quick
exclamation. II might as well end il
here!" 1t may be the outcome of law
less passion or envenomed jealousy. OF
1t may be, ~ in Brooklyn recently, the
breaking Of faithful heart overwhelmed
with grief for the loss of life CON-
pxnion. 1t may be accompanied with
the fantastic bequest of the cold clay to
the masters of dissection and last
prayer that the skeleton shall not be
unnamed in a medical museum; or it
may be marked only by decent desire
to make ~ little trouble rs possible for
strangers. as when the Paterson suicide
shot Il m .elf on the stoop in order to
keep the furniture and carpet indoors
unspotted with blood. Suicide has as
wide range Of possibilities and con-
tingcncies rs the checkcred course OF
human life affords. 1t has thousand
varying phases of motive. method and
cause. so that every new case seems to
have an individuality Of its own. Pc :
sibly this element of unceasing variety
explains one secret of the fascination OF
the subject. The Newport crone found
fresh and characteristic pleasure in
every new funeral. In like manner the
literature of su eide never loses it's zest,
but has ever q novel charm for morbid
cur.o.ity.-N. Y. Tribune.