Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-06-05

What caused it ? everybody asks after
suicide like that of Lieutenant Schock.
Men do not often take their lives in mere
wantonness The determination to do the
deed, and the overwhelming temptation
may be sudden and unexpected, but the
real cause for the crime lies back of any
momentary impulse, in the condition of
mind or heart which has made the tempta-
ton what it is. The spark from the flint
reaching the finder, is it is true, the imme-
diate cause of the fire, but without the
previous preparation of flint and finder
there would be no flame. The suicide is
impelled to the deed, often by the impdlse
of the moment, but if there had been no
previous dallying with the terrible thought,
no preparing of the mind for Il possible
opportunity of the kind. the temptation
would not have had the power to produce
the act. Within the past few weeks there
have been number of suicides of an es-
pecially. sad and distressing nature, aud
with hardly single exception, inveatiga-
ton has proved them to be due to the
same cause. While the sad ending of the
brilliant and promising young naval Off
Ger, Lieutenant Schock, is still fresh in the
dwell on the prevailing cause of suicide
the cause which has had more examples
than any other within the past few years,
and which seems destined to outstr'u I'M
requited love, business reverses, weari-
ness under the burden of life, and all other
causes put ogether-namely, mental over
work.
Lieutenant Schock applied himself to
study with Il severity and closeness which
ought to have aroused apprehension, if
not in his own. mind, certainly il the
minds of his friends The natural fuuc-
tons of the body were interfered with. He
lost sleep and appetite-aud yet he did not
take warning, but continued to apply him
self to his books, till reason gave way.
Then the suicidal impulse came, and he
was unable to resist it. The shot which
ended his life was only the concluding act
of a tragedy which had its beginning in the
disregard of natures plain warnings tnat
her laws were being transgressed.
The case of young Barclay johnson was
very much like that of Lieutenant Schock,
except that it was so much more distress
ing in its results of evil to others. John
son had been applying him.elf to his law
!
and exercise which marked the conduct of
Schock, and his mind gave way under the
strain.
:. ). Conaut, the missing editor of Hnr
pcr's Weekly, was driven cray by over
wo; k at his desk. Miss Bedient, who re-
Gently shot herself in New York hotel.
was suffering, it is said, from melancholia
brought on by too close attention to her
books, and lack of physical and social rec
rcation The brain, which is the seat of
reason, cannot be abused without immi-
nent danger. The brain cannot be always
giving out, and never receiving. 1t can
not subsist upon its own vital powers, and
never renew them.
The lesson of our text is PLAIN enough.
Lie is lived too fast in these days of
modern achievement. We tax the ener-
gies of the brain beyond its natural
power of endurance, and, at the same
time, we neglect to supply the means of
recuperation. Sleep, exercise, rest, recre-
alton, enter into our lives, if they enter at
all, under protest. Every hour, almost
every moment, taken from the eXacting
task, is begrudged. Americans must call
a halt pretty soon, or the nervous systems
of our people will give out altogether.