The intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1887-1891, 1889-04-20
THE WORLD rs FULL OF SORROW.

1t is sad 10 write obituaries at any
time. 1t is sad to lose the friend, and
! it is sad to contemplate that his demise
is but another mile post passed on tine
track of our own life. But it is doubIy
sad when to death comes the added ill.,
f1uence of a tragedy.
Within the same twelve hours two
men whom we have known long II
well, S. S. Reeder, of Lexington, II
| John Jackson, of st. Louis, disappoint-
ed IN life, respondent and insane, o
their own lives, and singularly, too, by
the same means.
1t is often the case where suicides
occur, that it is a charity to say as lit
tie about them as possible; indeed, II
practicable, to assume they were not
suicides. In these two cases, however,
publicity has been so general that moth
ing could be gained by silence.
1t is fair to presume that no brave,
conscientious American man would
deliberately abandon his responsible
tiles and desert those dependent upon
him. This would be pure cowardice,
and neither s. S. Reeder nor John
Jackson were towards. Both were
business men, both were moral men.
both were strong men. The thought
that suggests itself, and probably the
only useful one is, why this tension
upon the mind that causes such men TO
become insane? The reason is in the
air, in this country it is everywhere, it
is our hurry, hurry, hurry; our sharp
competition and unreasonable rivalry
in trade. We live too fast, we want
to make too much money, we crowd
the avenues of business and ourselves
are crowded, reasonably sometimes,
u~nreasonably often. The pace is too
fast, or the contest too severe, some
where the strain becomes too great,
a string snaps, and that marvellous
structure of tissue and of nerves, man
the moment before proud in his emf
nence of intellect and strength, is laid
as low and powerless as the clods OF
the valley.
The philosophy of Aristotle from a
purely logical ground was correct in
this:-"To die In order to avoid the
pains of poverty, love, or anything
that Is dl%sagreesble, is not the rart OF
a brave man. but Of a coward; for it is
cowardice to shun the crosses of life,
not undergoing death because it is
honorable, but to avoid evil" But
when such men as these die by their
own hand, we know that 1t was no
coward blow, no mere avoidance OF
pain or humiliation, but the act of a
diseased mind. Physical suffering
mental anguish, loss of sleep, insanity
and a deed is done that brings ans uish
to SO many hearts. Aye, there's the
rubl In both of these cases there are
80 many 10 suffer. At least we can say
to them a word of comfort. Their
sorrow is great; they feel overwhelmed
with grief, but they should remember
that 1t is appointed for all men once %
die. No human Judgment should ap.
pail them. The verdict of Almighty
God upon the life of a man is made mp
from no human conceits or measures.
Who can iathom His infinite mercy I
Il Who can tell the fullness of His love!
o, mocker, s%coffer, If there be such,
the omnipotence of Deity can only be
tequalled by His affection for His Great
ures! The strong are always tender.
Tell us not of anger, retribution-in
the midst of these broken hearts we
can think alone OF forgiveness, pity,
love. Ii q dark shadow owe an ell
tire community in the face Of a mis-.
fortune like this, what suffering must
wiring the hearts of the nearest and
dearest ones? They are in no way Ia
blame, no one even thinks of blaming
the unfortunate ones who have died.
the heart of all Is full of charity and
kindly feeling. The calamity brings
each nearer to the other and makes III
all akin, and there is not one among
us who is not deeply touched and sad
dened. May consideration, sympathy
and love, and the great healer, time
assuage the grief which now seems
we'll nigh unbearable.
The world is full OF 80 many sorrows