The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-01-20

with no less violence. IT, then, the exter-
nal influences that bring about suicide
are the same both for men and for women:
the cause OF the difference must be looked
| for internally-in the psychological cnar-
acter OF the woman.
The first cause of this difference IS ply
| steal and moral sensbllity, which, as FRO
! fessor Lombroso and the writer OF this
article have shown, is not so keen In
women as in men. All physical and moral
| pains land, therefore, also those OF oestltu-
tion) are felt less keenly by the women:
! Want of comfort, the less generous food
| with which it is necessary to be satlshed,
| loss OF public esteem and social power that
! feeling of personal debasement which at
| tends the passage from wealthlness TO a state
| OF poverty, are Affections which woman
bears more lightly. for she feels them less.
! Moreover, the psychological character of
| the woman is more pliable and plastic than
the mans and adapts itself with less dltfl-
Guilty to all the different viclSsitudes OF
| life. A woman, indeed, belonging 70 the
upper classes of society, who has been
ruined financially, condescends to become
a Iadv's companion, teacher or gov
erness; and, although she will not In
her new condition forget her former
splendor of life, yet she Will not be
| altogether unhappy. But IN. man VINO Voic falls
from high social position often prefers to
die rather than live in lower sphere,
which would be a continual, painful wound
to his pride Man is much prouder OF high
social position than woman, because the
principal aim of his work and his struggles
IS to claim such high social standing; and,
as financial ruin means defeat, 1t causes
him the sharpest anguish, just as the loss
of great battle is to general. Contrarl-
wise, the woman, who does not generally
take an active part in that gigantic hight
for wealth and social power which consul,
: ~ l. nfyy M
only indirectly enjoys the victories and
conquests, suffers but indirectly Tor the
defeat, and is not wounded by them so
cruelty in that most sensitive part or her
nature-in those feelings of personal pride,
which are, we may say, the heart OF mans
moral personality.
Another strong obstacle to suicide is
often, for woman, the condition of mater
nifty; for, as the great characteristics OF
maternal sentiment are those OF protecting
the offspring when they are weak, moth
er may think of destroying herself, If she
be wealthy, and her children do not suffer
much or do not remain without support
on account of her death; but she will GER
tainly not wish to do so when she becomes
destitute, and her child requires her sup
port and assistance. Maternal feeling is
stronger In proportion to the chlld's weak
ness and need of aid and protection. Thus
poverty being the greatest social weakness,
it does not, in woman, constitute an inn
pulsion to commit suicide, but is rather an
obstacle to self-destruction, and strength
ems in her the desire to live and protect her
offspring in the dangers of the battle of
life. Thus, as the conditions under which
female suicide may take place, on account
of restitution, are more numerous, the
probabilities of their coincidence are,
therefore, more uncertain, and the cases of
female self-destruction less frequent.
Among the suicides on account of love
we observe on the contrary, great female
preponderance. What is the psychology
cal cause of this preponderance? The
problem may be reduced in the following
manner. When the pangs of crossed love
are beyond endurance there are but two
forms of reaction against them-crime or
suicide. Those, indeed-whether men or
women-who have been deceived by their
sweethearts, unless they have become re-
signed and gradually cancel them from
their mind, will either kill their faithless
lovers or destroy themselves. The ques-
ton is therefore, why the reaction among
women appears more frequently III the
shape of suicide than murder. The cause
isl to be found in the characteristics of
woman'S love.
Female love is. as George Sand calls it,
kind of voluntary slavery under the man,
which, according to the natural disposition
of each woman, involves, in a lower or
higher degree, her desire for self-sacrihce
and suffering for the man she loves female
love, therefore, enjoys such pains, and re-
wives in it, for it finds its greatest pleasure
in abnegation. This is the reason why the
woman's love for the man is often the
greater the more she has to suffer through
him. Destruction, effacement of her own
self, without resentment and without hope
of vengeance, is often the last sacrifice a
woman makes for her lover, freeing him
forever of her presence. 1t is a curious
fact, however, that women, while figuring
so largely in suicide for blighted love, are
much inferior in number to men in cases
of self-destruction on account of domestic
unhappiness.
Another form of suicide is the double
self-destruction of man and a woman,
usually lovers, who, when they cannot
marry and live together, content them
selves with satisfying their most ardent
desires and then seek death In these
passionate suicides for love, it is always
the woman who shows the greater courage,
the stronger resolution and spirit of self
sacrifice; who often urges the man, when
he wavers at the last moment, to put the
idea of joint suicide into execution; who,
even, infexible in her resolution, destroys
herself alone if the man absolutely refuses
to die with her.-The New Review.
In window of bathhouse at Pompeii
were found four panes of glass fastened in
H.