The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-13

proves how useless an appeal would have been.
II they plead ignorance the case is no better.
for then It proves that the body upon whom the
tone and morality Of the school depend are en-.
tirely neglectful OF their duties. With the evil
dence before the public only one conclusion can
be arrived at. and that is SO bad that not many
more cases would be sufficient to raise a ques-
ton which would be quite new in this country,
Arc English public schools . failurer'
Suicide literature is seldom entertaining and
Il almost always morbid and unwholesome, but
there is genuine interest. both literary and prac-
teal. in a letter left q few days ago by q London
sailor who swallowed poison and then set his
teeth against an antidote until the dose had
done its fatal work. As a mere literary produc-
tion it Is an example Of sustained metaphor
which Is nothing less than astonishing, coming
as 1t does from the pen Of q common sailor.
This 10 It:
have now signed articles for the longest voyage
s bsse " nos sSs least ! snG IDEA my q, p shs port es q dsssisa !
Of the seif-constituted pilots. though they ali
Admiral. fhere are millions OF them scattered
over this molehill Of ours, and they all differ as
IL iOss ans aSns's You an %il ~ s. lost ST. y but d Ss 1 S Hndy th %K
not one of them out Of one hundred thousand
acts up 10 the orders they give TO others. l have
them, but TO follow my own course. so have
sailed as straight a course as / could.
Still. I am afraid that II q chart could be made
Of the ono I have followed these last sixty-four
years 1t would be found TO be rather crooked. as
/ have had TO beat against head winds pretty
often, but still II Is better to study tho chart
and use your own Judgment than depend upon
those frauds Of pilots who are one and all crav-
Ing and working for the same thing, viz, lucre.
Now. / must give you my reason for sailing so
suddenly. As you know. my mate left me Just
six months ago. since which time I have done
mate was with me. which was nfty-eight out of
the sixty-four years, we always managed to
work to wind wnrd, and to whom must be given
! the whole of the credit, for II II had not been
OF the course. and Very likely have got strand,
ed. but she was always at her post, and never
Rrumbled at me when she found me o point or
two of as to character.
Believing, kind. Industrious. truthful. and
patient. She was respected ana loved by every
person that ever knew her In every part Of this
world. And yet for all this one OF these pilots
hours after she had left, to say he was certain
she was lost. because she did not follow the
course he was laying down. The consequence
was that he found himself lying down In the gut
over him and advising him to look after his own
weasel and not interfere with others. And now
this long voyage that | have mentioned is q
voyage OF discovery; ! hS y t told You several
TO me a number OF times. and each time has sig
nailed me to come; and, as / have always been
accustomed to obey orders, ] am going to try
and meet her.
or course the jury returned tho usual verdict
OF suicide while temporarily insane, but IL would
puzzle anybody TO find much evidence OF mental
arrangement In the above epistle. II. r. g.