The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-04-30
~
Suicides.


1t is not only an interesting but an
important question. What is the cause
of the increase OF women suicidcs?" for
in city like New York IL is thing OF
almost daily occurrence. Although men
like TO think OF women as ephemerai
thinkers. satisfied to see the outside.
the result without the cause. women do
want to get at the bottom OF things. do
| want to know the reason.
There are two reasons for the woman
| suicide. One is that she has too little to
do the other that she has too much.
young girl. rich and rair to look
upon. takes her life In one of our fash
ionable hotels. What for? For trifling.
insufficient reason; in reality because
she had nothing to do; she lacked an
object In life. Another. a schoolgirl,
kills herself in burst of pique because
her parents have denied her some small
privilege. 1t seems a strange. sad
paradox that with city filed with
the poor the ignorant. the neglected,
the daughters OF wealth should sit with
folded hands till a self imposed ennui
suggests death to their emaciated
minds. Tennyson's words occur to one
with peculiar significance. though ut
tered in a different connection:
Lady Clara We're de We're,
IL time hang heavy on your hands,
Are there no beggarg at your door
Eor any poor about your lands?
In the perpetual drive and stress Of
city life nervous strain. too, counts for
much. The same impulse that urges
upon the overwrought business man the
relief. and forgetfulness of death impels
the society woman, wearied with the In
cessant imagined demands of balls and
dinner parties and receptions to q
point where nature rebels, to seek in
the grave the rest she would not allow
herself In life. A good way to decrease
the number OF this class OF suicides
would be to urge upon every society wo-
man. II such thing were possible, the
making of such resolutions as these:
II will not waste my strength in go-
Ing to places that are not interesting to
me and talking to people that bore me
to DEATH
Il will not weary myself calling upon
people In society simply because they
happen to have called upon me-"
II will cultivate the people that do me
good, those to whom / can do good,
and let those who are simply rich and
uncongenial out OF my lise."
II will not do a thing just because
otner people DO IL.
Il will remember that am a soul and
not a fashion plate"
If this could be done, our rich women
suicides would be few In number.
II is a pity that the other class OF
suicides cannot be as speedily dealt
with--women weighed down with un-
varying and uninteresting household
cares till any variety. any release from
the common toll and hardship, seems .
thing to be welcomed.
To any one studying the life OF the
poor the wonder is not that there are
so many but that there are so few Of
this class of suicides. An overcrowded
city, every department of work over
stocked. disappointment. wretched food.
filth and incessant, abortfve drudgery--
II is enough TO chill the heart OF the
most complacent optimist.
There is a sort OF quiet, uncompiain-
ing acceptance OF fate on the part Of
the poor that is their supreme SAFE
guard in this connections childlike
submission to a lot which they can
neither understand nor mend to any
palpable extent Another great reason
against suicide among this class Ia the
kindness of the poor to each other. A
woman in distress has the sympathy,
spoken and acted. OF the community.
The rich. TO a great extent, monopollze
the selfishness OF the city.
Suicide. as every student Of the SUBJ
ject knows. Is contagious. A dramatic
suicide is invariably followed by others.
II seems strange TO a sane mind to think
OF the morbid satisfaction with which
the would be suicide, apparently in full
possession OF her faculties. sewed day
after day on the fine white gown In
which she planned to array herself in
the hour OF her self inflicted death. The
thought OF the dramatic effect is gen.
orally seen when the suicide has no
real, poignant reason for her action. The
woman crazed by grief or misery thinks
little of the effect her action will have
on the public mind. The weakmindsd
suicide aims at notoriety and gloats
over the prospective details. Occasion
ally we have the suicide OF great mind
overbalanced, but such are exceeding
ly rare.
To the woman who has first thought
Of suicide the only hope IL to nip IL In
the bud. Let the thought be harbored
or INDUCED. and the first blow Of dis
aster OF grief will turn the familiar
thought into definite action.
The women OF this hour want more
rest. II they can have that. there will
be fewer suicides. The rich and idle
want n little practical philanthropy.
and by this both classes would be BEN