The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1910-12-16
ASATURDAX
sssGs.-R NIGHT
! I SERMONS
BY
h M&lWaWPUUyElR
is SUICIDE A SIN7

NJ IL do myself no HARM -Acus @NN
There's the crack Of a revolver, the
eurgle Of a bottle. the Tightening OF
moose. the splash in the water-"one
more unfortunate records the morn
tpg nsper. And the number Is legion.
Grim. and ghastly-12.5O0 last year.
More than one every hour. In SIX
wears as many finging their lives bacK
an the face Of the Creator as the entire
Union and Confederate losses at Get
tvsburg Five men to one woman
ace from nine 20 ninety-three. For
the first time native Americans lead
ing the list. It's "A fearful army
bleeding bloated. burnt Tipped. stag
oering fixed eyed and disheveled I'M
hidden into the silent halls Of death
Mans the only animal that takes MS
ufa Is suicide n sin or is it a weapon
oufracel nature gives ms TO escape the
unhearable? Is life but q tent where
,n one takes a days restf May ne
fake # down at will? There's but one
avenue of birth and many OF death
II ne had no voice in the entrance
NAV he choose the exit? II he cannon
6x the dav Of coming may he select
that of going? The canon Of the Al
mighty SAYS. Thou shalt not" You
neither gave It nor may you take II
owav. The law OF Gcd. the law OF the
state. the law Of society. forbid you.
@How Came He Dead7"
In the barbarous days Of Rome there
was no suicide: It came with civiliZa-
ton. This complex twentieth century
existence is a predsposlng cause. Our
fast lives. living at high pressure
trouble failure. sin and despair drive
men and women to death. In civilized
life there IS a great struggle. great
connection. and many fan. Inere
are more kinds Of hell in a great city
than Dante ever imagined. To fall IN
n great city is like being wrecked az
sea. In the country a NAH has Irlehus'
be can get some help and crealIi the
church is closer to the people, but In a
CITY things are different The man is
lost IN the multitude. In the roar Of
the crowd his cry is not heard Deatn
seems his only friend. Physically the
stock degeneratcs and the individual
DECAYS. Mode Of living. alcoholic slim
ulents patent medicines with power
fnI drugs. premature development. sex
nal excesses. guttony and worry help
swell the figures Fashion claims her
quota. too-dances. dress. thin slippers
.l,, waists. bare arms and neck, ppeW
,[ron,a, Who hath sinned, ihiS Girl or
her moCIer. .i.-i ~ re was sacrificed 10
this popular idol? Mentally cram
ming school system, yellow newspa'
ners wrong conceptions OF life through
melodramatic theaters and moving pic
ture shows. Inidelity-h anywhere
A. tho world 20 come is a safe landing
Mace why not jump off? OF the fv'
RiMe characters who committed sui
eide not one was a good man. Gym
cism saws. "Nothing's so cheap as hu
man life. If you don't Ike this worl'
yet out" No future means no nope
That spells despair There Is Onl!
one thing I'm the universe stronge
than love Of life and fear OF death
and that Is despair. Suicide IS the las
resort of despair There's something
mighty wrong in the psychic world 0
the suicide. Things have lost thel
proper proportion Humanitys mrs
law is not self destruction, but sci
preservation. Ever see people fight 10
life? have. Makes me thrill wit
horror. They'll fight hunger, thirs
burning building, deck Of ferryboa
anywhere. Don't let drowning ma
get his arms around you. A fellow
hard driven when he forgets that pr
mai law. Suicide while temperate
insane" says the corouer's jury. Som
times correct ON their white face
our tears should fall They had endC
their lives by their own hands. o'
those hands were not directed by the
proper selves. One OF the saintiie
men I've ever known, great Presbyt
rlan clergyman of Baltimore, close
his life's book chat way
sto1l LooN Listerl
Nearly every man who has liv'
dao,lv and intensely. who has low
and hated. tried and failed, has be-
tempted to cast himself from the pI
nacie If lies temple at some time
other Have you. friend? Tired
Hfeq It's short-the Digit Of a SIN
tie. Dark? ITS darker I'm the gra'
Poor9 So was Christ and millions
others Failed? Who told you 81
cess meant happinessl Feel los
Don't try 0nd your way out throu
the gate Of death. Don't do 1t. It's
lean I'm the dark. The trap door
belrs on the other side. Brace
The suicides n deserter in LIES b
tie. He drops his gun and runs. sla
at your post tim you're relieved. ~
N ON % .borre9 You're not alone. NJ