Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-08-10
VALUE OF THE SMILE;
may SAVE HUMAN LIFE.
Beatrice Fairfax Emphasizes the
Need OF Good Cheer to Pre-.
vent Unhappincss.
LONELINESS Is DANGEROUS
Statistics Show That During the Past
Six Months Two Thousand People
Have Taken Their Lives While In
Melancholy State.
LONELINESS is DANGEROUS
NJ BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

III BEATRICE FAIRFAX.
DO you belong to the Save "a Life
League" IL you don't happen TO be-
long to the regular organization you
mfsht even start a little rival guild
OF your own without qualifying as
Professional Pollyanna. either.
For II is truism dating back 10 the
earlier. th.t our own sorrows ache less
We are not altogether unmindful
ofShs SORROWS of others.
Perhaps most Of us, rushed and
driven by countless demands. never
stop to consider that VIC 80 ABOUT the
Torid carrying in our hands life and
boost." Those seem to be the chief
r,Save-a-I.ifc League" according to Dr.
warren; its president.
OWNS, ns ' e. Ne IL Seems Was started
suicides in the United States. These
VAS Vas or adJpsttncnt after The great
people Of acute a aensbi,es maj often !"
seem beyond solution. These periods
Of depression arc morbid and temper
n!ze this n, the time.
~ is at such times that the league
With It's cheering Lend a hand" policy
docs it's sane and unostentutious mis-
+: sdeas Eind @srd, '"f pie4 s'fs
Loneliness and mciancholia are the
causes aseribed for the bulk Of the
SUICIDES Reaction from the grea, war.
u usssettied conditions, have had their
e eeet' SO II you happen 10 number :.
SMILE. the gift Of saying something
NSFeeaple. Or sense OF humOr among
your persona! effects, now is the time
20 make use OF these highly valuabie
never heard OF the "Savc-a Life
League until a day or two ago but I
n nHpe III y rs Is goink to increase and multi
over there. quo country ana extend /"
:, The president OF the league is DR..
HAIRY NJ Warren. and ne has been
thgsrres in regard to suicide in the
Ihn'ea states I seems that within
sne pas; six months 1000 persons have
tions o, tbs country. And !, is he
ntNed that twice that many have died
o. their own hands in more remote
places from which no report has been
Child Suicide on the Incren.e.
men our a'tention was called 10
many by Owen wister in his "Pente
COS. Calamity" at the beginning O.:
!nt xy war, we , remarked r+,s With such
We never stopped 10 inquire how clean
our Own hands were IN this respect.
Hu; We had lI3 children commit suicide
months. One OF these was boy OF
sif years highly p-ccoc!ous child
VINO oojected TO certain school his
parents had selected for him.
Incidentally this is warning to
rarents not to shove their children
aions 100 fast even when they nave
SUICIDES in Germany have bsep as
= cribde to. ih!s cause the unreason-
abb. amount Of study they were forced
10 DO 10 keep up with their Classes.
And right here might no, be bad
pace 10 put in plea tor less home
work on the pat OF our schools. II
t:!l 5. certainly he is entitled to some
th:ns moro inspiring for his evenings
work than forging ahead. of these
#tterna! source OF sweetness and light.
.sas had to be aimos, entirely, aban-
Z Using are no; compatible.
Children's Grief Terribly Real.
We grown-ups are too ap; TO for
set hog real and searching were tho
wounded pride hur:, and hur, and
hurt beyond the power o. contessing
- anyone. And do you recall the dust
when your hear, had thrilled to the
rapture OF the useless one do not
envy the lot Of any parent or guardian
who has had The misfortune to survive
any OF those iI3 innocents whose little
hands ended it all"
Dr. warren says tho Oldest suicide
VAS man OF ZOO years OF age In
note he gave as his reason the re.
tusal OF military officials TO allow him
30 Join the army
You cannot eliminate suicide by edu-
cation. too many suicides, unfortunate
~ are highly educated people The
suicide urge" it appears. Is often TIE
result OF temporary depression which
tine victim bitterly regrets once heahas
put his fell purpose into effect RIOS
pital attendants have ample opportu-
nifty 10 observe this; frequently no one
will fEht SO hard to live as the would
be suicide that has been rescued at the
eleventh hour.
II loneliness is the greatest con-
tributinE cause of suicide. then the
very best antidote for loneliness is
helping to make some one else less
where to find them. because that will
brand you as leading an absolutely
self-centered life.
Have you ever tried to hearten a
women with fretfui. aiiing baby?
Have you ever offered TO take her for
turn in your precious car? A man
one might noticed a miserable woman
yalkinR with abnormaily quiet
Baby In her arms. The tragedy Of her
face, as revealed by the gaslamp. made
him ask question or Two. TIE baby
vas terribly Ill with cholera infantum.
little air but her strength had given
out. He put them both in his car and
took them for a long drive--the bab
revived. He took them again next day
and the next, and that bao: lived.
Now this man belonged to the Save
of it. He just had a nice. brotherly
way OF doing the frs, decent thing
that came TO hand, He was far from
being a saint. but believe in The final
reckoning much will be forgiven him.
nna,D ,,raI I.o o0o,.oo