The Atherstone, Nuneaton, and Warwickshire Times. — 1889-11-23 (Atherstone, Warwickshire, England)

THE SUICIDE OF A WARWICK  JOURNALIST.  The funeral of Francis George Palfrey—the reporter of our local contemporary—who committed suicide by drowning very early on Thursday morning last week, took place on Saturday, and was attended by a number of relatives and friends. The Rev. T. Rivington, vicar of St. Nicholas, officiated, and a great deal of sympathy with the deceased's relatives was expressed. Speaking on Sunday morning at the High Street Chapel , the Rev. J. W. Lake said, " Before I proceed to the discourse I should like to speak a word or two with regard to the sad event which has happened during the past week. When we met last Sunday morning there was present a oung man who was, and had of late been, I believe, a frequent occasional attendant at our services. We know that yesterday he was laid in a premature grave. The subject of the discourse on that occasion was one which seems to have had a special fascination for him owing to the unhealthy state of brain he had had for some time before, which had made him frequently speak of suicide. I wish, however, on this occasion, to express my sincere sympathy with the parents of that young man, who must feel very keenly not only the bereavement, but the manner in which that bereavement occurred. And I have to express my great sorrow that a young man of such promise as Mr. Palfrey is described by those who knew him should have his career cut short, and that by what would seem to be his own act. We must remember, however, that there are two worlds in which a man lives. There is the outer world which we all have to face; but we all have an inner world, and the happiness or misery of life are both in great measure due to that inner world. This inner world is not always of our own making. It was not of his own free will that this young man' took that despondent view of life which has led him, eventually, to a premature grave. It was, we may say, the hand of God. It was a diseased brain which prevented him from seeing things in their true light, and taking that healthy view of life which would have enabled him to look forward to its enjoyment for many years to come. My object in preaching on" Is life worth living?" was to show that it was worth living, and could only be consecrated by duty. I took up one of our periodicals which I found waiting for me yesterday; and just before the service my eye fell upon a paragraph by Coleridge. Try it,' said Coleridge to those who asked if Christianity was true, " try it ; you will find that there are only two things which can make life worth living—they are those of improvement of the world and the consecration of our manhood. You will find, as you think of it, that both of these are yours if you fulfil your duty and consecrate yourself to the work that lies before you.' That was the lesson I endeavoured to show last week. I tried to show how life was consecrated to the world's service by every act of faithful duty, and that for that purpose life was indeed worth living, and the richest blessing a man could enjoy. We pass from this subject with my sincere regret that such a terrible end should have occurred to his life as has done, and with my deep and sincere sympathy with the parents in their great trouble."  WE learn that Messrs. Cassell & Company are producing a "Little Folks Autograph Book," which will be presented with the January number of" Little Folks Magazine" (published on the 19th of December), commencing the new volume. A new serial story by W. Clark Russell, author of "The Wreck of the Grosvenor," will be commenced in the January number. _  Miss EVELYN Evsiurrr GREEN has written a new story, entitled "The Stronger Will," the first instalment of which will appear in the December part of " Cassell's Magazine," commencing a new volume. In the same part two other serial stories, entitled "To be Given Up," by Kate Eyre, and "In the Wild West," by J. Berwick Harwood, will be begun. THE principal feature of "Christmas Arrows," the extra Christmas number of "The Quiver," is one volume story by L. T. Meade, entitled " Frances Kane's Fortune," and, in addition, there are contributions by the Rev. P. B. Power, the Rev. W. Landels, the Rev. F. Langbridge, Roth Mitchell, and others. Ix is stated that Sir Edreard Guinness has placed in the hands of three gentlemen, as trustees, the sum of £250,000 for the erection of dwellings for the labouring poor, £200,000 to be expended in London, and £50,000 in Dublin. The income derived from the rents of the houses is to be reinvested for the further development if the scheme. THE WARWICK, LEAMINGTON, AND WARWICKSHIRE TIMES" has opened new offices at 50, Market Place, Warwick, and 20, High Street, Leamington, where advertisements and intimations of all kinds may be left. The London Office is 3, St. Bride Street, Ludgate Circus. THE Warwick depot of the Royal !Warwick shire Regiment has been ordered to send a drat of trained recruits to Fermoy on Wednesday to join the let Battalion.