Year: 1875

Business Habits---Suicides, etc.


A few years ago, the Times says, a
party of four sat down, in New York
city, to very enjoyable dinner. They
were men appreciative Of good cheer and
good company, and during the meal all
went merrily. The hosts little girl
came in with the dessert, and begged
one of her fathers guests to tell her one
of his delightfully."- horrible stories. He
forthwith proceeded to comply, and
presently was relating terrible tale as
to how some robbers had seized an un-
happy man and cut his throat. In illus
tration he took up his dessert knife and
drew the back of it across his own gull
let, when the fathtf, In tone of great
distress, protested-but in vain. 1t then
occurred to tho recollection of another
of the four that the ugly scar across the
fathers throat had been self-inficted,
while his opposite neighbor had at
tempted to shoot himself. Here then
were two men who had been so abjectly
wretched that they desired to put a
period to their lives, but having, by
merciful chance, been prevented, lived
to see very happy days.


The circumstance carries a strong
moral with it, and one which it is but
too evident that great many people
would do well to lay to heart. The
deaths by suicide in New York are stated
on good authority to be more numerous
than anywhere else, circumstance
which may be largely accounted for by
the great number of persons in desperate
circumstances who seek our shores; but
the suicides arc by no means confined to
foreigners. Three weeks ago Southern
gentleman, who had formerly been in
affiuent circumstances, killed himself in
leading Brooklyn hotel; and since then
a once-thriving merchant shot himself at
well-known hotel in New York. This
gentleman had been engaged in the iron
smelling business, and, as every one
knows, everything to do with iron has
for long time been terribly at a dis
count His health gave way, probably
through brooding on his troubles, and
he went to Florida, only to put an end
to his life two days after his return.


There is no doubt that the excessive
business depression which has SO long
prevailed weighs terribly upon the
minds of those who allow themselves to
brood over their affairs. The only
chance for men of an anxious tempera-
ment in such plight is to be as little as
possible alone, and to insist on looking
at the bright side, and to remember the
number of men who, in all walks of life,
have by persistent energy succeeded,
after conspicuous failure, and when sue
cess seemed out of the question. They
need scarcely go beyond the President
of the United States for case in point.
Was there ever more remarkable and
perfectly unforeseen leap from compare
tive obscurity to position which vies
with that of the most powerful monarchs?
A man may be in the depths in 1875,
and on the top of the wave ten years
later; indeed, there is no country where
such changes are SO likely as in this.
There is in New York to-day gentleman
who sat beside the present Prime Minis
ter of England on that memorable night
when he was hooted down as an i'm
pertinent absurdity, and, in rage and
chagrin at the laughter and hooting with
which he was greeted, made that
prophecy which he has SO amply fulfilled.
Yet Disraeli's disappointment and
modification were at that moment prob
ably scarcely less keen than the busi-
ness mans who despairs of success.


Bulwer tells us that there is ga pro-
found and excellent satisfaction for the
man who can look back on past strug giles,
and feel that he has not lived in vain. "
1t was doubtless that 'sympathy-such
as makes the whole world kin-with such
satisfaction that caused his countrymen
of all parties to regard so kindly Mr..
Disraeli's advent to power. They saw
in his success CLEAN of sunshine on the
rugged path of struggling humanity.