Page:Edward Prime-Stevenson - The Intersexes.djvu/558

 during some weeks, committed suicide by shooting himself in his lodgings. Major C— was still a young man, of excellent family, engaged to be married, in comfortable circumstances and popular with all his associates. No money-troubles existed, and in his affaires-de cœur are the names of none of the category of acquaintances such as frequently can make unhappiness for young men. He had come to the Hercules Baths merely for a "nerve-rest," prior to marriage with a young lady of S—. This marriage he had twice postponed. Ht is also mentioned that Major C— was long suffering from a special nervous disorder, the care of which is peculiar to psychiaters."

Or one meets other instances of suicide on the eve of marriage, such as are the subjoined. The first is from an English daily newspaper of July 19, 1908:

"Early yesterday morning a tragedy took place in a house in Lincoln-street, Brighton; a farrier-sergeant, Alfred Cecil H—, of the 2nd Dragoon Guards, shooting himself with a Service revolver a few hours before he was to have been married to Miss Alice W—, who lives next door to H—'s mother, in Lincoln-street. The wedding was to take place at ten yesterday morning at Annunciation Chiurch. Every preparation had been made for the ceremony. H—, who was stationed at Hounslow Barracks, arrived at Brighton on Friday night in readiness for the happy event; he seemed in good health and spirits, and parted with his fiancee on the best of terms. He was up soon after five yesterday morning, and went next door, where he saw Miss W-, and also her brother. He chatted in his usual cheery fashion, but said he could "do with a rest." He told Miss W— he was going out to buy same flowers for her at the market. Instead of leaving the house, he entered the front room, on the ground floor. Almost directly afterwards the inmates of the house were startled by a loud report. Miss W—, with the members of the family, ran into the room and saw H— lying on the sofa with a wound in his head. His right hand was grasping his service:revolver, in which there was. a spent cartridge. Death had evidently been instataneous. Nothing was found on the deceased in any way throwing light on the tragedy, which so far is a mystery to his friends and relations."

"The suicide of Mr. T— Y— on Tuesday, at the hotel where he has been passing the week, was mentioned in this paper yesterday. It is not explained. Two or three friends of the deceased state that Mr. Y— has been out of sorts lately, and has several times