Page:SermonsFromTheLatins.djvu/126

 ing tendency  of  the  modern  individual  to  take  in  hand the precious  gift  of  life  and  fling  it  back  in  the  face  of his  Creator. A growing  tendency,  I  say,  for  as society  gradually  and  logically  resolves  itself  into  its two great  moral  constituents,  Catholicity  and  Infidelity, the  out-and-out  infidel  becomes  more  numerous and more  reckless,  and  his  final  symptom,  the  suicidal mania, assumes  a  more  intense  form. Witness in  our own country  the  steady  flow  of  thousands  from Protestantism into  absolute  infidelity,  and  witness  at the  same  time  the  hundreds  and  thousands  of  these same men  and  women,  aye,  and  children,  too,  who annually launch  themselves  violently  into  eternity. So much  of  an  institution  has  self-destruction  become that the  suicide  is  extolled  as  a  hero,  weak-minded women shower  sentiment  and  flowers  on  his  casket, weak-kneed ministers  pour  out  their  sickening  eulogies, and  even  wise  men  and  good  shake  their heads and  say:  "  Poor  fellow,  there  was  nothing  else left  for  him  to  do;  his  last  act  was  the  redeeming feature  of  his  life." Why, there  actually  exist  societies of  men,  bound,  in  certain  events,  to  suicide  by oath. Last week  one  of  our  leading  dailies  asserted that neither  from  Scripture  nor  from  reason  can  suicide be  proved  unlawful. Out west  a  monster  of  a woman  recommends  self-destruction  to  the  insane and deformed,  and  should  they  refuse,  she  urges  they be murdered,  even  though  the  victims  be  her  own children. Not long  ago,  in  France,  an  army  officer, degraded for  high  treason,  found  a  sword  and  revolver placed ready  in  his  cell,  and  thousands  of  French