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 dalize my  brother,  I  shall  never  eat  meat  in  aeternum."  And  here  it  is  the  suicide's  selfishness  shows itself.  His  life  has  become  a  burden,  difficulties  confront him,  disgrace  stares  him  in  the  face,  he  becomes sentimental  and  morose,  he  despairs,  and  ends  it  all  in death.  And  men,  mind  you,  are  wonderfully  imitative; suicide  easily  becomes  epidemic,  and  will  you tell  me  that  he  who  leads  that  grim  march  to  destruction has  nothing  to  answer  for  for  those  who  follow? But  what  cares  he?  What  thought  has  he  of  the  children left  destitute,  of  the  heartbroken  wife,  of  the mother's  gray  hairs  bowed  in  shame  and  sorrow,  of the  hundreds  financially  ruined  by  his  folly,  and  the thousands  of  young  souls  scandalized  by  his  mad  act? Men  say,  "  What  courage  he  must  have  had  to  do  it," but truth  to  say,  he  was  an  arrant  coward. He shirked life's  sacred  duties;  when  the  moment  came for him  to  charge  on  the  rank  and  file  of  this  world's difficulties  he  turned  and  fled  like  a  hireling. We may bend  and  we  may  bleed  under  life's  crosses,  but the silent,  patient  bearing  of  them  calls  out  the noblest qualities  of  our  natures  and  is  the  true  test  of heroism. The man  who,  with  the  eyes  of  his  country on him,  amid  the  frenzy  of  battle  and  to  the  sound  of martial  music,  seeks  glory  at  the  cannon's  mouth, would probably  prove  anything  but  a  heroin  the  long drawn-out endurance  of  this  world's  trials,  with  no hope  of  commendation  or  reward  this  side  of  the grave. Courage cannot  be  tested  in  a  single  act, least of  all  the  act  of  a  suicide.

Brethren, it  remains  to  briefly  point  out  the  cause