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that every universal rule must have its exceptions。 But he is so exceedingly
accurate， that ， if he only fancies he has said a word too precipitate，
or too general， or only half true， he never ceases to qualify ， to
modify， and extenuate， till at last he appears to have said nothing
at all。 Upon this occasion， Albert was deeply immersed in his subject
： I ceased to listen to him， and became lost in reverie。 With a sudden
motion， I pointed the mouth of the pistol to my forehead ， over the
right eye。 〃What do vou mean？〃 cried Albert， turning back the pistol。
〃It is not loaded ，〃 said I。 〃And even if not，〃 he answered with impatience，
〃what can you mean？ I cannot cornprehend how a man can be so mad as to
shoot himself ， and the bare idea of it shocks me。〃
〃But why should any one ，〃 said I， 〃in speaking of an action， venture
to pronounce it mad or wise ， or good or bad ？ What is the meaning of
all this？ Have you carefully studied the secret motives of our actions？
Do you understand —— can you explain the causes which occasion them ，
and make them inevitable？ If you can ， you will be less hasty with your
decision。〃
〃But you will allow ，〃 said Albert ； 〃that some actions are criminal，
let them spring from whatever motives they may。〃 I granted it ， and shrugged
my shoulders。
〃But still， my good friend ，〃 I continued ， 〃there are some exceptions
here too。 Theft is a crime； but the man who mits it from extreme poverty，
with no design but to save his family from perishing， is he an object
of pity ， or of punishment ？ Who shall throw the first stone at a husband，
who ， in the heat of just resentment ， sacrifices his faithless wife
and her perfidious seducer？ or at the young maiden ， who， in her weak
hour of rapture ， forgets herself in the impetuous joys of love？ Even
our laws， cold and cruel as they are ， relent in such cases ， and withhold
their punishment。〃
〃That is quite another thing，〃 said Albert ； 〃because a man under
the influence of violent passion loses alI power of reflection， and is
regarded as intoxicated or insane。〃
〃Oh ！ you people of sound understandings ，〃 I replied ， smiling，
〃are ever ready to exclaim 'Extravagance， and madness， and intoxication！
' You moral men are so calm and so subdued！ You abhor the drunken man，
and detest the extravagant； you pass by， like the Levite， and thank
God ， like the Pharisee， that you are not like one of them。 I have been
more than once intoxicated， my passions have always bordered on extravagance
： I am not ashamed to confess it ； for I have learned ， by my own experience，
that all extraordinary men， who have acplished great and astonishing
actions ， have ever been decried by the world as drunken or insane。 And
in private life ， too， is it not intolerable that no one can undertake
the execution of a noble or generous deed ， without giving rise to the
exclamation that the doer is intoxicated or mad ？ Shame upon you ， ye
sages ！〃
〃This is another of your extravagant humours，〃 said Albert ： 〃you
always exaggerate a case， and in this matter you are undoubtedly wrong
； for we were speaking of suicide， which you pare with great actions，
when it is impossible to regard it as anything but a weakness。 It is much
easier to die than to bear a life of misery with fortitude。〃
I was on the point of breaking off the conversation ， for nothing
puts me so pletely out of patience as the utterance of a wretched monplace
when I am talking from my inmost heart。 However ， I posed myself，
for I had often heard the same observation with sufficient vexation ；
and I answered him， therefore， with a little warmth ， 〃You call this
a weakness—— beware of being led astray by appearances。 When a nation，
which has long groaned under the intolerable yoke of a tyrant ， rises
at last and throws off its chains ， do you call that weakness？ The man
who ， to rescue his house from the flames， finds his physical strength
redoubled ， so that he lifts burdens with ease ， which， in the absence
of excitement ， he could scarcely move ； he who ， under the rage of
an insult ， attacks and puts to flight half a score of his enemies ，
are such persons to be called weak？ My good friend ， if resistance be
strength， how can the highest degree of resistance be a weakness ？〃
Albert looked steadfastly at me ， and said ， 〃Pray forgive me ，
but I do not see that the examples you have adduced bear any relation
to the question。〃 〃Very likely，〃 I answered； 〃for I have often been
told that my style of illustration borders a little on the absurd。 But
let us see if we cannot place the matter in another point of view ， by
inquiring what can be a man's state of mind who resolves to free himself
from the burden of life ，—— a burden often so pleasant to bear ，—
— for we cannot otherwise reason fairly upon the subject。
〃Human nature ，〃 I continued ， 〃has its limits。 It is able to endure
a certain degree of joy ， sorrow ， and pain ， but bees annihilated
as soon as this measure is exceeded。 The question ， therefore， is ，
not whether a man is strong or weak ， but whether he is able to endure
the measure of his sufferings。 The suffering may be moral or physical
； and in my opinion it is just as absurd to call a man a coward who destroys
himself ， as to call a man a coward who dies of a malignant fever。〃
〃Paradox， all paradox！〃 exclaimed Albert。 〃Not so paradoxical as
you imagine ，〃 I replied。 〃You allow that we designate a disease as mortal
when nature is so severely attacked ， and her strength so far exhausted，
that she cannot possibly recover her former condition under any change
that may take place。
〃Now， my good friend ， apply this to the mind ； observe a man in
his natural ， isolated condition ； consider how ideas work， and how
impressions fasten on him ， till at length a violent passion seizes him，
destroying all his powers of calm reflection， and utterly ruining him。
〃It is in vain that a man of sound mind and cool temper understands
the condition of such a wretched being， in vain he counsels him。 He can
no more municate his own wisdom to him than a healthy man can instil
his strength into the invalid ， by whose bedside he is seated。〃
Albert thought this too general。 I reminded him of a girl who had
drowned herself a short time previously ， and I related her history。
She was a good creature ， who had grown up in the narrow sphere of
household industry and weekly appointed labour； one who knew no pleasure
beyond indulging in a walk on Sundays ， arrayed in her best attire ，
acpanied by her friends， or perhaps joining in the dance now and then
at some festival， and chatting away her spare hours with a neighbour ，
discussing the scandal or the quarrels of the village ， trifles sufficient
to occupy her heart。 At length the warmth of her nature is influenced
by certain new and unknown wishes。 Inflamed by the flatteries of men，
her former pleasures bee by degrees insipid， till at length she meets
with a youth to whom she is attracted by an indescribable feeling ； upon
him she now rests all her hopes ； she forgets the world around her ；
she sees， hears， desires nothing but him， and him only。 He alone occupies
all her thoughts。 Uncorrupted by the idle indulgence of an enervating
vanity， her affection moving steadily toward its object， she hopes to
bee his， and to realise ， in an everlasting union with him ， all
that happiness which she sought ， all that bliss for which she longed。
His repeated promises confirm her hopes ： embraces and endearments ，
which increase the ardour of her desires， overmaster her soul。 She floats
in a dim， delusive anticipation of her happiness ； and her feelings
bee excited to their utmost tension。 She stretches out her arms finally
to embrace the object of all her wishes and her lover forsakes her。 Stunned
and bewildered， she stands upon a precipice。 All is darkness around her。
No prospect ， no hope， no consolation —— forsaken by him in whom her
existence was