TIRED OF LIFE.

NZ Truth, Issue 95, 13 April 1907, Page 5

TIRED OF LIFE.

A GIRL'S SORRY PLIGHT.

A Maiden of 20 Seeks Eternal

Rest.

Had No Trouble and No Quarrel,

but Just Wanted to Die.

•To be weary of life at the age of twenty, and to attempt to divime the mystery across the border, per medium of a river shows the possession of an unbalanced mind,, and the want of more healthy environment. Why people attempt suicide has never been amply demonstrated ; those who arfe successful aren't heard from again ; most of those who are police courted for the crime of being unsuccessful either say they were fools or that they won't do it again. Worry may drive a man or woman to the. brink of madness, and to get rid of it all they either appeal to the fcpi'fe, or razor, or poison, or folio rope> or the river. There are too many thin-skinned people m the world ; the slightest antagonistic remafck is taken as a fancied deadly insult, and a series of them causes so much mental pain that a sensitive mind reaches boiling point, so to think, and things are' liable to happen. This doesn't apply to the rMnocerous-Mded person whom -it is almosb impossible to insult, and who laughs at you for your pains, anyhow. Eva Williams, a young woman of twenty, threw herself into the Avon, at Christohurch, the other night, but was promptly rescued by passers-toy. £ih-e. was handed over to the police, a-ttd was none the worse except, tbat s;he got her clothes wet, and caught cold. There' have been a few drowning cases m the Avon, but it is so shallow that any sober per- . son would have to have a strong will

to' keep the head under tixe damp. It is rather TOO SHALLOW FOR SUICIDE purposes, and will "have to be dredged 1 to command that class of business. When Eva strolled along from the police station to the police court next morning she was minus a hat, but the absence of that adornment served to reveal a wealth of flaxen hair, done fup m Gibson girl style, surmouniti'Ug a clear .complexioned face. She is a finely m,ade girl, neatly dressed m black, But the heels of her shoes were abnormal m their highness. The matron might have found her an old hat, anyhow, or her father might have brought her one from home. However, she was hatless coming and going to and from the police station, and the girl didn''t relish it. "Why d'kl you want. to do away' with yourself'?" asked Bishop, S.M.. i —Because I had nowhere to live. Haven't- you a lather ?— Yes, but I can't get on with him. Do you have rows with him ?— Yes, often. What about •?— Just family affairs. Have you a mother ?— Yes, and I help her m the house-work. How many of you are there m the family ?— Eight, and I'm the fourth eldest. There are seven at home. What led up to this trouble ?— Well, father is very religious, and thinks I ought to stay at home at nights. He says I go about too much. And do you ? — Yes, I do. Do 'you keep company with anybody ?— Yes. j And does your father object to this young man ?— He doesn't know that I have a young' man. Oh ! Now, wh 117 did you jump into the river ; you are only a young girl and should be m no. hurry to die.— I AM TIRED OF LIFE. . Hare you ever tried to take your life before ?— I suffer a great deal with asthma, and fsel despondent at times, and I'm not strong enough to go out to work, much as I'd li&to.'

I have been away from home m situations twice. • .

Don''t you think it is a foolish thing to make away with yourself. You have no ligtot to take your life ; it isn't your own to take. What .ds the trouble between you and your father?— No trouble, but he objects to me goiag to Fuller's so often.

Just here the father of the girl appeared fn court, and he was questioned by Mr Bishop. He said he couldn't understand the girl's act at all.- Sine had a nice home, and got everything she wanted. In fact he allowed her ten shillings a week to do the housework. She went out a grea-t deal.

The S.M. : Perhaps it is better for her that she should - get • out now and again. . Things don't seem to work tod well at home. A girl like this on the threshold of life shouldn't be weary of existence ; there must be something behind it all. Has she any young man ?— Not that I know of.

Have you. got any enmity against your father ? asiked the Magistrate of the girl.— No.

Do you think you will ever want to do this timing again ?— I don't know. I am tired of living. Everything I do at Irome is always wrong and I appear to be always annoying or worrying somebody.

Mr Bishop said that it ■'was very evident to him that the girl was m. A PERTURBED ;STATE OF MIND, and he wasn't going to iallow her her liberty at present. She would have to be lifted.o ut of her present surroundings, temporarily, at any rate. %

Station Sergeant Norwood said that were she placed with good people she might soon be got into a proper state of mind.

Mr Bishop repeated what he had said previously, that when a girl of twenty said she was tired of life there must be something behind it all. '

The accused, however, didn't seem disposed to add anything further to what she^ had already stated, and the S.M. thought that kindly surroundings and good treatment would soon cure her ''morbid state of miad. Does' religion cause any conflict between you ? asked the S.M., of the i father— Not at all ; she goes to the Durham-street church. Indeed, and I don't go to ckuroh, said the girl petulantly. Not go to church? asked the par- [ ent.— No, only once m six months, or thereabouts. Paterfamilias looked absolutely shocked. Eventually the girl was remanded for a week, . and m the meantime she Was remanded to the recesses of the gloomy Samaritan Home, where the Ghost , of Repentance stalks m the corridors, and haunts the rooms occupied by people who have grim recollections of What Might Have Been, and sundries. But Missionary, Smail says she will be made quite cheerful there. Good old optimistic .Smail.