It thus appears, that in the earliest suicidal years there is a preference for pistol practice, which shows that the act is committed rashly, and without that premeditated deliberation which hanging requires. These acts of calculated self-destruction, grounded upon sophistic reasoning, have been called by Dr. Schlegel "Philosophic suicide." The learned doctor is of opinion that drunkenness is the chief cause of suicide in England, Germany, and Russia; and love and gambling in France: while he suspects that in Spain and Italy the fear of dying without the sacrament renders its occurrence very rare. A Roman lady, being told that a young man had shot himself, replied, “Dev' essere un forestiere, gli Italiani non sono tanti matti." The suicide was a German tailor. There seems to exist a certain vanity even in suicide, and we frequently see persons resolved to terminate their existence in a manner that may transmit their names, and the manner of their death, to posterity. Thus a Jew diamond merchant precipitated himself from the Monument some years ago; very recently an amiable and lovely young girl has followed his desperate example, and this was, a few days ago, succeeded by a boy of fifteen years of age, who cast himself from the same stupendous column.

*

From the many observations which I have collected I am confirmed in my opinion that, excepting in cases of decided insanity and hereditary predisposition to suicide, the verdict should never be lunacy, but the deed be attributed to the actual motives or causes, such as poverty, love, dishonour, and philosophic speculations. Is it imagined that a person resolved to perpetrate suicide will be deterred from the commission of the act by the fear of having his body buried on a cross-road, or from the apprehension of an insurance office cancelling the claims of his family? I am of opinion that, although the latter consideration may have some weight, the former will have but little effect on his reflections.

If suicide is madness, a forfeiture of an insurance, the premium of which may have been paid regularly for a series of years, and at considerable inconvenience, is most unjust; although I can readily admit

Of all kinds of insanity the form distinguished by a propensity to commit suicide is that which the most frequently becomes hereditary. Gall relates the case of Sieur Ganthien, whose seven children, enjoying good health, affluence and general esteem, destroyed themselves within the space of thirty or forty years. The same writer knew a dyer, who had five sons and a daughter. Two of his sons committed suicide, and two others attempted self-destruction. In the family of M. N. the great-grandfather, the grandfather, and the father, committed suicide. Under the impression which this acknowledged fact must produce in society, it is evident that in cases where no such hereditary predisposition can be traced, or any proof of insanity manifested, an irreparable injury is inflicted on a family by the finding of a verdict of "insanity.”

that if such an insurance was effected a short time before the act of suicide, the loss would be but fair.

It would require Hibernian ingenuity to discover the means of punishing a man for killing himself; but certainly the Code of Draco could scarcely contemplate the punishment of his surviving family, to avenge the offended laws of the realm. Proper religious and moral views, cultivated from infancy, will be found the only means of checking this practice, which evidently prevails to the greatest extent in a state of society where religious dread is totally lost sight of. No one would commit suicide were he impressed with these solemn words in our funeral ceremony,

"I know that my Redeemer liveth."
"The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away."
"BLESSED BE THE NAME OF THE LORD."

COLIN CLINK.

BY CHARLES HOOTON.

BOOK THE SECOND.

CHAPTER I.

Diamond cut diamond; the two rogues. A gentleman resolves, without consent asked, to make Fanny his wife.

AFTER the time spoken of in the preceding chapter, a month of the fairest season of the year passed away, during which our hero, Colin, continued to improve in health and strength much more rapidly than he would, in all probability, have done had he remained at the delightful residence of Miss Sowersoft at Whinmoor.

The consciousness of being at home, whatever that home may be, is more to the invalid than a thousand advantages which might perhaps be enjoyed in a strange place. Fanny, meanwhile, continued to fulfil her accustomed duties, without receiving any information from Doctor Rowel, as to the nature of the services which he had promised to render in her favour.

Mrs. Clink's feelings of asperity against Fanny, for her obstinacy in refusing to make known the communications of the doctor, were now, however, so far worn away that she never spoke again of discharging her, and in fact would secretly have been pleased had she only expressed the slightest wish to remain. But, so far from this, Fanny resolved to leave her place at the earliest opportunity. While Colin remained at home she left the matter in abeyance; but when he returned to the farm, which he reluctantly did at the expiration of eight or ten weeks, she felt no longer the same inducement to stay as before; and accordingly sought, in compliance with her mistress's previous injunction, for another situation.

This was not long in presenting itself. An old woman, who had long managed the bachelor's household of Mr. Skinwell, the lawyer, happened about this time to die. A gap was left where she had

stood; and, as though for the especial purpose of bringing about a discovery, which it was highly needful Fanny should make, she was destined to fill it.

While the villagers of Bramleigh were occupied in discussing the cause of the old housekeeper's death, Mrs. Clink and Fanny were surprised one evening with a visit from Mr. Skinwell. Still more were they amazed when he explained his business, namely, to induce Fanny to leave her present situation, and take that which the death of the old housekeeper had made vacant.

Although Skinwell represented his present visit as in great part the result of accident, he nevertheless, we may imagine, had certain very cogent reasons of his own for desiring to get Miss Fanny Woodruff into his house. In fact, certain matters had come to his knowledge professionally, concerning the said Fanny and her father.

It should be stated, that after Dr. Rowel had obtained the document from James Woodruff, a copy of which has already been given, he still continued in doubt as to the course he should pursue to make himself secure. Wise as his own plans had at first appeared, he so far distrusted them on farther consideration, as to consider it needful to consult Mr. Skinwell professionally, on the matter; but, as he knew the affair to be a very delicate one, he at first put it to that gentleman hypothetically. As Mr. Skinwell, however, happened to have his own private reasons for misunderstanding the doctor's hypothesis, he protested he could not comprehend the full merits of the case unless it were put in a more circumstancial manner. After a good deal of beating about the bush, Mr. Skinwell satisfied himself that the doctor referred to a case in which he was himself concerned, and he also contrived to ascertain the names of the parties, the amount of property at stake, and the relationship which subsisted between the unfortunate man now confined at Nabbfield, and Fanny Woodruff.

By a little quiet manœuvring on his own part, Skinwell saw that he could not only protect the alleged lunatic and his daughter from the villainy of Doctor Rowel, but serve himself at the same time.

"My opinion," said he, "is this. The contract of gift being clearly illegal, you had better put it into the fire; and, if the patient is now of sound mind, as you have intimated, you are bound to set him at liberty, and restore to him his estate. If, on the other hand, he is unfit to be at large, he and his daughter must be adequately maintained out of the profits of that estate. Your course is as clear as daylight."

But it was not clear to the doctor that-whatever the law of the case might be, he could not contrive other means to effect the object he had in view; and so much he gave the lawyer to understand; at the same time insinuating, that if Mr. Skinwell would assist him in achieving that object, his reward should be in proportion to his service. A proposal to which that legal gentleman returned a very grave rebuke.

I

Long as you have known my character, Doctor, I am astonished and indignant that you should have made such a proposal to me. give my legal opinion plainly and frankly; but that man very much mistakes me who imagines I will prostitute my professional character to a base service for the sake of hire. So far from it, sir, I do

not hesitate to tell you now, before you leave my office, that, although this communication has been made to me in confidence, and professionally, I do not hold myself bound to keep faith, neither as a lawyer nor a man, in cases of swindling; and, that if your intentions towards these parties are of such a nature, I shall exert myself to the utmost of my ability in depriving you of your control over them, and restoring them to their rights."

Doctor Rowel stood confounded, mute, and pale. Who ever thought that Skinwell had so much virtue in him? The doctor felt he was a fool for having gone so far. How best should he get out of the scrape? How avert the lawyer's threatened co-operation with Woodruff and his daughter Fanny? The doctor had not much time to think before he was obliged to speak. He recovered his tongue, and stammered out a kind of apologetical explanation; in which he endeavoured to do away with the impression made on Skinwell's mind as to the dishonesty of his intentions: but the fact had previously been too plainly avowed to be thus explained away. The doctor and his legal adviser parted in mutual dudgeon, though with very opposite feelings; the former in rage at the defeat of his project, while upon the mind of the latter a faint hope dawned that he might win the hand of Fanny, and so secure the chance of inheriting the estate of Charnwood whenever her father might happen to die (as he doubtless would very soon), after it had been wrested by the tact of Mr. Skinwell himself from the hands of Doctor Rowel of Nabbfield.

Could Fanny and Mrs. Clink have been in the least aware of the motives which actuated Skinwell in making them so unusual a call, they would not have felt so much surprise; and the young woman would have given a prompt and decisive denial to his application. But Fanny saw only what seemed to her an offer of advancement, and a release from the thrall in which, to a certain extent, Mrs. Clink continued to hold her. She therefore hesitated not long in accepting the offer which Mr. Skinwell had made her; and finally consented to enter upon her new duties in about a week.

This engagement was fulfilled accordingly; and Fanny remained in the situation until a terrible event deprived her suddenly and for ever of her master. Several years, however, elapsed before this occurrence during which nothing of consequence to our narrative took place.

CHAPTER II.

Which, though perfectly natural, contains matters that not the most ingenious person could foresee.

IN the bar of the little tavern at Bramleigh, Doctor Rowel was seated before a round table, on which stood a glass of cold sherry and water, with a thin biscuit on a little plate beside it.

Now, during the former part of his life, the doctor had not by any means been in the general habit of passing his time at such a place, and in such a manner. Latterly, however, fear had made him suspicious; and during the few years which I have said elapsed after his attempt to bribe the lawyer, and while Fanny remained in the house of this latter worthy, he had been haunted with certain undefinable terrors lest the lawyer should at some time or other discover anything relating to the subject on which they had so seriously differed,

and on which he could not but feel that he lay very much at Mr. Skinwell's mercy. To be prepared for, and to counteract as far as he could, anything of this kind, Mr. Rowel had mingled somewhat more than hitherto had been his wont with the people of the village; although it was not until this identical evening that he had heard anything tending to involve his opponent, the lawyer, in the charge of having made use against him of the results of that professional and confidential communication between them already described. The information which had thus come to the doctor's knowledge was of a nature to decide, in his opinion, the existence of a plot on the part of Skinwell to discover the whole secret to Fanny Woodruff, and then, with her concurrence, and in her name, to take proceedings for the liberation of her father, and the recovery of his property. Whether that information was true remains to be seen; though certain enough it is, that Mr. Skinwell had employed the intervening time in cultivating Fanny's friendship, and rendering himself as agreeable to her as any middle-aged bachelor can reasonably expect to be to a young maid.

or

Under these circumstances, the reflections which crowded on the mind of Rowel were bitterness itself, and the more bitter, because he stood indebted to no one save himself for being placed in his present position. In imagination he saw himself reduced to the lowest extremity, at which point he began to form resolutions for his own protection against such a dreaded end. He fancied, perhaps, the lawyer might fall sick before his plans were ripe, and that he himself might have to attend him. Would that he might die suddenly !— that a fever would take him off, or a plague seize him-yesnobody questions a physician's medicine-if-nay, he dare not trust his bewildered brain to think it. He must be mad worse than mad-to suffer such a thought to cross his mind and yet it came again and again — it would come. He began to feel fearful of himself-to doubt whether he could trust himself to do right rather than wrong, should misfortune place his opponent in his power. While Skinwell lived, the doctor himself held all he had upon the slender tenure of a dozen words, which might be spoken for the gain they would bring, or be uttered recklessly in a moment of anger, might even drop out thoughtlessly, as one of those true things spoken in jest which they who hear never forget.

or

Doctor Rowel looked up, and beheld the village lawyer before him, taking a seat on the opposite side of the table. Rowel did not acknowledge his entrance nor his presence, until after a few minutes of dead silence, in which his face became as white as ashes with the secret emotions of his mind. He then abruptly, and with hurried speech, put this question to him,

"Mr. Skinwell, I have heard something lately respecting you,and now I wish to know what it is you intend to do about that business of mine?"

"Having already given my opinion, doctor," replied Skinwell, “I have nothing more to say to you.”

"But I have something to say to you," responded the physician. "I intend to know for what purpose you have had that girl in your house so long, before you and I part again."

"Indeed!" exclaimed Skinwell, sarcastically, though still some what flushed to find that his intentions had somehow become sus