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'A perpendicular rock； going right down into the blue waters；' I
answered。
'Look at it： what is the outline of it like？ Whose face is it？'
'Shakspere's； by all that is grand！' I cried。
'So it is；' said Andrew。
'Right。 Now I'll tell you what I would do。 If I were very rich；
and there were no poor people in the country； I would give a
commission to some great sculptor to attack that rock and work out
its suggestion。 Then； it I had any money left； we should find one
for Bacon； and one for Chaucer； and one for Milton； and； as we are
about it； we may fancy as many more as we like； so that from the
bounding rocks of our island； the memorial faces of our great
brothers should look abroad over the seas into the infinite sky
beyond。'
'Well； now；' said the elder； 'I think it is grander as it is。'
'You are quite right； father；' said Robert。 'And so with many of our
fancies for perfecting God's mighty sketches； which he only can
finish。'
Again we seated ourselves and looked out over the waves。
'I have never yet heard；' I said； 'how you managed with that poor
girl that wanted to drown herselfon Westminster Bridge； I
meanthat night； you remember。'
'Miss St。 John has got her in her own house at present。 She has
given her those two children we picked up at the door of the
public…house to take care of。 Poor little darlings！ they are
bringing back the life in her heart already。 There is actually a
little colour in her cheekthe dawn； I trust； of the eternal life。
That is Miss St。 John's way。 As often as she gets hold of a poor
hopeless woman； she gives her a motherless child。 It is wonderful
what the childless woman and motherless child do for each other。'
'I was much amused the other day with the lecture one of the police
magistrates gave a poor creature who was brought before him for
attempting to drown herself。 He did give her a sovereign out of the
poor box； though。'
'Well； that might just tide her over the shoal of self…destruction；'
said Falconer。 'But I cannot help doubting whether any one has a
right to prevent a suicide from carrying out his purpose； who is not
prepared to do a good deal more for him than that。 What would you
think of the man who snatched the loaf from a hungry thief； threw it
back into the baker's cart； and walked away to his club…dinner？
Harsh words of rebuke； and the threat of severe punishment upon a
second attemptwhat are they to the wretch weary of life？ To some
of them the kindest punishment would be to hang them for it。 It is
something else than punishment that they need。 If the comfortable
alderman had but 〃a feeling of their afflictions；〃 felt in himself
for a moment how miserable he must be； what a waste of despair must
be in his heart； before he would do it himself； before the awful
river would appear to him a refuge from the upper air； he would
change his tone。 I fear he regards suicide chiefly as a burglarious
entrance into the premises of the respectable firm of Vension； Port；
& Co。'
'But you mustn't be too hard upon him； Falconer； for if his God is
his belly； how can he regard suicide as other than the most awful
sacrilege？'
'Of course not。 His well…fed divinity gives him one great
commandment： 〃Thou shalt love thyself with all thy heart。 The great
breach is to hurt thyselfworst of all to send thyself away from
the land of luncheons and dinners； to the country of thought and
vision。〃 But； alas！ he does not reflect on the fact that the god
Belial does not feed all his votaries； that he has his elect； that
the altar of his inner…temple too often smokes with no sacrifice of
which his poor meagre priests may partake。 They must uphold the
Divinity which has been good to them； and not suffer his worship to
fall into disrepute。'
'Really； Robert；' said his father； 'I am afraid to think what you
will come to。 You will end in denying there is a God at all。 You
don't believe in hell； and now you justify suicide。 ReallyI must
sayto say the least of itI have not been accustomed to hear such
things。'
The poor old man looked feebly righteous at his wicked son。 I
verily believe he was concerned for his eternal fate。 Falconer gave
a pleased glance at me； and for a moment said nothing。 Then he
began； with a kind of logical composure：
'In the first place； father； I do not believe in such a God as some
people say they believe in。 Their God is but an idol of the
heathen； modified with a few Christian qualities。 For hell； I don't
believe there is any escape from it but by leaving hellish things
behind。 For suicide； I do not believe it is wicked because it hurts
yourself； but I do believe it is very wicked。 I only want to put it
on its own right footing。'
'And pray what do you consider its right footing？'
'My dear father； I recognize no duty as owing to a man's self。
There is and can be no such thing。 I am and can be under no
obligation to myself。 The whole thing is a fiction； and of evil
invention。 It comes from the upper circles of the hell of
selfishness。 Or； perhaps； it may with some be merely a form of
metaphysical mistake； but an untruth it is。 Then for the duty we do
owe to other people： how can we expect the men or women who have
found life to end； as it seems to them； in a dunghill of miseryhow
can we expect such to understand any obligation to live for the sake
of the general others； to no individual of whom； possibly； do they
bear an endurable relation？ What remains？The grandest； noblest
duty from which all other duty springs： the duty to the possible
God。 Mind； I say possible God； for I judge it the first of my duties
towards my neighbour to regard his duty from his position； not from
mine。'
'But；' said I； 'how would you bring that duty to bear on the mind of
a suicide？'
'I think some of the tempted could understand it； though I fear not
one of those could who judge them hardly； and talk sententiously of
the wrong done to a society which has done next to nothing for her；
by the poor； starved； refused； husband…tortured wretch perhaps； who
hurries at last to the might of the filthy flowing river which； the
one thread of hope in the web of despair； crawls through the city of
death。 What should I say to him？ I should say： 〃God liveth： thou
art not thine own but his。 Bear thy hunger； thy horror in his name。
I in his name will help thee out of them； as I may。 To go before
he calleth thee； is to say 'Thou forgettest；' unto him who numbereth
the hairs of thy head。 Stand out in the cold and the sleet and the
hail of this world； O son of man； till thy Father open the door and
call thee。 Yea； even if thou knowest him not； stand and wait； lest
there should be； after all； such a loving and tender one； who； for
the sake of a good with which thou wilt be all…content； and without
which thou never couldst be content； permits thee there to
standfor a timelong to his sympathizing as well as to thy
suffering heart。〃'
Here Falconer paused； and when he spoke again it was from the
ordinary level of conversation。 Indeed I fancied that he was a
little uncomfortable at the excitement into which his feelings had
borne him。
'Not many of them could understand this； I dare say： but I think
most of them could feel it without understanding it。 Certainly the
〃belly with good capon lined〃 will neither understand nor feel it。
Suicide is a sin against God； I repeat； not a crime over which
human laws have any hold。 In regard to such； man has a duty
alonethat； namely； of making it possible for every man to live。
And where the dread of death is not sufficient to deter； what can
the threat of punishment do？ Or what great thing is gained if it
should succeed？ What agonies a man must have gone through in whom
neither the horror of falling into such a river； nor of the knife in
the flesh instinct with life； can extinguish the vague longing to
wrap up his weariness in an endless sleep！'
'But；' I remarked； 'you would； I fear； encourage the trade in
suicide。 Your kindness would be terribly abused。 What would you do
with the pretended suicides？'
'Whip them； for trifling with and trading upon the feelings of their
kind。'
'Then you would drive them to suicide in earnest。'
'Then they might be worth something； which they were not before。'
'We are a great deal too humane for that now…a…days； I fear。 We
don't like hurting people。'
'No。 We are infested with a philanthropy which is the offspring of
our mammon…worship。 But surely our tender mercies are cruel。 We
don't like to hang people； however unfit they may be to live amongst
their fellows。 A weakling pity will petition for the life of the
worst murdererbut for what？ To keep him alive in a confinement as
like their notion of hell as they dare to make itnamely； a place
whence all the sweet visitings of the grace of God are withdr