Effects of DespairDeath of Mr. Laferrière, member of the Institute - Suicide of Mr. Léon L…
The widow and the Doctor
We would need several books to register all the dismal accidents
caused by despair, even if we only take into account those that are
of public knowledge. How many suicides, diseases, involuntary deaths,
cases of madness, acts of vengeance and even crimes are produced every
day! An educational statistic would be that of the root causes that led
those persons to a state of insanity. We would see that in at least 80% of
the cases despair is present. But that is not our focus today.
Below we transcribe two cases that were reported in the papers, and
we don’t do it just to show the news but as material for study. The Siècle
of last February 17th reported the following regarding the funerals of Mr.
Laferrière:
“On Tuesday we took a twenty-year-old young lady to her final
dwelling, followed by some saddened friends, after she had endured
a terrible disease for some time. Mr. Laferrière was the father of his
only child. He was a member of the Institute and General Inspector
at the Law School. The excessive pain killed that unfortunate father
and the resignation of the Christian faith was not enough to console him. Thirty six hours later a second blow shook the family and the
same week that had seen father and daughter separated also saw them
reunited again. Mr. Laferrière funeral was attended by a huge and
dismayed crowd.”
The paper says that Mr. Laferrière had religious feelings and it is nice
to see it since we must not assume that all scholars are agnostic. Those
feelings, however, were not able to preclude him from falling out of
despair. We are convinced that if his ideas about the future were less
vague, more positive, such as those given by Spiritism; had he believed
in the presence of his daughter by his side; had he had the reassuring opportunity
of communicating with her, he would have understood that
they were only separated physically and for some time and he would
have the necessary patience and submission to God’s will up until the
time of their reunion; he would have calmed down knowing that his
own despair was a cause of disturbance to his beloved one’s happiness.
These thoughts are even more appropriate to the news reported by the
Siècle on March 1st:
“Mr. Leon L… is a 25 year-old businessman of the Villemonble bus
company in Paris. He was married for two years to a young lady who
he loved very much. The birth of their son, now 1 year old, brought
them even closer. This and the successful business led them to foresee
a long and happy future.
A few months ago Mrs. L… felt suddenly ill taken by typhoid
fever and despite the most diligent care and the assistance of all of science’s
latest medicines, she soon passed away. Since then Mr. L… has
been so sad that there was nothing that could distract him. He was
heard more than once saying that he hated life and that he wanted to
reunite with the one who was his reason of happiness.
Last night, around 7 pm, on returning from Paris in his car he
gave the cabriolet carriage to the wagoner and without a word he entered
the room adjacent to the dining room. An hour later a servant
came to let him know that dinner was served. He responded that he
wanted nothing. His body was bending over the desk, the head supported
by the hands, seemingly taken by total weakness.
The servant informed his parents who promptly came to help
their son. He had lost consciousness. They immediately sent for Dr.
Dubois. As soon as the doctor arrived he attested that the young man
was dead. He had poisoned himself with a strong dose of laudanum
that he had bought for his horses. The young man’s death caused great
commotion in the region where he enjoyed general sympathy.”
Mr. Leon L…, no doubt, believed in a future life since he killed himself to
reunite with his wife. Had he known through Spiritism the fate of those
who commit suicide he would have known that far from short-cutting the
path of reunion, his action was an infallible way of keeping them apart.
We would like to offer the following opposing fact to those two above,
showing the influence that the spiritist beliefs may have upon those who
profess them. One of our corresponding members reports the following:
“A lady friend of mine lost her husband whose death was attributed
to medical malpractice. She was so angry with the doctor that she
persecuted him, ruthlessly, threatening him and telling him out loud
and wherever she met him: - ‘Assassin, I will make sure that you die
in my hands!’ – That lady was very religious, a good Catholic. The
appeal of religion, however, did not stop her. The situation came to
a point that the doctor decided to inform the authorities for his own
security. In the town where she resides there is a large number of followers
of Spiritism. A good spiritist, friend of hers, told her one day:
• How would you react if I told you that you could still talk
to your husband?
• Oh! She said, if I only knew that it is possible! If I were
certain that I did not lose him forever, that would give me
consolation and I would wait.
They soon gave her proof. Her own husband came to give her advice
and consolation and by the language he employed, she had no doubt
that it was him by her side. Since then a total revolution took place
in her mind. Eight days later she went to the house of the doctor who
was afraid of her visit; instead of threatening him she offered to shake
his hand, saying: - ‘do not be frightened Sir. I came to apologize for
the bad things I have been doing against you, as I forgive you for what
you did involuntarily. It was my husband himself that advised me to
do what I am doing now. He told me that the cause of his death had
absolutely nothing to do with you. As a matter of fact I am now certain
that he is around me, that he sees and protects me and that one
day we will be together again. Hence, I beg you Sir not to keep any
hard feelings against me as I do not hold any against you.’
Needless to say that the doctor accepted the settlement immediately and
promptly tried to understand the mysterious cause behind his refreshing
peace of mind thereafter. Thus, without Spiritism that lady would
have likely committed a crime, despite the fact that she was a religious
person. Does it demonstrate the uselessness of religion? Not at all. It only
shows the insufficiency of the idea that religion provides about the future
with such vagueness that to many it presents a kind of uncertainty, while
Spiritism in a way allows us to touch it with our fingers, giving the soul a
more thorough sense of confidence and security.
Which consolation does materialism bring to the father who has lost
his son; the son who has lost his father; the husband who has lost his beloved wife? It says: it is all over. There is nothing left of the beloved
creature, absolutely nothing remains from that body that will soon be dissolved.
Also their intelligence, the moral qualities, the education, nothing;
it all comes to the void; you have lost them forever.
The spiritist says: They are not lost; they all move on; the only thing
that is gone is their physical covering; but the spirit, now separated from
its prison, is radiant, and it is there, by your side, seeing you, hearing and
waiting for you. Oh! The wrongs caused by the materialists inoculating
their deceitful arguments, the poison of unbelievers! They never loved.
Otherwise, how could they see in cold blood the very object of their love
and devotion turning into a pile of dust?
Therefore it seems that God’s greatest rigor has been reserved to them
as we shall see them all reduced to the most deplorable condition in the
spiritual world and the closer they were from knowing the truth, the less
indulgence they will receive from God.
