Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-08-18
, 9glisrfllanepll6.
COURAGE.


One ofthe brayest and best Generals tina
Europe ever produced said that he coulC
never snuff a candle with his fingers without
suffering from the fear of being burned
He was not afraid on the battle field, but ht
was afraid ofscorching his fingers We once
knew man who never saw a thunder cloud
without trembling lest he should be struck
| by lightning, and yet when he came to the
endof life he had no fear of death, but wei
coined itas he would rest from tiresome
Journey. We have seen a man who would
| faint at the sight of blood, as cheerful Ia
| view. of immediate dissolution as though he
1 had been invited to party and was hasten
| ing to go. Again we have seen astrong man
who had braved dangers uponthe land and
seas, who was absolutely afraid of being
alone in the dark He had no. fear of any
thing he could see, but a mortal dread Of
the unseen. In the loss Of the Sultana
steamer on the Mississippi, by which 4 800
persons came to their. end, among those
saved was lady, Mrs. Perry, who, putting
on life preserver, hastened to Jump into
the river, where she soon found herself with
half dozen soldiers clinging to door,
drifting down the deep and rapid current
Of these men there was not one that had
the least self possession, but Young soldier,
boyish in years, but Of manly heart, who
lifted his voice in words Of encouragement
and advice. The Others, men who had
faced death on the battle fields and in rebel
prisons, were as babes In that trying hour
They wept aloud, and the waters echoedback
their shrieks of utter despair. One of them
crawled upon the door and remained there,
to the imminent peril of the others, and
despite their repeated remonstrances. An
other, who observed that Mrs Perry had on
life preserver, let go of the door and
grasped her arm, forcing her from the door
under the water She managed to shake
him off and regain the door, he taking his
place by her side again The young hero
of the hour here demonstrated with the
other soldier, saying he was ashamed to see
him thus cowardly, after having fought with
him ON more than one battle ground. But
the other was too thorougly overcome by
fear to heel the remark, and he repeated
the operation three different times, on each
occasion dragging Mrs. Perry in the water
and nearly strangling her Happening to
perceive another door floating near them,
Mrs. Perry attempted to secure il, but as
she was about to lay hands on it, soldier
who had been cllnglng to 1T arose TO the
surface and warned her off She stated
that the other poor refuge was so over crow
ded tnat IL WOulQ DC Impossible Tor ali TO
clingtoit She attempted to catch hold of the
door, but the soldier thrust her off into the
water, and compelled her to return to the
other After hours of peril they were
finally rescued. This proves what all must
have observed, that those who are heroes
in one condition may be exceedingly timid
--r9 E-e --~.4l l~s~.ssa- ail>s--rl.@, will
swing by rope yarn Mt a yard arm and feel
safe, is afraid to follow carpenter upon
staging, lest his support should give way,
though it may be ever so strong So men
that one hour may be as firm and undaunted
as were Napoleon veterans, and as in
movable as the deep-rooted trees of the
forest, may the next be panic stricken, and
run like weak children-as eowardly as
whipped dogs.-Some mems courage is
through force of mind, which controles the
bodies; others through brute force, ike
mad bulls.