Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-02-26
A Brave Bow.

Napoleon uSeu 10 speak OF " 1Our o CLOCK
in the morning p" courage, which he
thought the only kind worth much admi-
ration. He meant, we suppose, what is
called presence of mind-the ability to
decide rapidly upon and as rapidly to do
the best thing or nearest the best thing
required in an emergency. There is per-
haps no faculty more decidedly Unborn
and natural than this. When a great
emergency, at sea, for instance, arises, by
by which a number of lives are put in
peril, there is usually some one, not per-
haps of those in authority, who asserts
his right of leadership, takes command,
it may be, out of the hands of the
officers, and inspires the whole trem-
ulous crowd with fortitude. This
ability, this born power of leadership,
this rapid and decisive quality of decision,
was recently exhibited by a mere lad at
Dawlish, England, during a peril of which
we find an account in a letter writer by
Admiral Cragie to the Secretary of the
Life-boat Association.
A boy, Frederick Perraine by name. and
only fourteen years Of age, had occasion
to 20 from some place near Exmouth in a
small dlngy, when the tide suddenly swept
him out into the open sea. There was a
brisk gale from the n E, and the boy
Immediately got up his tiny mast and sail,
vainly hoping to find some sheltered place
where he could land. He was fast driven,
however, upon the heavy breakers. When
he was within a hundred yards OF Dawlish
Beach he anchored, il the desperate hope
of holding on until the sea should a little
subside. He had now attracted the at.
tention Of those on shore to his peril
Gus situation, but it was impossible tc
send him aid without too great a risk O
life. Nothing could live in the broker
water, with occasional heavy rollers, ex
cept a life boat-and the life-boat was a
T~eignmouth. The little fellow in thu
dingy made up his mind that she would
soon swamp where she was; 50 he rapid,
got up his mast and sail again, weighe,
his anchor and stood to the westward, hi
craft almost on her beam ends. Wit
lightning precision and decision" he sc
lected the only spot where he could pos
IDLY have landed, AMI boldly bearing W
he pushed his little boat into the foam
waters.
Over the first roller she went like
seagulI, but then she was suddenly bt
Gained, so that it seemed inevitable tina
she must soon breach to, be rolled owe
and knocked to pieces. The small marine
however, renamed perfectly collected
, his tiller in one hand, and the sheet in tt
, other. Then the gale again caught h
sail, and over the second roller he wei
right upon the beach. There was now I
need Of the llfe-boat from Teignpoutl
and ste was countermanded. Admir-;
Craigie, supported in his opinion by
navel friend Of great experiences who sa
the whole, testifes that this boy of fou
teen did the very best that could be dol
under the circumstances, took the on
course which afforded the least chance
escape, and showed Ito use the Admiral
words that e" courage, self-reliance, ar
Judgment are the chief elements of su
cess on such occasions"
What a contrast does the calm drawer
of this boy exhibit to the panic fear ofte
betrayed by men in like emergencies
the helpless terror, the suicidal prostratio
and the miserable despair! The lad W
young, but he was old enough to compr
, bend fully the exigency of the %situatio
His judgment may have been no bett
than that of many men similarly il
perilled, but such as it was he was mast
of it We have all a love of life, b
how many Of us have a trustworthy j
stinct Of self-preservation? How man
since it is teIo de Sc. in one form or anothe
which fills so many graves?