Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1874-07-01
WHICH WAS THE COWARD.
Twill you bear that, Edward

y
The young man to whom this was
addressed stood facing another person
about his own age, on whose flushed
countenance was an expression of
angry defiance. The name OF the per-
son was Logan. A third party, also
young man, had asked the question,
regret. Before there was time for
response, Logan said sharply, and in a
voice of stinging contempt
"You are a poor, mean coward,
Edward Wilson L repeat the words
and if there is a particle of manhood
about you"
Logan paused for an instant, bat
quickly added
'You will resent the insult"
Why did he pause? His words had
aroused a feeling in the breast of
Wilson that instantly betrayed itself
in mis- eyes. The word coward" in
that instant of time, would have more
fittingly applied to James Logan. But,
as quickly as the fash leaves the cloud,
so quickly faded the indignant light
from the eyes of Edward Wilson.
What fierce struggle agitated him for
the moment
"We have been fast friends, James"
said Wilson, calmly. "But if this we're
not so / will not strike you"
"You re afraid"
81 will not deny it. / have always
been afraid to do wrong"
"Pah Can't and hypocrisy y said
the other contemptuously.
"You know me better than that,
James Logan and / am sorry that, in
your resentment of an imagined wrong,
You should so far forget what is Just to
my character as to charge upon me such
mean vices. 1 reject the implied ale
cation as false"
There was an honest indignation in
the manner of Wilson, that he did not
attempt to repress.
"Do you call me a liar ?" exclaimed
Logan, in uncomfortable passion,
drawing back his hand, and making a
motion as if he were about to slap the
other in the face.
The eyes of Wilson qHailed not, nor
was the smallest quiver of muscle
perceptible. From some cause the
course of Logan was not executed.
Instead of giving a blow, he assailed
his antagonist with words of deeper
Insult, seeking thus to provoke an as
sault. But Wilson was not to be driven
from the citadel in which he had en-
trenched himself.
''If | am a coward, well, " he said. 81
would rather be coward, than lay my
hand in violence on him whom L once
called friend"
At this moment light girlish laughter
and the ring of merry voices reached
the ears of our excited young men, and
their relation of antagonism at once
changed. Logan walked away in the
direction from which the voices came,
while the other two remained where
they had been standing.
"Why didn't you knock him down r
said the companion of Wilson.
The latter, whose face was very sober
and very pale, shook his head slowly.
He made no other response.
81 believe You are a coward y ex-
claimed the other, impatiently and
turning off, he went in the direction
taken by Logan.
The moment Wilson was alone, he
seated himself on the ground, concealed
from the party, whose voices had in
terrupted them by a large rock, and
. covering his face with his hands, sat
motionless for several minutes. How
much he suffered in that little space OF
time we will not attempt to describe.
The struggle with his indignant i'm
. pulses had been very severe. He was
no coward in heart. What was right
. and humane he was ever ready to do,
even at the risk to himself of both ply
steal and mental suffering. Clearly
conscious was he of this. Yet the con-
sciousness did not and could not protect
his feelings from the unjust and sting
ing charge of cowardice so angrily
brought against him. In spite of his
, better reason he felt humiliated /; and
, there were moments when he half re-
, gretted the forbearance that saved the
, insolent Logan from punishment. They
were but moments of weakness in the
strength of manly character he was
, quickly himself again.
= The occasion of this misunderstood.
ing is briefly told. Wilson made one Oi
, little pleasure party for neighhorine
t village, that was spending an afternoon
: in a shady retreat on the banks of {
: mill stream. Three or four Young mel
/ and half dozen maidens and, as II
) happens on such occasions, rIvalrles
. were excited among the former. These
{ should only have added piquancy Il
} the merry intercourse of all parties, anC
, would have done so, had not the impa
: tient temperament of Logan carried
/, him beyond good feeling and generous
e department towards others. Wlthou
e due reflection, yet in no sarcastic spirit
' Edward Wilson made remark on som'
4 act of Logan that irritated him exceed
, ingly.
e An angry spot burned instantly oil
t his cheek, and he replied with word
: of cutting insult; so cutting that al
r present expected nothing less than
2 blow from Wilson as his answer to th'
4 remark. And to deal a blow was hi
e first impulse and it required NOR
: courage to do this than 10 have strickel
Y the insolent young man to the ground
: A moment or two Wilson struggled
/. with himself, and then turned off an'
: marched slowly away.
i His flushed and then paling face, hi
' auivering lips and unsteady eyes, lef
q on the minds of all who witnessed tn
J. scene an impression somewhat unfavor
I, able. Partaking of the indignant ex
i citement of the moment, many OF thos
# present looked for the instant punish
1t ment for his unjustifable insult. Whel
II therefore, they saw Wilson turn ava
" without even a defiant answer; an
o heard the low, sneeringly uttered wor
j. Coward - from the lips of Logan
% they felt that there was craven spirl
d about the young man. A coward "
n instinctively despise; and yet, how slo'
If we are to elevate that higher mora
1t courage which enables man to bray
al unjust Judgment, rather than to d
4. what he thinks to be wrong, above tn
" mere instinct which in the moment
% excitement, forgets all physical conse
y quences.
y As Edward Wilson walked away fror
It his compaaions he felt that he was rt
f. las