New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30
THE COURAGE or MEN md WONEN.
Prom The Spectator.

Prom The Spectator.
Courage undoubtedly. implies alacr1tV, ara even
pleasure III facing peril from which many shHnk. Il
epirit that rises to the encounter Win danger; bl
whether OF not courage properly implies right ana
sufficient Justification for sllch an encounter Is
another tuestOn. II it does, then We snonld say
that women are often more courageous than men.
since tie existence of a sufficient motive for en-
covnternE peril makes vast dead more difference,
on the whole to their nerve than II makes 20 INC
nerve If men. There 10 hardly lDOther VINO VIII
not encounter gain and shame and perl with
frIner heart tn save he- child than even brave
man would show for the same end But then com
pare the two in moments OF peril when
there is no such noble motive to string
the nerve Of either, and the chances are
th1t the Iuan will be the Drawer of tie twO-nOt
urhaps that his heart Is the holder, hut that his
mind passes much less easl into the collapse when
fear brings and is leSs dependent on an exalted
emotion for the res,stance It opposes TO anything
like moral paralysis II Mss Cobbc ~ right and
courage implies the existence of some motive OF all
sontc ohllgatlop on behalf OF which lerll is IL bg
faced. then women. 50 far ~ thcV really enter INTO
such motives. We believe. drawer than men. he
cafse they 1--we more stngiy ana hehitHy III the
purer emotions 10 which they surr nGcr themselves.
IT, on :hc contrary conragc is 10 cover all the cases
Of spn-p0s~cSson and GOODNESS III peIil-whelh'r
there Is or il not q hi-h and dlsntcrc,tad
motive for confronting the p'tll-thcH men are The
more c"iraCcor~. for their temperament - molc
romlpf've; there j. morr IN IT vhl"h rises Ia an
emergency only bernnSe there Is an emergency 20
rs TO: more of INN ediaic reaction rgaihst any
thin That has az #S9r"-~iFe lJ'h man There l. ~
women We .huuld >Hy t"t thr Wirds + women 90
nor rebel aS irS'inctivrlv acaInS' mere collapse -
do the minds OF men. Nhrrc there IL anv profound
affection Winch strcl> them AGAINST Silrb :, culTS',
trey are NOM wholly ImpVrYlouI tn II th3n inU "a.
Bnt where there i such antidO" 10 60 apSe. TIE
collapse OF hnrrur sets IN mach NOR" Sliy ~ their
minds than II does IN the StuTier ana lc>4 mobile
IN nre- cf the male Men ARE l"sI prone to he
uunrryrd by their fears than women. Women are
uir !r-ue To lie peryed 10y their Affections 10 great
GCtiuIIs than non.
But II is not only nv their affections that women
are made notably courageous OFTEN tEey are made
80 by very inferior interests especially BY the III
tense conservatism Of their proprietary instincts.
We believe that women much oitencr -oitcurr. at
least IN proportion To the need,rsk then lives IN
Defence OF their proper than men. Women who
would faint away in tho face OF shpwreck, OF even
ut the approach of angry bull. will constantly 20
alone ahout a house n night when they believe
burglars u be attempting the house, without any
panic ut ALL Tins is. no Doubt, in part
because they realize leSs clearly the bru-
talIty Of the sort OF men who rob houses
than men do, and arc, IN fact, rendered fear
less by their comparative lguOranCe ut rho world.
60, lIkewIsr men are often exceedingly fearless Ut
sea- or in danger from railway catastrOphcs. Till tier
nerves have once received "a serious shock from
cit her cause, after winch they become liable to
collapse of nerve a woman. Charles Dickens,
who behaved ike hero i'll the terrible Southeastern
Railway accident, acknowledged that his nerve IT,
eelved such % shock IN it that he could not after
ward drive i'll an ordinary hansom-cab without
spasms Of extreme terror. The comparative fear
essuess either of unmaginatiye natures or of com.
plot ignorance has hardly the right to the name OF
courage 1t il only inSenslbility 10 u particular
class of par:ly 2tng fears.