St. Landry democrat., 1882-07-08
True Courage.

&" wish | had been a man during tn,
last war;! exclaimed Joe Peterson, a:
he sat one evening by the Suppcr-tabl,
reading the life of General Sherman.
..Why SOP asked his father looking
up from his plate.
| "Because livin' wasn't such dul
routine then. A man who had any
I pluck i'll him had Il chance to show it. ;
His father was the Superintendent OF
the Continental Coliery. He had just
finished his days work, and with a weary
sigh he said: '.It often takes more
pluck to fulfill we'll the duties of that
dull routine as you call it, than to
fight battles.'' .#
~ mean the opportunity to show
"One never knows till the test comes
whether he has the courage In sudden
danger the power to think quickly and
act bravely is great gift, and you often
see it where you least expect it. In the
pits, when sudden emergencies have
arisen, l have seen strong men lose their
wits entirely, and others show them
selves as cool and thoughtful of the
best eNpedients as if there was no cause
for fear"
The next day, while Joe was at his
usual work, he accidentally pushed an
empty car on the down-grade before he
had attached it to the chain.
He instantly saw that it was too late
to stop the car, but if it went on with
increasing velocity, it would kill the
two men who We're at work at the bot
tom of the slope. unless he could retard
its progress sufficiently to give them
warning. He instantly thought of their
large families, left helpless and starving
if they We're injured, and to him they
would owe their misfortune
With desperate energy he clung to
the car, striving by every means in his
power to stop its motion, or at least de-
lay it long enough to give them warning
by his shouts to get out OF the way.
The slope was Steep but not long; the
men heard his frantic cries, and look
ing up saw him clinging to the car,
which was coming on with increasing
impetus. They ran back just out of the
reach of danger, as the car dashed to
the bottom and was shivered into pieces.
The shouts of the men and crash of
the wreck instantly drew a crowd to
the spot and Mr.. Peterson rushed for
ward, expecting to find his boy a man
gled corpse under the ruins. But no
trace of him was discovered there, and,
by the men who had just |
so narrowly, he went hastily UP
the slope, anxiously calling his sons
name.
When PARKWAY up, one of the men
cried: g. Here he is, caught in between
two of the slope-timbers! That's saved
him from bein' thrown to the bottom. I
Bless the plucky lad! If he hadn't a |
hung on an yelled as he did, my ole
an poor leetle childers would a
oeen widout any one to arm their bread
an butter by this. "
They lifted the boy tenderly in their
arms and carried him to the surface.
he had been stunned by the force by
which he. was thrown from the car.
3ut he soon recovered consciousness,
ind his first word was to know if the
nen below were safe. Assured of this,
le tried to rise, but found himself so
bruised and lame, he was perfectly will
ng to be carried home and submit to
lis mothers tender nursing. ......
That night, as his father stood by his
bedside, he said proudly: '.Well, my
on, you have had wonderful escape;
nd you have proved that you need not
% to the war to show your pluck.'
:" did not think about myself, father,
My to warn those poor men below
And in that tself-forgetfulnes was the
ecret of your bravery. One had better
ose his life in noble, generous deeds,
han save it by cowardly conduct. -
/outA's Companion. .t.