The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-11-11
A Day Postponed.

/
The train rushed through the open
draw. The slaughter was fearful,
some twenty or thirty of the passen-
ger We're killed Instantly, while
double that number were injured
more or less seriously, I had been
pleasantly chatting with a gentleman
about this, that and the other, and
though We had touched upon one
profound subject, he was evidently
man about the average ability even
OF newspaper correspondents, for l
discovered he belonged to the brother
hood from a remark he made laugh
ingly. "This is Saturday," he said ::
Il never travel on Saturday if | can
heIp 1t, for it would be just my luck
II there was an accident" "Are YOU
superstitious about Saturday ?'' 4
asked in surprise, for everything he
had said previously showed anything
else but man Influenced by such
folly. "Superstitious, not me-" he
replleu, "but | hate to be beaten.
You see my paper does not publish
on Sunday and if | must experience
railroad accident | want to get out
OF 1t all can. If | have a smash I'D
on Saturday it is an opportunity
thrown away. What good does it do
me in professional sense? ? The Sun
day papers get the cream of the sem
satlon, and if | do anything can
only warm over the cold dish !" Just
then over we went.
craWled and was helped ont of a
WinGow. My friend for the moment
In ;he excitement and confusion. was
Iost, but when | seated myself in the
relief train there he was, as cool and
as smiling as if nothing in the world
had happened, as if he was not hat
less, ana as if his coat was not hang
ing upon him in tatters. His greet
ing was peculiar.
Another postponement," he said.
"Postponement! what do YOU
mean?" [ asked.
"Well," he said, "they tell me that
bravery differs from courage in that
man who is brave has no sense of
danger, while the courageous man
recognizes the danger and still deties
it. The nature of the brave man for
instance, is such that in battle the
flying tallS do not alarm him in the
least, while the courageous man is in
reality scared out of his wits, but
screws his courage to the sticking
point and fights like a hero. | envy
the brave man and l honor the cour-
ageous man, and | would give lot
to know in which class | ought to be
placed. | am not brave man for I
know danger when | encounter it. [
am not courageous man, for have
no trouble in keeping myself calm
and cool in the presence of danger. |
know it is there, but | simply do not
think it worth while to let it annoy
me. Many courageous men after such
an accident as we have just gone
through with the dead and the diving
all around US, within hearing of the
means of the suffering and the cries
of the friends of those who have
crossed into eternity, would be all of
a tremble. 1t does not affect me one
particle. Now, you, / take it, have
courage, yet your nerves are shaken,
and for the moment you are totally
unnamed"
"That is true, and it is natural, is it
not?
Natural, yes. But to me every
escape from death is only postpone
ment. And therefore no danger
alarms me. Without either courage
or bravery I go my way through the
world utterly regardless of danger.
Death comes to us all. We meet it
to-day or tomorrow what matters
it which? An accident such as this.
is a bore to me, because | was here
and it is Saturday. Otherwise
would welcome it. The poor fellows
lying over there dead are lucky, in
that they have escaped sick beds and
long tuSSelS with disease, The
wounded will get well or die before
long or will die now and so end it;
for you and me tits only postpone
ment.