The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1883-09-19
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.
Why iich bread to End TiIgit Lives /,
Great Catnsirophes.

Nothing Is more curlotis than the fact
that dying as one Of crowd, seems to
be more terrible to man than simply
dying his own individual death. I'M
questionably there seems TO be no kind
Of death mote dreaded by men than
death either from sudden catastrophies
like that of the Ring Theatre at
Jenna and that Of the Clyde, for in
,tance-or from pestilence No doubt
it is perfectly true that death cannot he
shared in the same sense in which
peril or pleasure can be shared; you
,annot, in all probability, be conscious
of the strength OF companionship after
life begins to flicker low, nor aro there
above one or two people in the world
with whom most men would cOvet the
sense Of companionship in such mo.
mcnt as that Of death. Still II is some.
what curious that death on grand scale
always seems TO be more terrible. even
to separate Individuals, than the ordinary
death by units. OF course, terror is
very catching, and, therefore, the terror
Of crowd always enhances the terror
of the individual. But though that ex.
plains the supreme agony OF n sinking
ship or burning theatre, it does not in
the least explain the additional dread OF
death which plague seems 10 inspire III
individuals, for between the inhabitants
Of n plague-siricken city there is always
very much less active sympathy than
there was before thcpestilenceappeared,
and it is rather through the growth ol
mutual repulsion than through the
heightenipg Of common sympathy
that the influence Of pestilcrcc is chiefly
felt. Perhaps it will be said that mel
do not fear denth'thc more on account o
the number dying around them, bu
only rs that number makes evident tn,
greatness of the risk. But that cal
hardly be the explanation of the matter
otherwise we might expect n nue.
greater terror in every man to whom tn
doctors so frankly acknowledge tina
death is imminent, so that we ought {
find in healthy inhabitant of plague
stricken city, whose chance Of death
probably much less than one III W
As n matter Of fact, very few patient
stricken with ordinary disease, who al
told that death is inevitable. show an
panic at all, while the perfectly health
man, surrounded by pestlencr, is to
often consumed with terror which renl
ers him absolutely unfit for the dlschare
of his duties. 1t seems certain that I'll
| selfish terror inspired by tie sight 4
living crowds does unnerve men in
manner in which sentence Of dea
| pissed upon themselves would not u
nerve them at ALL We wonder why I'll
is, and suppose the reason to be that
is only n great risk i'll combination WI
the chance of escape that unnerves
man whom the prospect of certain dea
: would not unnerve at all. 1t Is Il
,ager passion with which all the mil
, rshes into the alternative of prolong
life that really unmans a nature whl
: would be steady enough in facing CT
e tain death. Nlingle great fear with
vivid ray of hope and you will turn
: head which could hold its own again
y inevitable fate. The tumultuous e
d ment in the case of plague is, we J
o iieve, the selfish desire to escape ratl
s than the actual prospect OF death. L
II panic felt is really the panic Of tempes
Is ous hope rather than the panic OF fe
II Extinguish the hope and the panic v
O often cease MS completely as if you /
p extinguished the fear itself.