The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1883-09-20
FACE TO FACE WITH DEATH.
Why Men Dread TO End Their I.1ves IL
Great Catnstrophss.

Nothing is more curious than the fact
that dying qs one of o crowd, seems to
q be more terrible to man than simply
E<dyiLg his own individual death. I'm
q nuestionably there seems to be no kind
OF death more dreaded by men than
& death either from sudden catastrophies
s-<like that of the Ring Theatre at
+ Vienna and that Of The Clyde, for in
sgt,tance-7or from pestilence. No doubt
( it Is perfectly true that death cannot be
'hared in the same sense in which n
tPil or O pleasure can be shared; you
nnot, in all probability, be conscious
the strength of companionship after
70 begins to flicker low, nor are there
gove one or two people in tho world
18th whom most men would covet the
ense Of companionship in such mo-
-nent as that of death. Still it 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, tho terror
of crowd always enhances the terror
Of the individualr1NBut though that OK
plains the supreme agony Of sinking
fship or burning theatre, it does not in
the least explain the additional dread of
death which plague seems TO inspire in
individuals, for between the inhabitants
of n plague-sttickcn city there is always
very much less active sympathy than
there was before pestilence appeared,
and it is rather through the growth of
mutual repulsion than through the
helgltening OF common sympathy,
that the influence of pestilence is chiefly
felt. Perhaps it, will be said that men
10 not fear deatRthe more on account of
the number dying around them, but
uly as that number makes evident the
teatness, of the risk. But that con
hardly be the explanation Of the matter,
-Terwlse we might expect, much
Greater terror i'll every man to whom the
doctors so frankly acknowledge that
'death is Imminent, so that wo ought to
1lnd III healthy inhabitant Of plague
stricken city, whose chance Of death is
probably much less than one in two
As q matter of fact, very few patients
stricken with ordinary disease, who are
'olu hat death is inevitable. show any
panic aesall, while the perfectly healthy
man, surrounded by pcstllencc, is too
oltcn consumed with terror which rcnd
ers nln absolutely unfit for the discharge
OF his duties. 1t seems certain that thc
selfish terror inspired by tic sioht Of
dying crowds does unnerve mnn in q
manner i'll which n sentence of dcoth
passed upon themselves would not m.
v nerve them at all. We wonder why tbi3
MS, and suppose the reason to be that j,
is only great risk in combination with
the chance of escape that unncrvcs n
man whom the prospect of certain death
would not unncrve at ALL 1t is the
eager passion with which all the mind
PUSHES INTO the alternative of prolonged
lite that really humans n nature which
would be steady enough in facing Ger
tam death. Mingle great fear with a
vivid ray of hope and you will turn
head which could hold its own against
inevitable fate. The tumultuous clc-
ment in the case of plague is, VIC be-
liovc, the selfish desire to escape rather
than the actual prospect of death. The
panic telt is really the panic of tcmpcstu-
oEs hope rather thuu the panic of fear.
Distinguish the hopo and the panic will
"~'ftcn cease rs completely as if you had
cXtnguishc9 the fenr itself.