, 1886-09-30
TIE FEAR OF DEATH.
Various incidents of the Battiefield-Fear
Conquered by CouFass-Duty.
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Various incidents OF the Battieheld-Eea
Conquered by CouTaSe-Duty.
81 Louis G,obz- -Democrat1
None but the living really fear death.
Those who are dying, consciously dy-
Ing. welcome its approach l remem-
ber one among many death scenes
have witnessed: \ young maiden, IN
the very bloom and blush OF woman
hood. Full Of life and hope one day.
The neXt day stricken. Anxious and
watchful, her friends sought by all hu-
man means 10 avert the threatened
blow. Leath was to be fought Of at all
cost, all sacrifice, If the living could
have it so. But the dying girl, who but
but day before had been the life and
Wit OF q loving circle, turned her face
lmgatent!y 10 the wall, saying; let
me die N peace.
Turn from such a scene to the couch
OF the veteran warrior, who. tut a few
weeks ago, believed death 10 be i'm
Minent. He, the hero OF one OF the
greatest wars in history. who had Won
battles without number, and while ex-
exhibiting the grandeSt. calmest cour-
age n face OF danger, had never failed
N prudent precautlon for his life and
mand. when he believed death imminent
he spoke words very like those used by
the young girl 1t Is only the living,
not the diving that fear death.
There IS a story current, applied to
many different circumstances. from the
battles OF the rebellion back TO Water
loo, Of a couple OF young officers who
had been selected by the commander to
carry 4 message TO Il distant part of the
field. The d.nger OF the-IiSsion was Sc
great that two men were sent on the ex-
Tedition that one might possibly escape
jhe flying bullets. Their chargers had
hardly taken dozen strides when one.
4 ruddy-faled, stalwart fellow. Hot.ced
that his companion WAS ghaStIy white,
the Leads Of perSpiraTiOn rolling down
his forehead and his bride hand shak-
ing with terror. why, you're afraid, =
cried he Of the ruddy ,ountenance with
an air Of contempt. Il krOw | am. =
Was the answer, and # YOU were half
as much afraid as |, you would not go
AT all. That story, true or false rs &c
the event, contains the whole philosophy
Of heroic deeds, and never think of il
but 1 see again a cheap chrome that
used 10 be common IN our picture-shop
windows.
This showed a scene supposed 10 have
occurred during the war for indepead-
cnce- Three figures coming out OF the
smoke OF musketTy-a drummer boy. a
man OF middle age, and 4 gray-haired
soldier-all bare- headed and with the
breeze OF battle shaking their locks. but
with such q set look upon their faces
Terror and self-commard. The all-con-
quering force of heroic Will sUbiuing
physical fear, and the stern determine
ton TO die rather than WELD. an old
soldier. who had ache wide renown
for his courage in many field, from
shiloh TO Atlanta, was looking at the
picture one day. said he: There's
the sight I've often seen; the peculiar
expression that one only secs on the
faces OF brave men in desperate fight.
Terror and determination: fear con-
QueVed by courage.
Napier, the soldier Sir Charles, who
conquered Scindh for the British against
his own sense of right, and who sent
home 10 London the queer dispatch,
''PeccaylmuS- We have siuned, tells OF
a splendid incident in his History OF
the Peninsular War. he was with the
army OF Sir John Moore on its retreat
from Corunna. On the march, hotly
pursued by the French, the British
crossed a river, and the rear-guard
planted 4 mine under the bridge by
| which the army had passed, with The
purpose OF blowing II I'D and thus de-
laying the pursuit When the English
had gone some distance il was noticed
that the mine did not explode. Some
thing was wrong, and halt of the rear
guard was called. The French were al.
ready IN sight on the other side CT the
river.
a hurried consultation was being
held, when, to quote Napiers language,
as nearly as / can remember ii, "A
sergeant, whose name, TO the loss OF
humanity, has not been preserved, ra1
out OF the lines to the bridge, re-lit the
match, and bending his noble head over
il, blew II until the explosion sent hin
from world lie was TOP brave TO live
IN. Was that man afraid OF death
OF course he was. no such hero eveI
lived that was not But he died. never.
thelesS, and died deliberately that other;
might live. No sham love Of glory Wa:
his. The little world OF his Comrades
might know him and honor his memory
but, too obscure even 10 hope that HI:
name would be miSspelI IN a dispatch
he deliberately died for duty-simply fol
duty and for nothing more And sucl
incidents might lie recounted with mum
berleSs variations were the rank ant
file of the armies of the world writer's