Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-10-11
PLUCK AND GRIT.
THEIR VALUE, IN THESE DAYS, NOT
EASILY OVERESTlMATED.
sIen, Under Existing Conditions, Have
More Pluck, and Women More Grit-The
Quality of General Courage-Chinese
Gordon, Pure Bravery.


I see no reaSou why uaturo should have in
sisted on putting so much rough bark on her
''sterner scx' of the human SORT. On the
other hand, not a few females are discon-
tented with the possession of their half of all
creation. For the present, however, We shall
have to 60 halves In the struggle for exist
ence, so that together we can make better
fight than either part could alone Pluck and
grit,will, as a rule, be among the opposite diff
ferentiatioas. That is men, under existing
conditions, viii have more OF the former and
women more of the latter You know as
well as need be that, once in the marriage
bond, women have far better staying quail
ties than men, but they are not as furiously
fast for engaging in the united obligation.
She generally begins with a mol but ends
with an almighty Yesl Dentists tell me that
men make them more trouble than women
when having teeth pulled. They have pluck
enough till one is pulled, but not grit enough
for q dozen. unless driven by shame; but a
woman will get grit from the first pull to en-
dure further. 1t is not quite as bad as she
imagined; it is worse than the man imagined.
l am not certain but Imagination plays
greater part in this matter than we have es-
timated. The Chinaman has little imagina-
ton, and faces the stronger enemy with
great promptness, but he lacks staying quail
ties. Courage in the general sense covers
both pluck and grit, and Lord Wolseley says
that in his experience with soldiers this vir-
tue is the mental equivalent of perfect physi
cal health. "My experience has taught NE
that high courage is generally accompanied
nv EpFiilI- -
it is no such thing. The quality of general
| courage depends on imagination more than
on reality. have in mind three brothers.
The Oldest is remarkable for seeing the posi-
bic His world is populated by his fancy,
AID he is, or was, a coward, until reason ar
gued down his imaginary dangers. His next
| brother is not unlike himself on this point,
but his younger brother, from childhood up,
has ever been logically master of his fancies,
| and has therefore known few fears.
A person of this last sort going into battle
has only q 1.-THE of the terrors that storm the
first. But YOU will see that as soon as danger
is fairly faced and found ont and measured,
these two sorts of people are quite on
level. They mav be quite unequal in pluck,
but equal in grit. Then come in such other
motives rs pride. ! read lately the story of
duel, fought by young man who had one
overwhelming emotion that a Briton must
never finch before foe, yet innately he was
pitiful coward. Apart from the instinct
of British blood he would have run away,
but he faced the danger and was killed
can at least conceive of fellow who could
not hold back tears, standing up to be shot
down; no pluck at ali, but grit, depending
on pride or shame
| have seen grit save many life. have
had a patient who coolIy said to me, 81 will
not die was compelled 10 assure her that
| she would. There was no hope for her
| Doctor" she answered, '.you are fool l
shall not die Grit it was that carried her.
through. A few years later she was sick
again, and, es l thought unto death but
there came the sumo all conquering reply,
| You are talking nonsense; l shall get we'll"
| And she did. This was repeated q third
| time, till l actually began to believe she
would get well any way and at all times 1t
never occurred to me TO think OF her as liable
to die. Finally her mortal sickness came, and
expected to help her up as usual But now
she replied, doctor, You can come or 60 as
you pleased; am going to die; this is my
last Illness ''Oh no" l said; I'VE will
have Won out in q few days" Nonsense, y
she answered: ''you are talking what you
know nothing about. l shall never be well
again In two days She was dead Her
grit gave out; her pluck was good to the last.
She had pluck enough TO face death; she had
no longer grit to endure disease. There
is no question but that moral and mental
grit 20 with physical to sustain vitality
I CTR - 4
Is it possible fUr courage in its brightest
forms to exist without an exaltation OF spirit,
under some mental view or belief? Chinese
Gordon was IS good an instance of pure
courage in warfaring and some other farings
as our generation has produced. Gen. Nolse-
ley says of him: His courage ives an in
stinct, fortified by faith IN God and in a
future life This life had no intense pleas
ures for him; and be shrank from the ap-
plausc of men. He cid whatever came to his
hand, with all the loyalty Of an English gen
tleman; and especially with the earnestness
and zeal of q servant of Christ. The world
was to him & sort of prison, beyond the pre-
rincts Of which lay that New Jerusalem from
which his waking thoughts and very dreams
even never wandered. 1t was not that Cor
don was simply brave in action, but that
danger actually and positively had for him
nothing terrible about it. Death TO him was
the open door to a new life, and whether he
passed through it il action or under any cir.
curssances was all the same
The value of pluck and grit is not to b<
easily overestimated, In these days, wheI
physical courage is InEinly subordinate t.
moral courage, and TO intellectual, it is I'M
portant that every citizen be prompt to fac
antagonlsns. The demands upon US are les
frequently to face shot or sword, but every
day increases the demand that we be promp
, to face a trial of civil manhood, a trial O
sound Judgment, and political determine
ton for what we are convinced is right ant
, wise. The test upon Us in our presidential
, campaigns is far from valueleSs. II is steadii,
creating independence of character. Partie
, exist with vast partisan strength but an.
moral provocation shows their ropes 10
''withes in the hands of Samson. IN. Mgu
rice, Il D., i'll Globe Democrat.
4 nIisconception OF the West.