The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-08-28
THE HERO OF EVERYDAY LIFE.

Heroes are born. not made; they have
always been with US; they will always be
with Us until the deep bosom Of human
nature Is dried up and her fertility is no
more. The heroic type Is found some
times at the top Of the social order; some
times at its base, but it il oftenest way
side plant, the bright, consummate flower
of everyday common life.
Last week John N. Dahlmann was killed
in the Pennsylvania railroad yards in Jer-
sey City after he had heroically saved the
life OF boy. the child of q friend he
boarded with. Dahlmann was walking the
track. holding the boy by the hand when
several freight cars which had been de-
tached from the locomotive came thunder
ing down q track. Dahlmann did not see
them until the end car was almost upon
him. When he discovered the danger his
first thought was to save the boy. Pick
ing him up bodily. with q mighty effort
he threw the little fellow clear of the track
into pile of shavings. The next instant
the car struck Dahlmann and the whole
train passed over his body.
Such actions are not exceptional; they
happen every day in this broad land.
Sometimes it is a humble workman in q
mine dying at hs post rather than leave it
and risk the destruction of all his fellows;
doomed ship giving up his chance of life
rather than stain his honor by an act of
selfishness; sometimes it Is soldier los.
ing his life to rescue wounded comrade
from a savage foe; sometimes it is an en-
gineer sticking TO a locomotive when he
knows be is riding to his death; some
times il is a gallant swimmer risking and
losing his life for humble people that he
never knew until ne saw them struggling
for life.
On the Atlantic coast, on the Pacific, in
the United States. in Europe. acts Of every
day heroisn are recorded that renew our
respect for the nohility of human nature,
and rebuke the literary dudes who are
never weary Of deriding the romantic
novel and the romantic drama as sure to
become obsolete; the outworn creed Of q
world that had outgrown all art that rep
resents men and women at their best-wheu
they rise superior to their ordinary moods
and incarnate 1hs highest possibilities
of human nature when lifted to the high
est level of heroic impulse, seifabnega-
ton and sacriflce. Those who predict tho
decline and death of the romantic novel,
and the romantic drama are mistaken, Just
as all people are mistaken who think no.
nod Ia hat int
feeling, taste or action. To their cynical
taste the romantic, heroic types in fiction
and the drama seem to be morbid
creations: the haroio man is a crank; the
heroic woman IL only case of hysteria.
The utter shallowness of this theory
concerning the drama and fiction of the
future is shown BY the fact that social life
from the dawn of literature to the present
hour has always been crowded with these
creatures of humble, every -day life. who
persist In doing suddenly something that
lifts them to the level of the romantic, he
role type of se3f-sacrihce because they
can't help 1t. M man or woman becomes
really heroic by cnitivating 'heroics" as
Q parlor plant, for that kind Of contem-
plstion expires in mere seu:imentalism,
and sentimentalis.s are folk that cry cas-
lily over their duty. but never die
trying to do it. They shed plenty
of tears. but shed little blood,
and never any of their OWN.
The sentimental fellow who studies 10 be
heroic never is heroic; when his orpor-
,nnity comes hs steps aside 20 save his
own skin. and some plain. blunt. self.
contained man. who never suspected him.
self of any capacity for heroism, takes his
place and does wast be can't help doing
without being Uorn again. and another
name is sdded IL the list Of heroes and
martyrs.
Now this hercie action in everyday.
humble, prosaic bfe is altogether too COM
mon 20 be cynieally described as an ex-
hibition Of morbii human growths. This
heroic and ronlsptic type stand, for wha.
the great artists cf human nature have al
ways painted, from Homer down 10
Shakespeare and Scott: it is the kind of
heroic and romantic figure painting that
stands for the permanent as separated
from the transient in art and literature
When human rA:ure ceases 20 ASPIRE,
when manhood ceases 10 struggle nobiy,
then and then oI.ly WILL the world gener-