The Bessemer indicator., 1894-06-23
Mhnt La n Cowardr

What Is CowardT
"You are coward"
"Am I?''
1t was one of the crowd of boys who
were pouring out of the public school
who made the statement, another
who asked the question. Then a
closely cropped red head and curly
blond head, gray Jacket and a
black one, four fists, four knicker-
bockcrcd legs and two boolsbags
seemed to mix themselves up in the
center of the street, and crowd of
other boys closed in about them.
Not being acquainted with the ru los
of "thc ring" cannot tell you of the
fight, but believe that whatever the
little blond fellow who had been
called coward could do with his
fists to prove that he was not one, he
did in the interim between the first
blow and the arrival Of n very large
policeman, who lifted the yei- apart
us giant of the fairy tales might q
pair of Tom Thumbs, aud inquired
sternly:
Say, what's the matter with yous?"
l
the shape of bruised foreheads, black
eyes and bloody noses and puffed lips
that imagine motherly tears were
shed over both red and blond heads,
and am sure that both these boys
were told never to fight again, be-
cause it was both wicked and ungen-
tlemanly.
But what can boy do when he is
called coward? And If he will not
fight he is coward; and worst of all
things is to be that, argued Johnny.
And he is right. A boy who is that is
worthless. And IL it is necessary to
fight in defense of honor, of country
or weaker folks, lot him be ready to
do it.
| But there are other things neces-
sary, too, and great many fighting
characters are nrrant towards at
heart; men who, when you come to
get ut the root of the matter, are only
braggarts who delight in terrifying
peaceful people.
| In many Western country places are
men known rs "Jim the Terror" or
Sam the Shooter who are spoken
of as having painted the town red
one day last week" and being danger
Gus to the community. I've no doubt
that some boys fancy that, however
bad these fellows are, they must be
brave men. On the contrary they are
the most contemplate of cowards-a
record of their exploits will prove it.
Two OF them will rush through the
town armed to the teeth, raid the
saloon and drink some mild old Ger
mans beer without paying him for 1t,
smash the sashes of the candy store,
roar hldeous oaths at the window of
the parsonage, overset an old man
with a basket Of eggs, devour the
poor fruit woman's apples and Or
anges, threaten to shoot the polite,
respectable elderly tailor on his way
home with u new suit of clothes, de-
molish things in the Chinese laundry
and cut of Chung Foo's precious pig
tail despite his mild petitions for
mercy, and insult country ladies who
have driven in, to shop, but wilt like
spinach in boiling water when faced
by three stout townsmen with good
revolvers.
| remember seeing one of these men
who had been supposed to threaten n
certain village with destruction at
noon hanging out of the clock up
window at dusk, weeping and beg
ging ''somc good Christian for
heavens sake to give him '.chaw OF
tobacker." He was a coward of course.
There is another person you think
very brave, perhaps Your cousin
John who is at collage. lie looks
such a fine fellow us he sits telling
you little boys of the fun they have
"hazing the freshmen" and you
think that when you are old as he
you will-'haze freshmen" also.
Now there are few more cowardly
deeds done in this world than much
of that same college hazing, and the
fact that boys have been at it here
and in England for 200 years makes
1t no better. To heap insult and in
jury on some unoffending young
stranger, to cover him with mortitica-
ton when he naturally wishes to ap-
pear his best, to pain his heart and
.-arm him physically, can be fun to
no one but coward. Now and then
n tragedy occurs, and hazing takes an
other shape and becomes murder, and
the public learn plainly that the
ringleaders of college hazing are
coarse, brutal and contemplate cow
ards. A boy who tenses girl is Il
sort of coward. do not like the
little fellow who wilfully upsets his
sisters work basket or throws her
doll down the we'll, or laughs at her
when she practices her music lesson.
like II little boy to whom his sisters
come to get him to mend their toys,
or show them how to do their sums,
to take care of them when n dreadful
dog barlss, and who is always ready
to help them. That shows that he
has the spirit of the protector in him,
| and one who has that is never cow
urd
Another thing is very cowardly-to
tell lies. You may fight all the boys
in your county. but if you hnbitually
tell falschoois you are n coward all
the same. Sometimes 1t is the bravest
| Of all brave things to tell the truth.
| Do it for that reason. Do not have 1t
on your soul that you have lied to
save yourself from n reproof or even
q punishment; do not know in your
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