Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-23
STRENGTH or NERVES.
Daring Displayed in feats Of Climbing and
In MANY AeroDatto Tests.

In Many Aoropatio Tests.
Chicago Record.
a type Of courage is that which
comes from habit. This peculiar form
Of nerve is found In a marked degree
in acrobats, aeriaiists and performers
in general OF perilous feats, the very
sight OF which makes ones blood run
cold. People engaged in these exploits
almost without exception begin their
career as mere Infants and grow into
it so naturally that they undertake
their most daring deeds in exactly the
same spirit az any other laborer goes
about his daily task. Many of us have
shuddered whilo watching the 'im-
paled woman'' as her figure is outlined
tirst with cleaning knives, then with
knife and torch combined, and finally
with hutchets. A few days ago, while
talking with group Of women behind
the sconos OF Barnum's circus. quiet,
demure little woman said in answer TO
a question: 81 am very sorry, madam,
that | cannot holp you, but really do
not know anything about nerve. as |
have never done anything dangerous.
''Why, what do you do?" said |.
"Oh, L am only the woman that the
man throws knives att was the reply.
She quite resented the utter umaze-
ment which / expressed, aud added,
but know that my husband wouldn't
hit me-.
"The human arrow," little girl of
10, who is shot from bow gun,
cleaves her way through target, and
is caught by a woman hanging from u
trapeze by her toes, maintained exactly
tho same attitude of mind. 1t whs
just before she was TO 10 on, but sho
was in tho best of spirits, and ap-
parently without the slightest appre-
hensioE. uer utmost acknowledgment
OF danger found expression in the
simple remark; "Wcll, | suppose it is
bit risky;" and her brother, stand
ing by her side who springs the gun
and who himself makes tho perilous
leap from tho trapeze blindfolaed and
with bag over his head, added: but.
you know, one has to take some risk in
whatever he does. =
One of the bareback riders said that
although she knew that the simple
drawing of her chin would destroy her
equilibrium, and though she chad
suffered two accidents from the shying
of her horse, still from tho pure force
Of habit she daily entered the ring
without suggestion of feur. Indeed,
their success depends wholly upon the
total annihilation of fear, and their
preparation must, therefore, begin be-
fore lfconsciousness was born. Very
few Americans are now with the
circus, and the influence of the Gerry
soclety in keeping little children out
will render American circus performers
for the future an entirely unknown
quantity.
There is also magnetic or transmitted
courage which one absorbs from u
| stronger, more courageous tompera-
ment A talk with perhaps the fore
most surgeon in America, one who has
probably operated upon more women
during the last 25 years than any other
one man, sounded magnificent note
for the moral courage Of women. He
SAID that you have but to gain theii
confidence, and almost without ex-
ception they will 90 to the operating
table with untlinching nerve.
Faith in their physician he con.
siders the prime requisite, all the rest
comes of itself; and that there is but
one way of establishing this conf.
dence, and that 10 under all circun.
stances to tell them the absolute truth
as regards the nature of their malady
and their chances of recovery. Ht
casually observed, too, that he woulC
infinitely rather tell woman than 1
man that the trouble is cancer. Womer
| not only meet the inevitable Will
greater nerve, but endure pain with
more fortitudo. Tho most significant
thing that he had to say, however, was
that it is next to impossible to Inspire
faith and courage in q woman who il
no. herself good and true; that thC
selfish, bad woman, the woman of in
trigues and deceit, invariably quailt
before the surgeons knife. Women o.
heroic mold will sometimes even ap
proach the operating table with joke
on thoir lips. One whose life hung IL
the balance Of torrible operation
once turned to tho doctor lust before
lying down, and said with gay LITTLE
smile: mako q clean breast of it
DOCTOR -
In these latter days, too, womer
have added many daring feat to thu
list of perilous mountaineering OK
ploits. Miss Anna Pock leads thu
world in this direction, having climbed
the most Inaccessible Alpine peaks, in
cluding the Mattorhorn. She possessol
extraordinary cooluess of nerve and ii
recent conversation nonchalantly re
ferred to having stepped out upon
lodge of the Yosemite and loulset
straight down 5000 feet without tht
possibility OF fright and dizziness
having occurred to her.
People, however, who are susceptible
to this form OF terror can ovecome it.
A well-lgnowE woman of the literar,
world who was peculiarly sensitive t
dizziness whenever upon an attitude
determined TO conquer this tendenc.
aa accordingly made point of ascend
ing height whenever the opportunit,
presented itself, and can now enjoy
viow from dome or mountain top will
the best.
| Indeed, courage is quality capabl
of unlimited cultivation. Emerson
constantly emphasizes this point. 81
i quake, what matters what quak
atH Are you afraid to swim river
swim it, Arc you afraid to leap tina
fonce, leap it. Are you afraid TO g,
TO the top of anything, then go.
anything frightens you, face it.
Ceremony of Receiving an Ambassador.
The ceremony observed in receivin,
minister is briefly this: On "a da