The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-02-16

| or battles, such as we used to see, one
would naturally grpposc that tho war
rlor put or, his GOOD clothes, had his
horse carefully iAundorcd. buttoned on
fresh collar ANA cuffs, put OIL his lawn
tic and wide hat with Il 80 plume Gu
| 1t, had his tall boots blacllcned, adjusted
u largo pair Of beautiful brass spurs,
memori2ed tho piece which he intended
to speak wiion he got his death wound
| and thou sonG word to the enemy that he
would call i'll half an hour.
| Such. however, is not tho case. Some
of our greatest warriors went into bait le
with their trousers tucked into their
boots. and it is said that General Sher
man did not have his trunk with him
half tho time while making his great
bridal tour from Atlanta to the sea.
Several of our ablest generals forgot to
insert their right hands into the bosoms
| OF their coats while prancing down tho
line Of battle, and one of them chewed
plug tobacco during long, deadly fight
with the enemy and while the life of
the nation hung quivering in the bal
nnce.
I hate to tell these inside facts rela-
tive to our great conflict, but believe
the public demands the truth and is en-
titled to it. Let us lay aside the tinsel of
war and disclose the bare facts as they
actually existed. Let us for moment
forget the pretty soldier who wore polka
dot socks and rode snorting steed with
foam flecked mouth, the soldier
with the ten button gauntlets and the
square, padded shoulders. Let us leave
m i'm I10 mir -
while we bestow our homage and our
tears upon the homely man who wore
flannel shirt and fought because it was
right, not because he would look we'll in
a photograph.
Gentle reader, in this amber fluid,
with lemon rind floating upon its
leaving bosom, I here unite with You in
drinking the health of the homely man
who fights for our liberties in time of
war and preserves them in time of
peace-tho man who joyfully enters q
fight, knowing that to be disfigured will
improve his appearance.
And, let me add, it might be good
idea to take the names Of those who are
agltatlDg the subject of a war with
England. 1t might be safe to say that if
such catastrophe should occur not one
of those men would be in it. If the men
who brought on n war had to fight it,
there would be less war.
"a Constant Reader writes to know
whether man or woman may be regard
ed as the more courageous when we con-
slider the matter carefully and thorough
ly. She says that true courage and gen
uine heroism do not belong solely to the
attributes of those that fight battles and
die if need be for the cause they espouse.
1t is as truly and essentially heroic for
woman to endure what she frequently
must in silence throughout lifetime,
in order that she may ut the price of her
own happiness insure the comfort of her
children, as it is for a man under the
influence of glorious frenzy of patriot
ism to imperil his life for an hour in
the midst of battle.
All this is true. 1t is hard to say
which sex is entitled to the greater
praise, and it may be safely stated that
they both excel, but in different lines
It requires some kind of courage for q
man to face violent death for the
cause he deems just, and it requires an
OehSA ~ oliotuih NOlbdu Az years
of association with mean man. By
wise provision Of nature man is so
constructed that he may win large
amount of glory on the tented field,
while his wife needs fully as much
courage to live with him after he re-
turns from said tented field. Man makes
speciality of physical courage, while
woman is more apt to dabble in the
mental ana moral variety with great
success. Man is apt to mingle in the
fray and come home with 40 pound
shot concealed in his thorax. Woman
prefers to suffer on through life, trying
to reform husband who is not worth
it, A good many men have given their
wives employment of this kind through
out long life. They have then died. 1t
was good thing to do. A man who has
made this % business can do nothing
that will more generally give satisfac-
tion to those who know him than to
die. If he could arrange to do so just
before ho married anybody, it would be
highly appreciated.
Sometimes we read of wonderful
deeds OF bravery on the part of people
fGm -