The Houma courier. (Houma, La.) 1878-1939, 1897-01-02
RRAFAD0 NOT BRAVERY.


Mlf4 yer something or o philosopher. q
tansece him nov as he appeared when
Aokieal mood; be Wonld lightly tap
l6e nalm OF hia left handMItA the two
renngers Of his right, and then pro-
eeed 10 make what he,callad 8 "distinc-
tlor. Ono Of these distinctions 7
have never forgotten, and never shall.
Ny brother Burton and / had just
been engaged ia some. daring escapade
that had come very near costing our
aiyea. 10 be frank, mother had almost
tainted through terror, andeven rather.
brave end seif-poesessed rs he usually
was, had tnEned as white as q pillow;
while we boys-weu, 4 am ashamed to
say we were so depraved swell, to look
upon the foolish exploit as a heroic
achievement that ought to go into his
tory.
& 20 matter now what the adventure
was The fnet IS. I should be ashamed
aedescribe Il, although It ocourred more
years ago than I care to tell. But, after
the scare was all over, father had us
carry our chairs cut under the shade
dress IN the dooryard, and then he sat
ooAyn before us, and laid those two fore
fingers on his left palm. We knew then
what was coming.
Boys he began-how well Iremem-
Der his earnest faeei-~Boys, you
should always make a distinction be-
tween bravery and foolhardiness."
1 suppose our faces must have locked
somewhat blank at this statement; it
was a new ~distinctions to us.
Don't you seer he asked. @Well,
It's a little hard for boys to grasp an
abstract principle he added, half 10
himself. @Tou will understand a con
crete case better"
he looked out through the foliage of
che maple trees bordering the street
and unused for a few moments; then he
turned to us suddenly and said:
Boys, do you want to hear a STORY
or, rather, two stories in one?"
@Yes, yes we replied, glad that wa
were not. after all, to listen to sermon
ON finely drawn distinctions"
4Well, the events of which am think
ing occurred when I was a lad about
your age, Chester" That was myself,
yousee My oldest brother, your uncle
Harold. was the hero. You may think,
however, taat one Of his exploits was
mot very heroic. Harold was a bold
daring fellow, and rather reckless like
some boys-hem!"
Father interrupted himself by clear
ing his throat when he saw how furious
~ Burton and I were blushing.
"He sometimes got into serious.
ecrapcs by taking foolish and unneces-
sary risks" father pursued. "0nce he
Q Pying to cross.
Isl i not TIE There was not
4 wish tell you. When Ha
IA lie was sen to the high school IL
village about two miles from our coun.
TRY home. For riding back and forth
my father bought him q Ane young
blocded horse, Of. which Harold was
very proud. The animals name was Sc
princely that Harold called him Regal
= name which lie soon abridged to Reg
as that seemed to glide from the tongue
q readily. You should have seer
Regal as be cantered gayly up hill and
down dale, bearing his proud young
owner on his back. The two made q
picture worth painting.
sThe horse was boughtin the autumn
The winter passed and spring opened
gloriously, and the young student was
never happier in his life than when he
went prancing along the highway OF
stopped to listen to the songs Of the
meadowlarks, grassfinches and bobo-
links in the adjacent fields.
BE very careful with Regal, nv
boy / heard my father say to Harold
one day. Don't ride him too hard, and,
above all, never take any unnecessary
risks with him.
"You see, father knew Harold,s dispo-
eition-that was the reason he spoke to
him in that warning way. Well would
II have been if-but / mustn't get
ahead Of my story. fear Harold some
times yielded to the temptation to race
with some Of his young friends on his
way to and from the village, and per-
haps father had heard about those
races.
*0ne pleasant evening after school
hours Harold leaped upon Royals back
and went Looping grandly down the
LIZ FAAa6Cs vi LChC4luK the
middle Of the town, or what was called
the public square. he wheeled around
the corner and started northwardi in the
direction Of our home. AS he did so he
heard the whistle Of the lightning ex-
press in the distance, approaching the
village, along the edge Of which therail-
way ran. AS the station was q small
one fhis fast express never stopped
there, but went dashing by the village
At d tremendous speed.
THE spirit Of daring and adventure
seized Harold that evening when he
heard the whistle Of the approaching
train.
Now for a race, Regl' he cried. tap
ping the horses side with his riding
whip. I'VE can beat that pol1ey Oh
train to the crossing. know We can.
We've done II before, and we can dois
again. You've never been beaten in a
race yet my boy
sOf course the spirited animal re-
Eponded 70 the touch Of the whip, start
ing un on a swift gallop. It was almost
4 half mf4a ~ the 1rocrs-~ rL---s1