Middletown transcript., 1898-01-29
ON CROSSING BRIDGES.

1
TT is foolish practice returne'
the moralist. "You often find, whel
you get to the bridge, that it isn't 81
hard to cross, after ALL"
81 think I've heard that remark be
fore, ~ she replied. "People often give
me good advice on the subject"
The moralist did not listen. "Some
times" you fihd that there is not any
bridge to cross. In any event,it is bet
ter to wait until the evil actually come:
before you worry about it,"
'Then you don't have time," she an
swered. "You have to do something
quickly-rush across the bridge, per-
haps, without waiting to see if it is
safe or not"
"There, "cried the moralist, triumph
antly, ''you've condemned yourself. Oh
course one is crushed at first by the IN.
expectedness of trouble"
"Who isP I am not"
Eyes, you are. Everybody ISL re.
piled the moralist, shortly, with so;
MISUNDERSTANDING air. But,
as you say, you are obliged to recover.
to consider what is best to be done.
You have no time to sigh, and, as you
have done no signing beforehand, you
escape it altogether. Don't You seeP"
Then she answered:
I have all my life been crushed by
shortsighted philosophers like you.
Hitherto 1 have held my peace, but now
l shall speak out, and tell you what l
know to be true. There are distinct
advantages to be got from crossing
bridges before we come to them.''
The moralist stared incredulously.
She was not accustomed to having her
facts disputed.
81 don't know" she went on,
whether it is well-known psychological
fact, but it ought to be, that if a Ger :
tain contingency dwells persistently in
your mind, and neither your will nor
your reason can get rid of it, there is
some cause why it should be so; that it
is highly probable that some day you
will come across just that contingency,
and the warning has been given you to
prepare for it. In other words, if, in
spite Of all you efforts to prevent it,
your are mentally continually crossing
a certain bridge, the signs on it, are
that that particular bridge will matea-
ialize some day. and you'll cross it bold
ly. And if you prepare yourself, you
are going to meet it with the advantage
Of the prepara tion. There's one good
of crossing bridges first"
The moralist looked interested. A
scientific lecture was more than she had
expected.
''I'll give you an illustration" she
went on. Some years ago, on my way
to teaching, every morning 1 crossed a
railway track. And just where cros-
sed it there was small sun ken place, a
hole, at the side of the track. For some
inexplicable reason that no le, which
was neither very wide nor deep, pos
sessed a strange fascination for me. l
could lot get rid of or account for the
attraction, but every day, as 1 passed
it, wondered what 1 should do if some
day in hurry, my foot should slip and I
should be caught by leg in that hole. And
suppose train should be coming? l
believe l considered that accident in
every possible phase. thought might
scream to the people in the nearest house
but the nearest house wasnot very near,
and they might not hear me. Then l
thought I could call upon any passer;
but there might be no one in sight. l
might wave something and signal the
coming train (if it should be coming).
But suppose it be at dusk, and the sig
nal not seenr might scream myself
hoarse, but if nobody heard me what
good would it do?"
The moralist settled her eye-glasses--
moralists frequently wear eyeglasses
and became absorbed in the possible
81 can't tell how many weeks 1 stud
led my imaginary dilema withthat hole.
1t became mania with me to think up
q fresh possibility. Every time walk
ed over it 1 wondered how deep the
hole was, but was prevent from explor-
ing least l should hasten the accident.
[ might have become a monomaniac,
and yet never have known just what I
should do in such an emergency, but at
asst strange thing happened. IT was
inc night when l was detained late, and
It had grown quite dark before started
'or home. 1t was raining, just driz-
lie, but the walking was sloppy and
and I hurried along, only
anxious to get home as fast as could.
Somehow never thought of my rail-
Dad hole that night, but ran over the
lippery tracks without stopping. just
IS reached the other side, with sud-
len sickening sensation which 1 can
yet my foot slipped, and
lown it went, caught firmly in that |
IDENTICAL hole I had long thought
bout"
The moralist was breathless.
1.-THE experience was quite as bad as
anticipated, - she continued, sand in |
hat minute I do believe 1 suffered all |
be agonies Of what I had foreseen. It
ad all happened as Ihad expected. The
light was gloomy, no signal could be
cen, the shrill screams gave as fell
own by the track were unhaard, and
actually did hear low rumble of the
all which told me that 4 train was not
laDy miles of. ! lived through the