The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1899-04-25
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KNIGHT OF THE OBVIOUS !
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In the billiard roo mat the local club
one night we were discussing panics.
a recent catastrophe at music hall
has brought the subject forward. There
was nothing novel i'm the question, or.
perhaps, in our handling of IL, but sub
sequent happenings made the conver-
sation memorable.
What strikes me" said /, about all
these affairs Is that the loss of life ~
due to the omission of some act that
seems afterward a simple and natural
one. People Will do the widest things
TO secure their own escape, some times
even TO compass that OF others, but the
one needful and apparently obvious
course is overlooked.
Not so strange, perhaps" said Cam
bridge who IL, by way OF being
small poet: "in all departments OF life
the secret OF distinction Is the cultiNa-
tlon of the obvious.
What "A pity IL is that no one has
thought of cultivating you, growled
Chandos, who is the kind of man TO
whom commonplace becomes none the
less uninterestfng for being stood upon
it's head. 1t Is fact that Cambridge,
for all his paradox, is the most pre-
sictabe" talker in the club. Given the
subject, his remarks could be reported
in advance. Cambridge does not sus-
pect this as he possesses a blind mans
painful knack of feeling his way along
high roads worn and dusty by the
thousand pedestrians that have pre-
ceded him.
Take literature. for instance" he
continued. "A relish for the obvious Is
the qualification for immortality. Sha-
kespeare utters more platitudes than
an aviary OF modern song birds. Tup-
per would have ranked beside him. but
for metrical originality. His matter
was all right. There was nothing fresh
there"
"The trouble with modern Shakes
peares." said the president. 'is not that
they lack obviousness, but that they
are not visible
1--WE were talking about panics," said
the journalists. "All that rs original in
"A man seems TO come 10 the surface in
moments. OF peril. Dickens knew that.
and made Mr.. Tupman Cthe most brain
less OF all his characters) hit out quite
a clever line for himself when Mr..
Pickwick went through the ice. Mr..
Tupman. we are told. ran across the
country at the utmost speed, screaming
Fire! with all his might!
No one made a remark, and the jour
nalist, after an interval, continued.
Crowds have been known To stand
by and let "A fellow creature drown be-
fore their eyes when the means OF res
cue were easy and 20 hand. This, L
suspect Is not occasioned by callous-
ness or even by cowardice. The sud
den crisis has caused vast accession
OF originality The minds OF the stand
ers-by are occupied with the details
of a thousand fantastic rescues. Such
a commonplace as rhe stretching out
OF hand or the throwing of rope
occurs To no one.
You should found an order Of knight
hood" said the poet, your knights
errant to be pledged TO relieve distress
ed humanity by not going out OF their
way"
II would take the VOWS. for one
said Chandos. II am sure that the or
der would be very good thing
.Fa
1 made chaffing comment. but
found TO my SURPRISE that Chandos was
quite serious He was rather charac-
ter, this man, and a word about him
may not be amiss, particularly as he
happens TO be the hero OF this tale. He
was an international water poloist and
"a fair all-naund athlete. All his accom-
plishments were physical, but his in
terests were mainly literary and specu-
lative He read little. but loved TO hear
books and notions discussed; sporting
talk bored him invariably. He should
by rights have been alert and hard
headed; instead, he was absent minded
and dreamy 10 "A degree. This. com
bined with the fact that he possessed
a marvellous memory the had, for eX-
ample, the local time table by hearD,
made some think that in him sue
6essful uteraryman had been spoiled.
/ walked home that night with Chan
dos and got nearer To knowing him
than | had done before. ON one sub
ject that OF his physical courage, L
found him morbidly f-introspective.
He was more afraid of fea: than any
man had ever met. His self-respect,
which was considerable, seemed entire
ly tentative. 1t rested ON the assump-
tion that he was brave, a point which
ne admitted had never been brought to
the test. He asked Tor my opinion.
answered truthfully that believed him
to possess quite a creditable share of
pluck.
$50 | think" he replied simply. "or
I don't know that l should care 10 walk
about When / read OF men proving
themselves worthless I'm times OF stress
OF their leaving women and even small
children to fend for themselves, can
not help. however. putting myself IN
their shoes. / picture their feelings the
day afterward. Think what IL must
be TO discover not only that you are
coward but that you have been one all
your life. What arrears OF self-con.
tempt would have to be made up Therd
was nothing like that, you know. in the
old times If a man was coward he
knew IT, had learned the truth by de.
grees and had become used TO It, Now
adays the information comes i'm ono
hdeous flash, and finds you with tho
mental habits OF a brave man. Your
attitude toward yoursel then is that OF
a hero regarding poltroon."
'As but n very inconsderable minor
fly are ever put TO these fearful tests.t
sad |, why trouble about the mat
ter?"
Very few" said Chandos. lose their
iives by falling from great heights. ye'
thousands are haunted by the dread OF
IL all their days.
What was said tonig ght.' he con-
tnued. gives me hope that the modern
man is not such funk az ne seems
only more stupid. lie gets hurried. AMI
cannot think of simple things. | swear
TNrN