Cochise review., 1900-11-01
The Death of a Coward

He Boy leant wearily agalnst ths
 bulwark rails. watching the lights as they came up one by one on the coast. The plunging of the ship still made his head ree.., and he was weak from want of food. He seemed altogether apart form the stir and life of that 300 emigrants on board created. His whole soul filled with dumb and impotent pro- test against his fate, and the life before him. Old Capt. Malcolm had shown little wisdom when he sent his only son to sea to have some pluck knocked into him.
 In the fathers defense it way be said that he was utterly unable to realize the timidity and sensitiveness of the boy. All his ancestors had been rough ger on every sea, and courage and nerve were hereditary qualities. And now the last of the Malcolms seemed more of girl than any of his five sisters.
 All the exhortations to man.iness, all the covert reproaches that came from his father, were so many darts that ranked and festered in his soul, but failed to compel his nature to be other than it was. The boy was made for peace. fol the quiet and uneventful life that n office in hiS native town could haze fersd under his mothers watchtrl csye Instead, he was here, an apFrsn: ce on the steamship Pride of A&.a, < ni,3 cargo boat just off the slips cn',rl Tyne. and carrying emi- grant sF- gl= Cape. '- -
 The sA3pS doctor came out of the Sa. loon in he poop to go his evening round below. With him was his wife, a slight, girlish figure, wrapt in heavy cloak. She turned at the ladder which led to the lower deck. and was about to go'osek. when her eyes fell on the boy. She had noticed him once or twice before, and his white face and lonely air reused the womanly sym pathy in.her. She touched him lightly on inc shoulder and said: "You are leaving home, like me" E 't
 The boy started. A slight color sprang to his cheeks, and tears to his eyes. He smiled taint.y, showing gap where two teeth had been knocked out by smaller boy in the oply fight he had ever had at school. ,.-..
 "Yes, ma'am," he replied. - s..
 You must feel lonely" she said; ''but. you will soon be back, and then everyone will think so much of you"
 Her voice had something caressins and inviting about 1t; and so his conf- dence, overcoming his shyness and re- serve, broke bounds. He told her every thing-how he wouldlhate this life, how all filed him with fear and disgust, the cold and darkness, the chaff and horse play of his fsllow-apprentices, the 1n- difference, of everyone around him. He told how impossible it was to come up to his fathers standard, how he felt he was born coward, and that he would always be one, shrinking in- Stinctively from the danger and excite ment that bo.dsr natures took pleaS- ure In. -.---. .....-..
 She listened Sympathetically. Her hand had patted him once or twice. and encouraged, him to go on. When he ended, she said: You must not be too hard on J yourSelt.. It Is not alwayl those who fear the least that are hravest in the, end. When the time comes. 1 am sure you will do your duty, ,r..ge.
 The boy heard her listlessly. He had little heart to respond to any ap- peal to his rnsnlineSs. There seemed no time when he would not shrink from hardship or danger. He almost felt 60 if his confidence had been mis- placed, and that she had understood nothing after all.
 She saw the change, and her inter. est in him somewhat waned. Courage to 6 woman is the primary quality In the other sex, and nothing will com pensate for the lack of 1t. She bads him good night and turned away back to the poop,
 In, . few minutes the second mate pasSed along the deck and told the boy to go below Then all was quiet |. A few hours later the Pride of Asia was steaming at slow" with her whistle going every few minutes. Ths Channel fog girt the ship like a shroud. The captain walked the bridge uneasily. No tempest or rock bound shore gives the anxiety that a fog on this waterway of the nations does Danger is imminent every where, and the most careful seaman ship is no guarantee of safety. So 1t was now. A hoarse shout came from the man on the lookout. The captain sprang to the telegraph, and as Full