New-York tribune., 1901-03-18
"FESTIN4 LENTF."

"Festna ente"-hasten slowly-is the often
quoted motto of Lord Plunket. In courts Of
heraldry his lOrdship may have 2 monopoly of
the words. In actual life he has no monopoly
of the deeds for which they stand. 1t may be
that Mr. Dahm of Second ave. has never even
much heard of the barony of Plunket.
There is certainly no reason to suppose him 10
be scion Of that lordly house. Yet we are
pleased TO observe that he IS capable OF fulfilling
the mandate of the PlUnket motto to the baron's
own taste. both in letter and in spirit. For It
has been toll that when one night last week
the apartment house in which he lived caught
fire, and the other tenants We're rushing franti-
cally about, distracted and unclad. and even the
firemen were bidding all run for their lives. he
insisted upon dressing himself fully. deiiber-
ately and carefully, even 10 the donning of his
overcoat and gloves and the brushing of his hat
and then quietly walking downstairs and out of
doors as though nothing unusual were happen
ing. His daughter. TOO, nerved by his example.
did the same, making quite sure that her skirt
hung evenly and her hat was straight before
she would deign 10 retreat from the "devouring
element"
Now, We are not prepared 10 lay down invari-
able rules for the toilet in case of conagrations
There are probably occasions when it would be
imprudent for a man TO search long for Il miss
ing collar button, or for his wife or daughter 10
muse over whether TO put her hair up la Pom
padour IN n Psyche knot; but when. on the
contrary, 1t would he highly desirable TO make
an expeditions break for the fire escape clad
only in robes de mutt and mOdesty. perhaps plus
a snatched up blanket Nevertheless. il is not
beyond bounds of reason TO think that more
lives are lost and more irreparabe mischief
done through needless haste than through ex
treme deliberation. In a shipwreck in n thea
tire fire in almost any catastrophe in which
many lives are imperlllcd the deadlest evil TO
be guarded against Is panic We have in mind
a theatre fire in which hundreds of lives were
lost through panic and tumultu0us haste. every
one Of which would doubtless have been saved
had only the people gone out deliberately and
in orderly fashion; and ii shipwreck in which
scores of lives were lost i'm n mad rush for the
boats, when all would easily have been saved
had they only waited their turns. And the his
tory OF disasters repeats such testimony ten
thousand times. Nor is the rule applicable TO
crowds alole. Small numbers, and even soil
tary individuals, are equally in danger Of dis
aster in crisis in making haste without due
heed
But it is human nature men say, and that
cannot be overcome. That we cannot concede.
The culture of what vaguely term human
nature has been much neglected but ii is possi-
bic to effect il to a high degIee. The mind Is
susceptible 10 discipline. just as well as the
body. The passiOnS-fear and fright among
them-may not be quite suppressed, but they
may be brought into subjection. The virtues
courage and prudence among them-may be
strengthened and developed and made trium-
phant. We shall learn of these days that
il is profitable 10 pay attention to these things
To teach hoy to be thoughtful and cOura geOus
is no less valuable than to teach him algebra
and the exercises of the trareze. TO give girl
steady nerves and presence of mind in any emer
gency is 10 endow her no less richly than to
teach her TO talk French and to win the cham
pionship at basketball. Huxleys ideal of true
education, involving a state in which the pas
'siOns are taught to come TO a halt by vigOr-
''Ous will, the servant of tender conscience"
is by means impossible of realization. And
shall get a measurable distance toward 1t
when we have learned whether in fire or flood,
or in seeking wealth or power, not to rush head
long and blindly. but TO make haste with full
deliberation.