The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-27

placed myself in all sorts of emergencies
and wondered what | would do in each.
am sorry to say that l don't think that
would have the courage to face dan
ger"
you are never likely to be tested"
said his friend for the days of wars
for this country seem to be past"
That is apparently true. Perhaps
might serve until was retireo Cor Old
age without being in an engagement but
ought | not to resign now, knowing that
l am a coward?"
Your own suggestion of resigning
shows that you have courage, the cour-
age Of your convictions. No man can tell
how his first impulse may move him In
the face of danger, but l firmly believe
that a thinking man like you, realizing
that his reputation which Is dearer than
life, was at stake would overcome quick
ly. his first feeling of fear and prove his
| courage. You have read Maupassant :
! story OF the cowards?"
II have read every story of the sort
could find"
| We'll, then you would in an emergency
dread the loss of your reputation more
| than DEATH unless l am much mistaken
You have been reading too much and ex-
ercising too little. Shake yourself up and
take my advice not to breathe such sus-
you mean we'll" said Childs, land it
humiliates me TO say 1t, but am a
coward.
This assertion made such an impression
on his friends that later they discussed It,
They agreed that none but brave man
would make such a confession. Childs
had shown his sand on the football team
and in the fights which were an import
ant part of the training in the Naval
Academy in his day, and he was in all his
relations of life a man of the highest
sense of honor. II was impossible TO con-
ceive of his Sinking his duty.
When the war came Childs' civilian
friends were delighted to learn that his
assignment to duty would take him TO
the front at once. They were sure that
he would win promotion IL he had any
chance.
Childs' chance came early. His civilian
friends have since talked with the men
| who served with him and every one Of
them spoke of him in the highest terms.
His attention to duty was an inspiration
TO others and he was tireless in his eff
forts to make his men effective. He was
apparently a model officer.
He was under fire a half a dozen times
and then he was assigned to a special ex-
petition which failed for reasons that
seemed good to every man engaged IN
II II was at a time when rumors spread
quickly. and had there been the slightest
suspicion that he had displayed the white
feather the whole navy would have known
il within a week.
Two months later the commanding off,
GERS report devoted just a line to this
special expedition. saying that ut failed
unaccountably." When Childs' friends
saw that statement they knew how II
would affect him. Their Investigations
convinced them that II was either care
lesely made or else IL was based on misin-
formation.
Three months later came the news or
Childs death from fever. The physician
who attended him said that he yielded
to the disease apparently without resist
ance though he was a man OF strong con-
stitutiou and excellent habits. He had
evidently brooded over the ieft-handcd
sian that his commanding officers report
| had given 10 him, and had made no night
10 cave his life Had he been coward
| no might have shown II in the engage
ments when he was under fire. His con-
| duct on these occasions was beyond re-
proach The failure Of his special eXpe-
dillon was satisfactorily explained. in the
oninion of his brother officers, by the
statements OF Childe and every one who
accompanied him.
mo man who talked as Childs did TO us
in Washington" say his two civilian
friends, could have been coward. He
WAS simply more honest than the average
man in admitting his fears"