The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-08-30


newer had a brave impulse in all their
sSmisspent lives. But I do not want TO
sspeakSof brutal people who are merely
Charlottesville are not interesting,
and braveHmen are. The world is too
EfuII5ao interesting people to waste
time studying other specimens. Who
archie brave? is the line, and further
digressions are out Of order, as they
sSsaySsin the women's meetings. There
y is@@really no scarcity of truly. brave
8#men,.&On1y we have our own interpre.
tations@of the conduct Of others and
liable to get III c1assif1cations
by circumstances we do not IN
2&derstand.
other morning going home In
graysdaWn I heard a terrible ye1p-
ing and bowling, as if some one was
killing "a dog by most cruel means.
Presently ia front of me a small dog
crossed b street, running. as if his
life depended upon it, and at his heels
another several sizes larger was ready
TO take@ho1d of him. The small dog
did not halt nor cease his distressful
noise until SheSjumped on to the porch
where he belonged. Then he imme-
adiatelyHturned and gave chase to the
larger dog, which just as promptly
turned and showed how fast he really
could run. It was not difficult to tell
which wasAthe bully and which had
true#courage. The difference was in
b rights of the one and the agrees.
Ssiveness of the other.
Zeb8Rhymer was a man Of peace,
sthought the War OF the Rebellion
sinful. He evaded all participation
broke down and cried like a child. He
was hard working soldier when it
$eamet o marching or throwing mp for
tihcations.$ but he couldn't stand the
smell OF powder when it was.
burning n the sing OF a cannon ball
tireW&him into Mysteries. Once he
was detailed with two comrades to do
service outside the lines. Without
warning they found themselves ~
close proximity to the enemy and took
refugeSssin log stable. They were
found and called upon to surrender.
The others We're willing to surrender,
ulaASD%iSAuSC 1l1u d41IlCultCeo us LIZ
5sentionsto die first. They were fired
npons andAzeb alone returned the fire,
sandcontinued to shoot as long as he
mad a#5charge for his gun, While his
companions begged him to desist be-
fore they should all be killed. After
shooting the last charge he sat sullen-
IySdoWnSonsthe floor and was forcib!v
pulled out by his captors, too mad To
speak. He went home at the close of
the war with a colonel's commission.
Larry Link was rated as a coward
from the time he began playing with
other boys. AS he grew up he became
Of every cruel Joker, and the
victim, of every bully in the village.
To avoid trouble he was forced to as
sociata with boys much younger than
himself, n he spent days together
in sight of his mother to avoid the as
saults he knew would be forthcoming
If he%ventured out of her protecting
presence. Bodily fear had such abso-
lutte control of his mind that he failed
to get%much of the sweets of child
AS he grew to his tor
gradually lost interest in to-
him, but the common esti-
mate OF his lack of courage remained
the same.
One night, after he was grown TO
manhood, a fire was discovered in a
building in the thickly built
section Of the village. BY the light Of
flames at the time the fire was
noticed, the village loafer, a harm
less, worthless fellow, was seen near,
leaving it. A bucket brig
ade was formed, and but little damage
beyond that done to the old
building. After the excitement was
over and the fire out most of the peo-
pie Wen home and to bed, and among
number was Larry. He had been
asleep when he heard loud cries, and
rushing out half dressed, he found a
mob with the poor loafer, whom
We're treating very roughly.
Larry never thought OF the conse.
guences, but rushed into the crowd
and demanded the reason forSthe treat.
ment. He was told that the man had
started the fire, and they were going
70 hang him, As an evidence IF good
faith rope was produced n placed