The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1905-03-17
6be EX.HE|R||l'| R,
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Real bravery consists not In lighting
an enemy. but ourselves. Cowardicc or
bravery is purely matter of tempo
rary nerves"
'.Ncvertheless. general said young
Captain Ifitz Hugh. "wc honor the
brave and dcspise the coward Wien
my nerves 90 back On me ! trust
enough yigor will be left TO enable me
10 remove myself from the world or
my Disgrace
a puff of smoke appeared at one OF
the embrasures of bastion fort ON
the crest OF hill, followed by boom.
and a shell came blowing up the
ground. burying itself in tree not
dozen feet from the party. A fuse hiss
cd and spnttercd. burning rapidly TO
the vent. Most Of the officers present
either fell on their faces or ran rs fast
as their legs could carry them. Fitz
Hugh cooily walked up 10 the shell,
pulled out the fuse and threw it away.
We'll done, captain" said the gen
GRAIL THE battle has reopcned."
There was d hard struggle. When the
| fighting was over. there was as much
wonder that the young captain came
out alive MS at his conspicuous bravery.
One Of his exploits. the leading of n
few men against an angle Of breast
works wherein the guns were creating
havoc. was s,, conspicuous and SO far
reaching in it's results that he was
decorated with Il gold medal.
The war ended and FitZ Hugh was
Il hero to the world for all time. Oc-
casionaly he would oycrhear some
one say: That's he; the man over
there. They say he doesn't know what
fear is" AT army reunions. when he
arose to say Il few words, he was so
violently chcercd that he often gave up
the attempt lie was the pet of the
petticoats AID the ndmiratio of men,
The world of adulation in which he
lived became the only world he knew,
that which he had inhabited before his
honors being forgotten. Yet his mod
csty never suffered. He would only
wear his medal ut social gatherings
with the little band who had helped
him earn 1t and to whom he always in
sisted it belonged.
Thirty years passed. Fitz Hugh met
with lrvcrses that brought on nervous
prostration. He was obliged to break
! away and 20 on Il trip. When he re-
turned he was still weak. melancholy
and inclined to study his symptoms
infinitely. consulting doctors. besides
doctoring himself. He recovered. but
was not the man he had been few
years before.
One day while he was at the scashore
with party of friends. among whom
was Il lady who had consented to be n
comfort TO the old hero for the rest OF
his days. he was walking with her
through the town when a rough fellow
passed them. purposcly brushing
| against the lady. Fitz Hugh remon-
stratcd. whcreupon the man took him
by the collar and showed him up
against n wall. where he held him for
some time. then released him with the
remark that next time he'd better
mind his own business. I'itz Hugh.
mortified beyond measure at such treat
ment, tried to muster up courage to
strike the man. but his enemy looked
SO ugly. SO strong. SO brutal. SO nnmer-
ciful. that the ex-hcro did not dare
touch him.
That night. when all were asleep.
Fitz Hugh. clutchipg something tightly
IN his hand. emerged from his room
and went to an ocean pier. There he
| stood for awhile. looking ont ON the
black expanse Of water. vainly endcav-
oring to muster strength Of will to
plunge lie could not. The waves ILL
ed him with terror. Then he threw
what he held in his hand out into the
water and. turning. went to his room
The next day he did not appear. His
iiancce sent for him to go down with
her to tn" beach. He went down
looking pale and hagxarl She guess
od his trouble. but said nothing. They
were sitting on the beach. lower than
they We're accustomed to do. for the
tide was ont. looking at the bathors.
the g'Ills. the waves glittering il, the
sunshine the ships far ont at sea.
The lady WAS thrusting her hand into
the sand. grasping it and letting it
slip through her fingers. Suddenly
they closed on something round and
flat and heavy.
1t WAS the hero's medal.
lie confessed to her that he had
thrown it into the water the night be-
fore. ami she knew why.
1T is better to have been brave" she
said. and lost ont's bravery than
never TO have been brave at ALL
When the ex-hero returned to the
city he married his fiancee and settled
himself in home. which lie resolutely
declined to leave. cschewing especially
army reunions. One reunion night his
comrades came and took him away
bodily, his wife before he left pinninC
his medal to his coat without his
knowing it, Arriving mt the room
where dinner was in progress. he
was placed amid cheers In the seat Of
the commander-pres
Comrades" he said when tie tn.
multi had ceased my general once
told me that bravery is purely phys
ical. have learned he was right. 1
have been weak enough to think N.Y.