The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-10-25

Il
scratch each other, get entangled In
their motionless rage, dare not leave
go, and If one OF them succeeds in
releasing an arm, he strikes out
blindly and most often into space a
series Of hurried. stunted AMI sput.
tering little blows; nor would the
combat ever end did not the treach.
erous knife, evoked by the disgrace
OF the incongruous sight, suddenly,
almost spontaneously, leap from the
pocket of one or the other.
On the contrary, watch two pu.
gilists; no useless words, no crop.
ings, no anger; the calmness of two
certainties that know what lies be.
fore them. The athletic attitude OF
the guard, one of the finest OF the
male body, logically exhibits all the
muscles of the organism to the best
advantage. From head to foot, no
particle of strength can now GO
astray. Each single one has its pole
In one or other OF the two massive
fists charged to the full with energy.
Three blows, no more, the fruits OF
secular experience, mathematically
exhaust the thousand useless posi-.
bilities. Three synthetic, irrestiole,
unimprovable blows.
AS soon as one of them frankly
touches the adversary, the fight is
ended, to the complete satisfaction
OF the conqueror, who triumphs so
incontestably that he has no wish
to abuse his victory. and with no
dangerous hurt to the conquered,
who is simply reduced to impotence
and Inconsistencies during the time
needed for all i'll will to evaporate.
Soon after the beaten man will rise
to hfs feet with no lasting damage,
because the resistance of his bones
and his organs is strictly and natu-
rally proportioned to the power of
the human weapon that has struck
him and brought him down.
1t may seem paradoxical, but the
fact is easily established that the
science of boxing, in those countries
where 1t Is generally practised and
cultivated, becomes pledge of peace
and gentleness. Our aggressive ner-
vousness, our watchful susceptibility,
that sort Of perpetual state of alarm
In which our jealous vanity moves,
all those arise, at bottom, from the
sense of our weakness and of our
physical inferiority, which toll as
best they may to overawe, by a proud
and irritable mask, the men often
churlish, unjust and malevolent, that
surround us.
The more that we feel ourselves
disarmed in the face of attack, the
more are we tortured by the longing
to prove to others and to persuade
ourselves that no one attacks us with
impunity. Courage becomes the more
fretful, the more intractable, in pro-
portion as our anxiously terrified In
stinct, covering within the body that
is to receive the blows, asks itself
how the bout will end. What will
this poor, prudent instinct do should
the crisis go badly?
1t is upon our instinct that we
rely in the hour of danger. Upon
our instinct devolves the anxiety of
the attack. the care of the defence
We have so often in daily life dis
missed it from the control that, when
its name is called, 1t comes forth
from its retreat like one grown old
in captivity and suddenly dazzled by
the light Of day. What resolution
will 1T take? Where is it to strike?
At the eyes, the stomach, the nose,
the temples, the throat? What
weapon is 1t to choose? The feet,
the teeth. the hand, the elbow, or the
nails?
1t no longer knows; 1t wanders
about its poor dwelling which is
about to be defaced and, while it
| dotingly pulls them by the sleeve,
courage, pride, vanity, spirit, self
esteem, all the great and splendid
but irresponsible lords, enyenom the
stubborn quarrel, which at last, after
numberless and grotesque evasions,
ends in an unskilful exchange of
| clamorous. blind, ataxic thumps, hy-
brid and plaintiye, piteous and puer-
lie and indefinitely impotent.
He, on the contrary, who knows
the source OF Justice which he holds
in his two closed fists has no need
for self-persuasion. Once and for
all, he knows; longanimity emanates
like peaceful flower from his ideal
but certain victory. The grossest
insult cannot impair his indulgent
smile. Peacably he awaits the first
act of violence, and is able to say to
all who offends his: Thus far shall
you go and no further" A single
magic movement stops the insolence.
Why make this movement? He
ceases even to think OF it, so certain
is its efficacy.
1T is with a sense of shame, as
of one striking defenseless child,
that in the last extremity he at
length resolves to raise against the
most powerful brute the sovereign
hand that regrets beforehand its too
easy victory.