The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-18

CT have many times been asked, sub,
why duels were always held at sunrise.
1t was because that is the poetic hour
of the day, sub. 1 have seen duels
fought at all hours of the day, ana Dy
candlelight, but l cannot say that the
contestants were cultured gentlemen
and had souls filled with sentiment
Sunrise was the hour selected by sem
timent- The birds were just beginning
to twitter. Nature was throwing off
her sleep. The world was beginning
q new day, and the dewdrHps sparkled
like diamonds underneath the foot. II
was the poesy of life and motion, sun
You felt its influence, and you went to
the ground with smile on your face
and a softer influence in your heart.
AT any other hour of the day you
might have gone out with desire to
kill, but at sunrise you simply felt that
it would be sufficient to pink the gem
tleman who obstinately contended for
the Roman style of ankles.
You left home, sub, saying to your
wife that you felt like taking a short
walk befoT breakfast She understood
what was on the ia pis- She may have
faltered for a moment, but not a word
of remonstrance. Sho knew that
your honoh had been called in ques-
ton, and that you were going out to
defend it In defending your honoh
you were defending hers. The lady
whose husband would refuse to fight
a duel would become pariah in So
ciety.
You did not linger to explain to her
that the coming affair arose over the
ankles of another woman. You sim
ply took your rapfer or case or pistols
and walked calmly forth The glorious
sun was getting ready to show his face
to the world. The robins and blue
birds were calling to their mates As
you crossed the dewey fields the gam
boiling lambkins gamboled here and
there.
ut was glorious, sub. 1t was life.
When I look back to such walks 1t re-
news my youth. I feel a twitching of
this good right arm to hold steel or
pistol again
were the first to arrive, but your OPP
ponent was already in sight. No gen
tleman ever kept another waiting for
moment if 1t was to be avoided. The
place of meeting was a grove or dell
in the woods. You lifted your hat in
salute to your opponent and his sec
ond. and received the same courtesy.
If pistols were to be used the ground
was paced OFF. If rapiers, then you re-
moved your coat and vest while the
seconds measured the steels. Y GU had
no feeling against the gentleman OPP
posed but etiquette forbade your adj
dressing him, during the prelfminaries;
But for that you might have walked
up and down arm in arm and wounded
him five minutes later.
"Rapiers had been selected, let us
assume. The blades were handed out
and you took your positions When
you came to look at the gentleman De-
fore YOU you were sorry that he was
so obstinate about the Roman ankles
If he would only, admit that he might
be mistaken the affair could be called
of He couldn't admit 1t. however
and you knew he couldn't NO true
gentleman can admit anything after
he has reached the field. If he had
said that Venus had the form of a
beer barrel on stills ne would have TO
stick to it,
You got the word and your blades
crossed. Egad, sub, but don't mind II
get a bit excited. 1t is like an old
wah-horse hearing the trumpets call
again. There is certain citation in
charge against the guns-a certain
horsemen sweep forward, but there is
no feeling like that of contact with our
enemy's blade on the dueling ground.
He is befo' you. You are looking
straight into each. others eyes. The
blades are rasping and grating against
each other, and there is thrust. parry
and recover. It's like no other expert
ence and men look back to it with
pride They lived five years in five
minutes.
You don't want to kill your man.
and he doesn't want to kill you. There
Is not enough bitterness for that. You
mDntended for Grecian ankles and he
your hearts there is a suspicion that
YOU were wrong. The ankles might
be of far more modern architecture.
They might have been padded for the
occasion. You have. been drawn into
the AFFAIR. however, and you will pink
fashion. That's what you work for