Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-06-28

number three would tell number four
/ that she took supper with Uncle Josh.
When she was asked what she had, the
reply would be apples, beef, cucumbers,
or anything commencing with c, and on
down the alphabet, each one adding one
article of food to the list. I remember
that zebra was what supplied the letter
Z There is a lot of fun in the game,
one must remember all the incongruous
dishes that have gone before and that
prevents much thinking about what one
is going to add TO the list The replies
must be ready 10 rattle of, and forfeits
paid if mistakes are made or letters
skipped.
All the year. except May, June, July,
August and September, these girls meet
once a week and study things worth
while. They also visit the sick, meet
strangers and help them get acquainted
and find positions for them if possible.
They are all business girls, but not too
busy to answer the calls of afiiction or
extend a helping hand More than one
member OF that club has denied herself
some pleasure to buy a flower to take
to the hospital, and has gone without
her dinner to have the time to take the
flower.
Already there have come comments on
my remarks concerning superstition.
Some have asked me TO continue the
subject and others have regretted the
fact that cannot see that certain occult
things work their influences on human
ity.
The question Of fear has too long
been recognized as a nervous malady
that some with strong Wills can over
come, while others with less will power
are dominated By it,
French writer, Mr.. Fernando Ma
zarde, tried to settle the question of fear
by asking numerous authorities in psy-
chOiogy about il. and then he published
the results OF his inquiries. In that
article the pithiest observation was
made by Marshal Ney-the bravest of
the brave: a coward is he who boasts
that he is never afraid"
Professor Ballet defines fear as the
apprehension OF danger-such as one
experiences at night in the darkness, in
deserted and oppressively lonely re-
gion. Sometimes fear is instinctive;
sometimes IL is reasoned out as when
in the presence OF an impending peril.
Most OF the phobias, in our opinion. are
instructive, which means that sweet
reasonableness plays no essential part
in them.
The physical aspect Of fear is basic
In many cases. Some men are afraid at
one time and not at all at others. and
this is largely by reason of the physi-
cal condition at the time of confronting
the object of dread
soc
M Alfred Mezieres. of the French
academy. considers that fear is caused
by some unexpected danger-and such
sometimes is the case The inexplicable-
is likely to inspire fear; but Immediately
the inexplicable is confronted and an
alyzed it generally loses it's terrors.
Fear. after all. is the individuals re-
action in the presence of an untOward
and antipathetic environment; its
essence is of self-preservation; il is, in
the last analysis, protection against
destruction or DEATH"
In my own experience with people
there has been nothing I've had to rea-
son against more than fear. nameless
fear. I've known grown men that would
stand before a multitude and defend the
downtrodden in the face Of danger, yet
they were so influenced by the dark that
chills would seize them If they had to
go alone. All military men know about
the 2-o'clock-in-the-mornin courage"
This means that when the physical
forces are at their lowest ebb mans
courage is often lacking. Napoleon had
this in his mind when he said that an
army fights on it's stomach. The truest
sort of bravery is that which is in evil
dence at all times. Cur army at Valley
Forge. and the heroes Of the Army of
Northern Virginia proved that starva-
tiOn does not always affect courage.
1 know a woman who stood before a
Chinese mob and talked to them, argued
with them and jollied them until the
officers could get there and dispense
them. They wanted a Chinaman who
had fed there for protection. Yet she
would start and shiver and ask What's
that?' at any noise heard in the night.
All these things. however, are very far
from superstition. Many rabbits left
hind foot has been gold-mounted and
worn as a charm. Some treat it as a
joke. while others feel quite safe CD
with such an amulet. Almost all of us
know some one who will not turn back