New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-05-07
THE, PSYCHOLOGY OF FEAR
Reactions the Mind Order
ola ron
ydy in a Of Constant Peril
BY HELEN GLEASON.

: Ife would tran people had lost two
friends in the Iroquois fire, and had not un-
derstood what had broken loose. But !
know now how people look when horror is
driving them. A force back OF them impels
them like some relentless pressure, even
making their eyes boggle out. That force IS
master when the will has been snapped. As
!, n child, in turning off light and going
downstairs, went quicker and quicker until
ran 10 the room where the family sat.
felt an unseen something that was going TO
catch me. So it had been with those six men,
Their will was broken by the catastrophe
\ But the little white doctor who went be-
hind the barn and bit on his pipe up against
the wall, taking a chair along so as to De
comfortable in his fear never communicated
panic. He called out sympathy. The yellow
streak was absent. When there was work
he stuck it out, standing up TO the jokes OF
\ his companions. He was shy and talented,
with a singing voice, gay among his little
group, embarrassed in a larger crowd. lie
had to express his fear because he was shy.
The Longing for Company.
| would rather be with people, even with
| little to do, than to be alone in the kitchen
heating water and doing something busily
When / went TO make coffee for wounded
boy was glad to return TO the crowded room
and find people. To hear shells dropping
around and to be alone is profoundly de-
pressing. / feel the reactions of others so
keenly that panicky people in mob would
terrify me. And yet I would rather be with
a soldier, quaking with fear, than be alone.
| In the great adventure of going into another
life you want some one to go up to the very
gates with you; you want companion to the
very end.
One morning they began to drop in little
shells on the church corner. The first one
went so low that caught its bresth-that
rush of air which its passage makes. 1t
went off behind the fragment of brick wall
which caught the pieces. The dust and
fumes went over me, but no splinter struck.
knew three others would come at once. L
made haste to the nearest alley, where
stood close to a wall.
"Why aren't NJ. and j. here7 If I've got
to be pinked I'd like to be pinked with some
body"
Then / looked up and saw the sentry at
the church corner, hotter place than where
| stood. When he gave a friendly beckon-
ing scuttled along, regardless of shell-hre,
to his roohess house. To look at him and
shrug shoulders at each explosion, with bits
of tile and brick falling at our feet, was
pleasanter than being alone. Together with
him il was easier to die. There was luil
Of a few seconds, and three soldiers strolled
down the road. To see them gave me cour-
age So | started That Embossed the bat
terry. The men skunk into the houses.
Chased by Shells.
took to my heels. The range kept chang
ing The shells followed me down the road
Peasants from their doorways, and soldiers
iattened against the walls laughed they
saw me-my yellow coat streaking down the
road bits of brick scattering in the path.
They're after you this morning" said Say
gaers.
| went into our shelter and sat on the bed.
My heart was pounding. was frightened.
1t was the excitement of the chase from the
point Of view of the hunted thing.
NJ. was always steady. She had genera
tions of sturdy clan fights in the blood and
too much Scotch pride to show she was afraid.
She would go on doing foolhardy things, like
chopping wood in the garden. She would not
be baked by a shell. F. would go without.
hesitation wherever she was called; good
sense and keen intuition gave her confidence
X. was vigorous. She loved the speed OF
aeroplanng, motoring and riding. Her eyes
would grow big when Smelling was on. When
there was much TO do she was never yellow
on her job. But without the need, she would
retire to the cellar. D.'s attitude at bonn
bardment was that Of a child seeing a hail
storm-open-e wonder. She was the pur-
est exhibit of care-free fearlessness. She
carried buoyancy in danger.
Some persons do not take on the shock OF
an explosion. | never got control of it, II
was writing l made slip with my pencil
have sat by battery Of four French guns
for several hours, have watched them pull
the string expected the bang, and yet the
pencil twitched. Involuntary ! would step
back if standing at that splitting OF the air
as the she'll sped away. In each Of these IN
stances | was in no danger: It was our own
fire. and 1 knew it, But the nervous system
objected beyond the control of the reason
always wished that shell could be an incl-
dent to me.
A Developer of self-Confdenee.
War gives untried persons chance to ind
themselves, to cure inner weakness and win
a self-respect which ordinary living had not
given. We knew a woman whose life had
been dominated by parents and husbands
For the first time she made choice Of her
own, and the choice was to go into danger
II was a night when the concentrated pep
pering of little shells caught our change of
troops. She jumped into the end OF the
ambulance and went into the shelling. She
went to prove that she was not afraid. That
choice indicated her to herself.
The uncertainty as TO whether the next
hell is going to hit you is preferable to the
uncertainty you feel for your own people at