The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-10-10
MR.. GOODWIN, Whose Articles Are Regularly Featured
IN These Columns, l. on His Vacation.
TR E M BLING
VOLUNTEER
WILL BE
BRAVE
By ELIZABETH JORDAN.

the national army. From the Tina
war was declared knew u was
my duty TO serve my country. 1
am the oldest OF four brothers
Our parents are in comfortable cir
eumstances- / am not married or
engaged. In other words, I was
free to enlist Ny road was clear.
But-well-the truth Is that road
Is the blacklist road I ever looked
down. To me II is full Of terrors.
am az panie-stricken as used to
be when I was q little chap and
was sent upstairs to bed and saw
COLLINS and Wild animals In the
dark corner OF the hall.
suppose ] am a coward. No one
suspects II, for volunteered. I
whipped myself up 70 that. and I
am sim here In training, where
there's nothing to be afraid OF yet.
But what I'm most afraid OF Is
being afraid lover thereof dis
grazing myself and my comrades.
Shall I. do you think? Am Ia
coward? And Is there anything I
can do to brace up7 Every
night I have the most horrible
dreams.
Forgive me for not signing my
name to this- VOLUNTEER
n EAR VOLUNTEER, / b.
/ Heye that all you need. TO
- make . good soldier of you.
is time. 1 don't believe you are a
coward don't believe you win
fail when the test comes. But
do think you are nerYousiy high
strung and / suggest that you ses
a good doctor and put your case
frankly before him. He viii un-
derstand II, be sure Of that, and he
win not think you are q coward
Psychologists are now tracing
to our earliest experiences many
OF the actions and attributes Of
our later lives. II Is possible that
those early terrors OF your child
hood account for much Of your
experience now. It is very prob
able that II they had been under
lily you would have been a diher-
emit man today.
Many Like Him.
But, after all, the important
point for you TO remember, my
boy, is that you are not alone in
this mental condition. Many brave
young fellows have experienced
it; many are still experiencing II
And the great majority Of them
have been heroes in action when
the test came.
Indeed, every brave soldier I
have ever talked to has cheerfully
admitted that he has known fear.
He has not confessed It to his
comrades, but he has felt il: and.
a. he gained in experiences, he has
realized that they felt II, too.
But they all add that a wonder
full change takes place in a man
during action. He is swept on and
out Of himself by excitement, by
the presence Of his comrades, most
Of all by the consciousness Of
work to be done. His time TO do
his part has come. He meets Il
bravely. And after he has once
gone over the top he Is never real
~ afraid again. He may be nerV-
Gus and highly excited, but he Is
not afraid
So cheer up, Volunteer. There
Is nothing the matter with you ex-
cept q high-strung. nervous sys-
tenn and an active imagination. It
is your imagination that pictures
with bogies the road to glory, II
Is your imagination that suggests
that you will fail when the real
test comes.
You won't fail. You viii do ex-
actly what your comrades do. And
when you have done il you VII
exult as they exult
Look around at your comrades.
The splendid chaps you admire so
much, the fellows who are train
ing with such high enthusiasm,
have their dark moments, too.
Every soldier in every army and
on every battlefield has known
them.
Just ~Sit Tight"
So "sit tight" Volunteer, and
remind yourself that nerves and
imagination are your only buga-
boos. Make one strong resolu-
ton and keep it-NEVER LET
YOUR MIND DWELL ON FEAR.
The moment it enters your
thoughts Danish it. If it comes
during the day, do something at
once. Take violent exercise; take
a long walk, talk to a comrade, or
read a good book.
If it comes at night, desDlace it
with another thought. Think Of
the person you love most, or of
the most interesting experience
you have ever had, or compose a
letter to be written the next day.
Get yourself into the best pos
sible physical condition. Keep in
it. Make a special point Of be-
ing aft" and athletic.
predict that with few months
more Of outdoor life and training
you viii be so built up and so
thoroughly well that your nerves
will cease to trouble you. Then,
Volunteer, you will join the happy
majority who say to the raw re-
cruit:
"Why. yes, old chap. I've felt
that way a thousand times. Don't
worry about it. It's part Of the
game. Everybody goes through
it, and everybody gets over it,"
When he has braced up, drive
Nka pa;l into ,yoF,r eY.v-a h. fIrfnfipev