The weekly Alaska citizen., 1919-11-03
Acts of HerOism Carved as Epics on the World s Memory.

Now and then some deed of in stinctive heroism stirs humanity to it's depth so that even the most sordid and practical men and women offer the homage of their admiration. In Chicago William Fitch Tanner has restored the idealist's faith in man kind. Two or three years ago young soldier in France gave the world similar glimpse of the pure spirit of sacrifice when he threw him. self on a smoking hand grenade, wrapping his body around it in such away that the force of the explosion was spent in his own destruction and his sixteen companions were saved. They were-his "buddies," but it can not be said that it was personal love fer them that made him choose a @ure and dreadful death to save them. It was instinctive heroism.
 So with Tanner. It was not so much the quality of his love of the man himself that made him face death with his wife rather than leave her alone to it's horror. He was in- rtinctively hero.
 Neither annals of life nor pages of literature offer parallel to Tanners act. There were incidents that bear some resemblance to 1t, but none so nearly a counterpart in the instinc tive quality of its heroism as that nf the soldier who, without more than second in which to choose, flung himself on the exploding hand gren- ade.
 When Mrs. Isadore Straus refused a seat in Titanic lifeboat and elect ed to die with her husband, her act won the silent homage of men and the tears of women. It was undoubt- adly wife's devotion that influenced Mrs. Straus, for she had been married forty years to the very exceptional man with whom she chose to die rath- CT than face the years without him.
 Save your sorrow for infamy," wrote Reginald Wright Kaufman at the time of the sinking of the Titanic.
 Altho the sacrifice of Sidney Car ton in Dickens "Tale of Two Cities" is the purest fiction, 1t offers a fine example of Dickens ideal of what a hero should be. Even if it strains a point in sentiment when it asks you to believe in a sweetheart whose af- lection is so high and so fine that it leads him to take his successful rivals place beneath the guillotine's 'znife, the incident will continue to offer inspiration to world of men and women who, whatever their own defects, hate all that is sordid and love all that is noble.
 It was by trick, you remember, that Sidney Carton exchanged clothes and
 'aces with Darnay, who was we'll on his way to London and safety by the time consciousness returned and with it the knowledge that another had died in his place.
 Back in Paris, Sidney Canton had ridden in the tumbril from the Bastile to the place of the guillotine. Every one believed he was Citizen Eyre monde, as Darnay was called-that is, everyone but the little seamstress of 20. also to die.
 "If I may ride with you, Citizen Evremonde, will you let me hold your hand?" pleaded the little mistress. q am not afraid, but am little and weak, and it will give me more cour- age"
 As the patient eyes were lifted to his face, Carton saw @ sudden doubt in them, and then astonishment.
 Are you dying for him?" she whis pered.
 And his wife and child. Hush! Yes"
 And if, at the last, Sidney Carton had given any utterance to his pro- phetic thots, Dickens declared they would have been these:
 CT GOO tho 1lxyoC for mh{ch I low