CHAPTER XVI.

BEING BRAVE.

Proverbs or Verses."

"Many are brave when the enemy flies."-Italian. "Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away."

"Courage in danger is half the battle."-Plautus.

"Courage ought to have eyes as well as arms."

"Put off your armor and then show your courage." "Who hath not courage must have legs."—Italian.

"Be sure you are right, then go ahead."-Davy Crockett.

"A gallant man needs no drums to arouse him."

"A man of courage never wants weapons."

"Courage, conduct and perseverance conquer all before them." "I dare do all that may become a man;

Who dares do more is none."-Shakespeare.

"The more wit, the less courage."

"A coward calls himself cautious, and a miser, thrifty." "A coward's fear may make a coward valiant."

"Cowards die many times before their death;

The valiant never taste death but once."-Shakespeare. "Many would be cowards if they had courage enough." "No man can answer for his courage who has never been in danger."-Rochefoucauld.

Dialogue.

If a person has to go through some trying experience, perhaps having a tooth pulled or having his arm set if it is broken, or if he should risk hurting himself in doing something for another, and if it is all done without any outcry or display of alarm on his part, how would such conduct be described?

"As being strong," you answer. Yes. But what else would you call it? "Why," you say, "it would imply pluck or power of will." Any other way of speaking of it that you can suggest?

"Oh," you tell me, "it means being brave." True. And what is the one word we use for that sort of characteristic? "Courage?" Yes, surely.

Is it an easy thing to be brave? "No," you assert, "if it were an easy thing, then it would not be bravery." I suspect you are right. Being brave does not come very easy to most people.

But does it come easier to some people than to others? Or is it equally hard for everybody? "No," you answer, "it depends a good deal on the person. Some people," you add, "can endure more than others; they can suffer pain to a greater extent without flinching.' Why is that, do you suppose?

"Perhaps," you explain, "because they are born that way. Some have more natural courage than others." Yes, but is that all? "No," you continue, "it also depends on how one has acted before." That is quite true. You have made a very important distinction there.

Which person shows the more courage when going through something painful, the one to whom it comes easier, or the one to whom it naturally comes harder? It is the same act of bravery, isn't it? "Yes," you admit, "but there is a difference after all," you insist; "the one to whom it comes harder shows the more bravery."

But why? I ask. "Oh," you tell me, "he must exert himself more." Yes, but exert himself in what way? "Why, it must be an exertion of the will," you say.

Do you think it would be possible, for instance, in the case of two boys or two girls, one of whom was naturally more courageous than the other, that it might happen, by and by, that the one who was less courageous at first should, when they grow up, have more real courage than the other? "Yes," you think, "that would be possible."

But why so? "Oh, it would depend on how often the two persons had been called upon to show bravery, and on how much effort they had put forth each time."

Yes, it is quite true that the one naturally less brave might later on have more real courage than the one who at the outset was naturally more courageous. You see, it depends a good deal on one's self.

What do we mean by physical bravery? Have you any idea? What does the word "physical" apply to; the mind, the heart, the soul? "No," you answer, "it applies to the body."

Then how might we show physical courage? "Why," you tell me, "by being brave when enduring pain, when something hurts us.'

In what way could you show bravery if you were undergoing pain? What does the person without courage do on such occasions? "Oh," you exclaim, "he cries, sheds tears, makes a great deal of noise, uses bad language, makes everybody uncomfortable." Yes, that is all very true.

And how would the brave boy or brave man act? "Why," you say, "he would keep back the tears, not shout or groan or cry out and disturb everybody."

In the first place, then, by physical bravery, you mean, do you, enduring pain without creating lots of disturbance. But do you think that under the most terrific pain one should never cry out? If a man, for example, were having his hand cut off, would you regard it as weak or cowardly if he groaned? "No," you answer, "not under those circumstances."

But why? "Oh," you tell me, "sometimes the pain is so severe that one has to cry out." Yes, you are right.

Then, under what circumstances would you say that one should control one's self, and when, on the other hand, would it be all right to cry out under severe pain? "Why," you point out, "it would depend on the degree of suffering. If it were something terrific, like having one's leg cut off, that is another matter."

But how about the ordinary pains, headache or a sore finger, or those hurts everyone experiences more or less throughout life? What would be the real bravery under such trials?

"Why," you explain, "being brave would mean trying very hard to ignore it, and not making a noise about it." Yes, that is a good point. But is there any other form of pain excepting that of the body?

"Oh, yes," you say, "where a person has had a very disagreeable experience, or something unpleasant has occurred to him. Perhaps his feelings have been hurt, or he cannot do something he would like to do."

Then how do many people act under those conditions? Do they smile and act as if they were indifferent in regard to it? "No," you assure me, "they scowl or use unpleasant language, or mope, or make themselves disagreeable to others." Yes, that is sadly

true.

On the other hand, what would be the real bravery when such things happen to us? How might a man or woman show courage at such times? "Why," you say, "one could try to act as if after all it did not matter very much." Yes, but suppose it did matter a great deal, and you could not make yourself feel that it was of no consequence, what then can you do in order to show bravery? "As to that," you continue, "a man could at least try to keep it to himself."

I wonder whether you have ever heard the word "whine." Have we ever talked about that word before? What does it mean? What sort of animals whine? "Dogs," you answer? And do you think human beings ever whine? "Perhaps they do." Well, in what way?

"Why," you point out, "they may keep talking about how unhappy they are and how disagreeable others have been to them, or about all the unpleasant experiences they have had." Yes, that is true. Some people have a way of groaning out loud and making other people very unhappy, just because they may not have their own way, or there are unpleasant experiences which they must undergo.

Suppose that you have something disagreeable to do, perhaps it may be an unpleasant piece of work in

school, or some trying service to render for another boy or girl.

Now did you ever notice when one has to do anything of this kind, that certain persons will go through with it, only it will take them a long while to come to the point. They will hold off and wait, stay back, but finally do it. Then there are others, who, when it must be done, go right ahead and have it over with. They are quick about it. Just as soon as they know it must be done, they act at once.

Which ones show the bravery? "As to that," you say, "usually of course it would be those who act at once." Yes, you are right. Being brave means acting promptly and without hesitation, when we have something painful to go through or a disagreeable task to perform.

You have talked about showing physical bravery, and also about being brave when undergoing some painful personal experience. Now, let me ask you: Is there any other form you can think of? These two forms pertain to one's self, would they not? "Yes," you reply, "surely!"

Then what other kind can you suggest? "Why,' you say, "it might be where one has to do something brave for the sake of another." True, that is another

form of courage. Which comes easier, do you suppose; being brave for yourself or being brave for somebody else? "Oh, it would depend," you exclaim, “on our feelings for the person, or on what kind of a reward one is going to receive." Indeed!

Do you assume that when a man has done something courageous for the sake of another, he likes to have people know of it? "Yes, decidedly," you say; "that comes natural."

Suppose there are two acts of bravery to be performed; one where other people will know of it and praise you, and another where people will not know of it, and you will get no praise at all.

In these cases which act would require the most courage, or show the most bravery? "Why," you