Courage in the face of danger tests the mettle of men. Courage not only counters the fear that fills one’s heart, but it also steadies the will. Yet courage does not come easily.
Old Stories
Gathered with friends and his grandson, the veteran, known as old Fleming, tells them all of his old battles as an orderly sergeant. They are all impressed and hold him in high esteem, viewing him as the bravest war hero.Yet when someone asks Fleming if he was ever scared during those battles, Fleming replies: “Well, I guess I was. ... Why, in my first battle I thought the sky was falling down. I thought the world was coming to an end. You bet I was scared.” He admits that while some people can go into their first battle with the utmost courage, he did not.
They are all surprised by this answer. This great war hero admits not only that he was extremely scared in his first battle, but also that he ran away, thinking that everyone was shooting directly at him. Yet their estimation of him does not decrease but rather increases because he is willing to acknowledge his human frailty and fear.
A Spirit on Fire
Later in the night, one of Fleming’s workers runs into the house and announces that the barn is on fire. Without hesitation, Fleming runs outside to the barn to save the animals.He rushes headlong into the barn and the raging fire. Wrapping a blanket around their heads, he saves the horses one by one. Then he runs back in to save the cows that are in the back basement.
After saving the cows and one of his workers, Fleming and the others stand, panting “like men who had reached the final point of human effort.” Fleming’s clothes had caught on fire, but they were doused with water.
Suddenly, one of the workers, a Swede, exclaims: “De colts! De colts! You have forgot de colts!” Fleming is stunned but not long immobile. With determination, he heads in to save them, even though everyone pleads with him not to.
Through this old veteran, Crane demonstrates that courage is something that not all of us have right away. Rather, it is a virtue that we must practice and perfect so that when the time comes, we can face danger head-on.
Whatever the challenge or difficulty, Crane emphasizes the importance and necessity of courage. As C.S. Lewis says in “The Screwtape Letters”: “Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at the testing point, which means at the point of highest reality.”
When we cultivate courage in our minds and hearts, we not only overcome our fears but also maintain every worthy virtue. Our courage lifts our souls and spirits higher than any flames.
