LITTLE 

 JOURNEYS 



But there was a derivative form of this generosity 

 calling for still greater eulogy. He was not content 

 with expressing appreciation of those whose merits 

 were recognized, but he used energy unsparingly in 

 drawing public attention to those whose merits were 

 unrecognized ; and time after time in championing the 

 cause of such, he was regardless of the antagonism he 

 aroused and the evil he brought upon himself. This 

 chivalrous defense of the neglected and ill-used has 

 been, I think by few, if any, so often repeated. I have 

 myself more than once benefited by his determination, 

 quite spontaneously shown, that justice should be done 

 in the apportionment of credit ; and I have with admi- 

 ration watched like actions of his in other cases cases 

 in which no consideration of nationality or of creed 

 interfered in the least with his insistence on equita- 

 ble distribution of honors. 



In this undertaking to fight for those who were unfairly 

 dealt with, he displayed in another direction that very 

 conspicuous trait which, as displayed in his Alpine 

 feats, has made him to many persons chiefly known 

 I mean courage, passing very often into daring. And 

 here let me, in closing this sketch, indicate certain 

 mischiefs which this trait brought upon him. Courage 

 grows by success. The demonstrated ability to deal 

 with dangers, produces readiness to meet more dan- 

 gers, and is self-justifying where the muscular power 

 and the nerve habitually prove adequate. But the re- 

 sulting habit of mind is apt to influence conduct in 

 other spheres, where muscular power and nerve are of 

 no avail is apt to cause the daring of dangers which 

 are not to be met by strength of limb or by skill. Na- 

 ture as externally presented by precipice ice-slopes 

 and crevasses may be dared by one adequately en- 

 dowed ; but nature, as internally represented in the 

 form of physical constitution, may not be thus dared 

 82 



