Some years later when little son runs breathless into the home portal after being chased from school by some “turrible” boys we can hear this same little mother as she storms about the place and tells what “papa must do” about the matter.  According to her notion, if teachers could not control the “criminal element” among their pupils then it was high time for the police to step in.  Never a word about little son taking his own part!  Father listens in silence and half formulates the notion of going direct to the parents and laying down the law, while little son listens in fear and trembling in anticipation of what is coming to him if father carries out his threat.

Tall oaks from little acorns grow—­if the twig is not bent in the sprouting.

Little son is bound to grow into manhood some day and when he arrives he must have one particular attribute—­courage.  Somehow he will get along if he has that.  He may also wear a “clubfoot” or a “hunch back,” but with courage as a running mate he will assume his responsibilities and become a force in the world.

Once a great orator sat upon a rostrum listening to a speech by a man who cautioned his countrymen against taking steps to defend the national honor.  “We’ll outlive the taunts of those who would drag us into war!” he bellowed forth.  Whereupon the orator jumped to his feet and with clarion voice shouted, “God hates a coward!” and then sat down again.

Dazed at first the vast throng sat stupefied—­but only for a moment.  Then as one man they jumped to their feet and by reason of prolonged cheering gave national impulse to a thought which has since been sermonized from thousands of pulpits.  The orator had simply paraphrased and put “pep” into the old Biblical slogan:  “The Lord helps those who help themselves.”  The effect was electrical.  The whole country rallied to the idea with the result that we saved ourselves from war by showing the solid front of being ready and willing to defend ourselves.

Everything that tends to build up courage is an asset in life.  The more we have of it the further we go and the more interesting our lives become.  For the man of the lion heart all things unfold and unto him the timid must bring their offerings.  No one of ordinary gumption consults the human “flivver.”  Advice from him would be unavailing.  His point of view would be inadequate—­his ability to advise, impotent.  We go to the man who does things and say to him:  “Here is my little idea—­do you want to help me put it over?” If it is good, he does.  If not, his experience tells him so, for men of courage are naturally possessed of large vision.  Their lack of fear has given them right-of-way over vast areas of the world of action.  They fail only as “their lights go out forever.”

With courage we order our own lives and take orders only from those of superior wisdom.  This we can never afford not to do.  The courageous man of largest vision commands by his power to reason logically and therefore assumes the air of comradeship rather than “overseer” or “boss.”  Only through lack of moral and physical courage are we to become the slaves of these.