Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1847-01-05
aTAKING 1T COOL"
BY SOLITAIRE.

"Take il cool" is a very common piece
of advice often gratuitously rendered to a
young gentleman of warm temperament,
when he is about to tear his under gar
ment; but the advice is often dsregarded,
to the great detrimcnt of superficial surfa-
ces, and he discoloration of exposed parts
of the human face divine. In the above
mentioned case the advice might he profit
ably followed, but there are circumstances
which forbid the quiet and unmoved con-
temptation otan approaching crisis. To
say to a man who is seated in falling
buiiding-"take it COOL" would be a
mOckerY Of his situation, or TO whisper 10
three hundred passengers upon a magnifi-
cent steamship. as she is running, with
full head of steam bows on to the main
land, To 'possess themselves of frigid
state" would he dow light aggravation
Os their position. 1t so sufficient cause
for hostile rencOntre to grin at defeated
candidate, and tell him to "take it cool :"
but there are cases which, as a modern
romancer would say, Tin point of down.
right provocation rise in sublime ma gnitude
above all these" and We will endcavor to
make good the assertion by presenting an
example.
In the wilG days of Missouri no one,
we presume, will dispute its present civil
Zed siate-a number of the more excitable
and adventurous young officers ofour gal
liant army were stationed at Council Buff.
to guard the frontier from the incursions of
the wild and then powerful tribes which
roamed in that immediate neighborhoOd.
In their isolated position they had little to
destroy the monotony of life except an Oc-
casional march to check some tribe which
was warming into hostility, or in inventing
and playing off tricks upon each other. |;
matered not how outrageous or dangerous,
or ridiculous any devilment practised upon
one officer by another could be, they never
for once grew angry, but the victim merely
set his his wits to work to, if possible,
sugpass his own case by a retort on his
adversary. A Lieutenant who was par
tiCularly good at these practical jokes.
because his dignfied & cool manner made
him less suspected than his comrades, had
played off one upon brother Lieutenant
who had a delightful lisp. a short time
after. at an evening card party in his quar-
tiers, the dignitied joker was expatiating
to several officers. among them his lisping
victim, how very becoming it was for
man, under all circums:ances,t to keep cool,
and remarked, moreover, that in his own
ca Sc it was a constitutional habit, in the
face ofthe lnostihreafening consequences,
to retain a nerve which defied surprise,
The advantage ofsuch temperament was
enlarged upon. the chances it afforded of
escape from danger particularly pointed
out. and general assent given to its great
value in the possession of a military man.
"Well, Jim, inquired his lisping friend,
show would you do thopothe a she'll with
an inch futhee thould drop itshelf into
high walled angle in which you had
taken thelter from company of thar2
thooterIh, and where it wath thertain If
you poked out your nothe you'd get pep.
pered 2"
How 2" said the other, winking at the
circle, "why, take it cool, and spit on the
fusee :"
s'Yeth, thath true,n answeredthe lisping
Lieutenant, apparently perfectly satisfied;
and another wink travelled round the Giro e
Of optics.
The party broke up, & all retired for the
night. except the patrols, who contins led
their round. as We believe they gel orally
do on military posts, until morning goes
into fragments, when the air Of hustle and
activity began again its hum in the bar
racks. The soldiers were passing from
! their several quarters, and soon there