Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-09-28
1 DANGEROUS vrfsrs I.


Plen.atst sketch by James Payne
Every one rcrhapsl knows the story o
Pres,ucc.of-M Mind Tomkyns (of Oriel
who gained his rrpuomen from hammer
ing with an oar the fingers of the young
lady who clUug to lis boat which slit
would otherwise have ovcrsrt and drown
cd him hat his is not the only instance
wherein that admirable virtue his beer
displayed 10 lis pOsscssors disadvantages
Except. indeed, in the case Of running
away at once on the first hint of danger
(whcrc it is almost impossible to SC
wronpl. / am inclined to doubt whether
presence of mind is viituc. | have
known 50 many cases wherein people en-
dowed with tins highly eulogized quality
have. in what tine French call supreme
moments tAnglice marrow shaves,
'mucktrs'' l done such things with sang.
fIoid and prymcditntcd good judgment,
as they have rcprutcd of, bat could never
atone for, all their lives.
| once performed an action of this kind
myself, which proved SO far from "pre-
scncc OF mimi being only second in
point of advantage il a railway accident
TO "ahSnucr "a body that hardly any
thing ou ho less desirable 4; and as the
public travel great deal by railway. the
recital Of it may interest them.
| was q passenger one night by the
Scotch express 10 Edinburgh, and as
NIGH, have !, vu expected from one pos
scaaiug the qitaiiiF in question, had taken
care to inl;" Myself particularly comfort
able. rulmW and sleeping cars were
unknown in those days. luy / had secured
the seat oppusi.c to me for my feet, and
was as well f1rlird against the cold MS n
late dinner ut "t'.r Rag with Il glass OF
"sixty-y,;r-u.d" brandy to follow, within,
and M uis.nr uud rug. without, could
make Iac. / had a friend (no, too suspi-
oious rcader, .y'a lady--it was tine limited
mat traiuJ beside lnc similarly situated,
and in the tLirt scat beyond was an
urbaue stranger with his legs mp, who
from his discreet silence and bis having
secured tie scat. On the Of side, where
nobody would disturb him, ronc.nled
to bea diplalatii,t. Having awakened at
Carlisle, | got nut lpr another D'W rare
of brandy mucll yauugvrtl.un that had
had at ihc c!uh) and on returning to my
earring tuWHd. tp wy horror, the seat Tor
my feet occupied otherwise, hv III !ntfl-
der and II person too at . yiosa To whom
the t"'ll 90 cough ,untCincr' would not
have been inapplicahlc. Every one who
as any ole can understand my indigna-
lion. Even il omnihusses, which are
licensed 10 hold Il good smany peo-
pie, persons already in pos cssiin. now
ever few. + ,put. / am told, the arrival OF
new cumor.: but the prcaI.t outraGc
was one that WAS intolcrHh!0 AID except
on the Continent absolutely uuparllcl-
ed An i'ngl.5Emau's huusc Is Iii, castle
but mas two seats III it night train are even
more sacrcl and peculiar 20 himself. ]
was astonishcl and amazed to the last de.
gree. but was not speachlcss:
"My good sr," | said, ''yuu have mis-
taken your carriage"
"No, aiu'l and mean to travel il
this 'un."
"But ii is lay seat. sir"
"Then | suUrose yo., III on your legs. '
Nv fried Nas Gsleep (one's friends
alwaya ara asl,ep when we need their as
sistancci, hut | saw Il sly smile flicker
upon the cluntcnance of the dIploma
tist it was the sort of difficulty (anoth
er mans dilllcu!tv) that amused him.
"You may not be aware, my goodman,
resumed. "that it is usual for gentle
men on long journeys to reserve two seat
for themsclyeg."
"Tbcu tI,,y o6cht TO take two tickets.
he replied sullily: .show mo yourn,
here's mine rIuht enough" and he osten
tatiously displayed it. 1t WAS Il second
class one.
flung down the window and exclaime,
with professional promptitudo, "Guard
turn out should have said, Of course
"Guard turn ont this man :" but the oil
ciel Cwho had half Il crown OF mine in Iii
pocket understood the situation at once
The obuoyiuus intruder was iustautl,
hauled forth. cyciniminr (ralsclvl that h
had been inserted in tLe first class fo
want of room elsewhere.
l had once more put up nv feet tri
umphantlv, and was arranging nv wrap
as the TRAIN moved slowly on. when | pei
ceived calpct-bag in the rack over Tia
opposite scat. Nv nature is not maliC
io,is. and though still smarting from m
recent vroups. felt sorry thnt tl,c noo
man should he parted from his solitar
article of boggnpc. and thinking thcr
was vet time Tor rather mvlmmense pre,
ence Of mind not giving me fine to think
| pluckcd fine BAG from the rark nm
threw if Violently ont as I reckoned mo
the platform If fell however. ON th
line about ten wards bcyoud it.
"Gool heavens" cried l. "he'u los
it."
sit is no matter" said the diplomats
in the softcst and crcamicst tone concei,
oble "it hounous to he mn bnp"
You mirht have knocked me down wit
feather | made n hundred apologie,
MI of which Inc ocknnwIpIood with ere,