The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-10-11
A DANGEROUS VIRTUE.


Every one, perhaps, knows the story
of Presence Of Mind Tomkyns, of Oriel,
who gained his prenomen from ham
mering with an oar the fingers of the
Young lady who clung to his boat, which
She would otherwise have overset and
drowned him; but his is not the only
instance wherein that admirable virtue
has been displayed to its possessor's s
disadvantage. Except, indeed, in the
case of running away at once on the
first hint of danger (where it is almost
impossible to 90 wrong), am inclined
to doubt whether presence of mind is a
virtue. have known so many cases
wherein people endowed with this
highly eulogized quality have, in what
the French call supreme moments
(Anglice marrow shaves," muck
ers' ], done such things with sang-froid
and unpremeditated good Judgment as
they have repented of, but could never
atone for all their lives.
once performed an action of this
kind myself, which proved so far from
presence of mind" being only second
in point of advantage in a railway ac-
cident to ''absence of body" that hard
" anything can be less desirable; and
as the public travel great deal by
railway, the recital of it may interest
them.
was passenger one night by the
Scotch express to Edinburgh, and, as
might have been expected from one
possessing the quality in question, had
taken care to make myself particularly
comfortable. Pullman and sleeping
cars were unknown in those days, but
Ihad secured the seat opposite to me
for my feet and was as well fortified
against the cold as a late dinner at
"the Rag, with glass of 'sixty-year-
old' brandy to follow, within, and ul-
ster and rugs without, could make me.
had friend (no, too suspicious read
er, not lady-it was the limited mail
train) beside me similarly situated, and
IN the third seat beyond was an urbane
stranger with his legs up, who from his
discreet silence and his having secured
the seats on the off side where nobody
could disturb him, concluded to be a
diplomatist. Having awakened at Car
isle, / got out for another petit Uerre
o.fbrandy (much Younger than that | had
had at the club), and on returning to
my carriage found, to my horror, the
seat for my feet occupied otherwise, by
an intruder, and person too of class
70 whom the term "a rough customer
would not have been inapplicable. Every
one who is any one can understand my
Indignation. Even in omnibuses, which
are licensed to hold good many
people. persons already in poses
SION, however few, resent, 1 am told,
lhe arrival of new comers; but the
present outrage was one that was intol-
eraole and Except on the Continent)
absolutely unparalleled. An English.
mans house is his castle; but his two
seats in a night train are even more
sacred and peculiar to himself. I was
aStonished and amazed to the last de.
gree, but | was not speechless:
MY good SIR" | said, s'you have
mistaken your carriage"
No, | amt; and l mean to travel in
this un.''
But it is nay seat, sir
Then | suppose you sits on you
My friend was asleep (one's friends
always are asleep when we need theil
aSslsianee), but saw sly smile flicker
spon the countenance of the diplomat
~ Il was the sort of difficulty (anothel
@a1 $ difficulty that amused him.
lou may not be aware, my gooC
Man, | resumed, ''that it is usual fol
geatlemen on long journeys to reserve
Wo seats for themselves
Then they ought to take two tick
s& he replied, surlily; ''show mt
Iourn-here's mine right enough ane
= ostentatiously displayed it. Itwas
second-class one.
lung down the window and ex
Ss.cSlmed, withprofessional promptitude
uuard, turn QUIT should have said
~ course, Guard, turn out this man.
~ ost the official (who had half crown
!. nine In his pocket) understood tn,
sssuaaon at once. The obnoxious in
Juaer was instantly hauled forth, ex
.silnllng lfalsely) that he had been in
ssl.ed IN the tirst-class for want O
tO1m elsewhere.
aran nad once more put up my feet tri
pnantly. and was arranging m,
wsp sssps as the train moved slowly on
r.o,a r1sn perceived carpet-bag in tn,
i aSn "A. over the opposite seat. My natur,
iDa rVe ~ malicious, and though still smart
uom my recent wrongs, / feltsorr,
A. a. the poor man should be parted
enS An :, MS solitary article of baggage
thinking there was vet time "a