The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-06
PRESENCE OF MIND.
lBill Nye, in Cleveland Sun. |

Presence Of mind IS very rare quality indeed. How few of those we meet, though apparently cool and perfectly selt-possessed, know ist what to do in an emergency. It is a good thing to have an active mind well stored with use ful knowledge, but sometimes 1t is better to have less expansive style of mind, and have it calm and unrutfled at a moment when it is needed.
 A friend of mine once put large red poker chip in the church plate by mis- take. Few people would have known what to do: but he just went to the pastor after the services were over and said he had the money with which to redeem that chip. He told the minister that the chip was worth S up town, and he would cash it at that price. The preacher took the S. and said he always knew that these little rcd souvenirs came high, but he didn't know they were so expensive as that.
 Another friend of mine who had no pres ence of mind whatever, went to q picnic and by mistake sat down on a baby that was asleep under shawl in the shade of an unlbrageous tree, break ing its nose--the child's nose, mean. He was candidate for the legislature and did not wish to offend the mother or lose the vote of the father, 60 he tried to turn the thing of as joke by saying he didn't nose 1t was there.
 He was terribly showed under at the polls, and he deserved it too.
 am rather cool in a great emergency Some years ago there was shooting affray in front of my office which ter minated fatally, and no doubt it would have been still more so if 1t had not been for my cool self.possession and un- dsunted courage.
 The city editor, Mir. Barrow, was just reading me column puff in type of a new bank, and l was carefully revising his grammar, with large mallet and chisel, when we heard shot in front of the office.
 said, Barrow, that's a shot" He said he guessed not, and went on reading the puff.
 Pretty soon solne one said Bang /" again, in loud tone of voice and about 44- stairs, printers and all. l saw that l could not get down the stairs in time to get shot, so rushed out on the balcony and found myself directly over the shootists. Windy Smith was underneath and had no weapon, while a gambler was on .op, armed with beautiful pearl handled, self-cocking Smith and Wcsson baritone soloist, worth about S23, includ- ing freight. A
 There was a crowd of perhaps 8 hun dred men standing around near by. Not too near but just near enough. No one seemed to know what it was bes, to do Every one saw at once that it wasn't right for those men to be shooting each other and perhaps giving needless pain, but no one seemed to have any presence of mind. That was the state of things when 1 came prot lily forth upon the balcony. l saw what must be done.
 Gentlemen" said I, in tones that rang out like a bugle-call, "take that mans gun away. Can't you see that if you don't disarm the gambler he is going to kill some one ?" <
 Then there was slight pause, during which everybody seemed to be perfectly willing that the gambler should be dis armed. Finally. seeing that each man seemed to be waiting for the other, called to tall, slim man who stood right under me and told him to take way the gamblers revolver but he said No . he was only stranger in town. and the gambler was total stranger to nm He wasn't acquainted with any one, and he didn't want to seem officiouG
 But didn't lose my self-control. l kept calling on dif>fen. ones to disarm the gambler until finally BasweIl. the sheriff, came along, and he did as I sug- gested.
 Of course Smith died of his wounds, but remember the thousands of other lives in the town that were saved by this cool, brave act. And still would do it right over again if the circumstances were the same.
 Some of my friends say that, though brave, am a little rash. One dear friend who knows me best, and who Is very closely related to me, by marriage, says that an so rash that I would "rush in where angels fear to tread" ] wonder if she means anything personal by that.