The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1885-09-04
PRESENCE OF h....S.

RiU Nye'o TALENTED 0eock - Coooooo y
Great Emergencies
Presence of mind is q very rnre quail
ity indeed. How few of those We meet
though apparently cool and sen-pos
.sessed. know just what TO do in n
emergency. 1t is q good thing to have
an active mind well stored with usefu
knowledge, but sometimes it is better
to have less expansive style of mind
and have it calm and unruffled at time
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 knowr
what to do; but he just went 10 the
pastor after the services were over and
said he had the money with which Ia
redeem that chip. He told the minister
that the chip vas worth Eve dollars
up town. and he would cash it u
that price. The preacher took the
live dollars. and said he always knew
that these little red souvenirs came
high, but he didn't know they were
SO expensive as that.
Another friend of mine who had NO
presence of mind whatever went to .
picnic and by mistake sat down on =
baby that was asleep under = shawl in
the shade of an outrageous tree. break
ing its nose-the chilTs nose, mean.
lie was a candidate for the Legislature
and did not wish to offend the mother
or lose the vote of the father, SO he
tried to turn the thing or a. joke BY
saying he didn't nose it was there.
lie was terribly showed under at the
polls. and he deserved it, too.
/ am rather cool in u great emer-
gency. Some years ago there was .
shooting ARRAY in front of my Office
which terminated fatally. and no doubt
It would have been still more so If it
had not been for my cool sclf-pOsscssion
and undaunted courage.
The city editor. Mr.. Barrow, was just
feading me a column puff in type Of n
new bank. aud was carefully revising
his grammar with q large mallct and
chisel. when we heard shot in front
of the office.
said: Barrow. that's q shot" He
said he guessed not. and went on read
ing the pull
Pretty soon some one said ..Bangw
again, in a loud tone OF voice and
about forty-four calibcr. Then every
body jumped for the stairs, printers and
all. saw that could not get down
the stairs in time to get shot. so /
rushed out on the balcony and found
myself directly over the shOofisfs.
Windy Smith was underneath. and had
no weapon, while o gambler was on
top, armed with a beautiful pearl
handled, sclf-cocking Smith q WcssOn
baritone soloist, worth about twenty
three dollars, including freight.
There was a crowd of perhaps hnn-
dred men standing around near bv.
Not too near, but just near enough.
No one seemed to know what il was
best to do. Every one saw at once
that it wasn't right for those men 10 be
shooting At each other and perhaps
giving needless pain, but one
seemed to have any presence of mind.
That was the. state Of things when !
came proudly forth upoa the balcony.
i saw what must be done.
..Gentlemcn," said /. in tones that
rang out Ike . bng3e coll. ',tske dat
mans gun away. Cant you &c that
il you don't dtsarm the gambler he k
going to kill some onc?"
Then there was q slight paosa, duzSo4
which e~cry body seemed % be perfectly
willing that the gambler should be Ais-
armed. Finally. seeing that each man
seemed to he waiting for ths otser. I
called to . tall. slim man who stood
right under me and told him TO take
away the gamblers revolver. bat be
said mo-" he was only . stranger In
town. and the gambler was . total
stranger to him. He WASN'T acquainted
with any one. and he didn't want 70
seem oflfcious.
But didn't lose my sclf-control. I
kept calling on difIcreat ones todisarm
tho gambler until finally RAswell. de
Sheriff. came along. and he did q
suggested
OF course Smith died Of his wounda.
but remember The thousands Of oG2seS
lives In tho town that Wose saved BIZ
ibis cool brave sct And s1ill would
do Il right over aGsia \ tho eireum-
Dtances were the same.
Some Of my friends say sAaA though
brssc, ! am . Nttls rash. o. dear
friend who knouu me- hesl And Who Is
very closely related to me ~ aasffage.
says that am % rash that / wouhl
.'rnah In where snsels fear - tread
! woudef Il sha msans aaythir3 pev.
aoasl by thst-kosiiuizis Csast1v16ss.