Huntsville gazette., 1885-01-17
PRESENCE OF MIND.
Bill Nye's Unlimited Stock of Goodness
Groaf

/
Great Emergencies.
Presence of mind is very rare quail.
ity indeed. How few of those we meet,
though apparently cool and self-pos-
sessed, know just what to do in an
emergency. 1t is good thing to have
an active mind well stored with useful
knowledge, but sometimes it is better
to have less expansive style of mind.
and have it calm and unruffied 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 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 five dollars
up town, and he would cash it at
that price The preacher took the
five 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 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, so he
tried to turn the thing off as a joke by
saying he didn't nose it was there.
He was terribly showed under at the
polls, and he deserved it, too.
| am rather cool in great emer
gency. Some years ago there was
shooting affray 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 self-possession
and undaunted courage.
The city editor, Mr.. Barrow, was just
new bank, and | was carefully revising
his grammar with a large mallet and
chisel, when we heard a shot in front
of the office.
! / said: Barrow, that's shot" He
said he guessed not, and went on read
ing the puff.
| Pretty soon some one said ''Bang.'
again, in loud tone of voice and
about forty-four caliber. Then every
body jumped for the stairs, printers and
all. | saw that could not get down
| the stairs in time to get shot, so l
rushed out on the balcony and found
myself directly over the shootists.
| Windy Smith was underneath, and had
no weapon, while gambler was on
! top, armed with a beautiful pearl
handled, self-cocking Smith & Wesson
| baritone soloist, worth about twenty
three dollars, including freight.
There was a crowd of perhaps hun
dred men standing around near by.
Not too near, but just near enough.
| No one seemed to know what it was
best to do. Every one saw at once
that it wasn't right for those men to be
shooting at each other and perhaps
giving needless pain, but no one
seemed to have any presence Of mind.
That was the state of things when |
came proudly forth upon the balcony.
] saw what must be done.
Gentlemen" said /, in tones that
! rang out like 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?n
Then there was slight pause, during
which every body 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
away the gamblers revolver, but he
said NO" he was only stranger in
town, and the gambler was a total
stranger to him. He wasn't acquainted
with any one, and he didn't want to
seem otficious.
But | didn't lose my self-control. |
kept calling on different ones to disarm
the gambler until finally Baswell. the
Sheriff. came along, and he did as |
suggested.
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 circum-
stances 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 | am so rash that | would
rush in where angels fear to tread. "
l wonder if she means anything per-
sonal by that.-Louisuille Courier-Jour-