St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1889-07-06
SELF-POSSESSION.
Tho Desirable Quality OF Presence
Of Mind.

mo Desirable Quality OF Pressno<
Of Mind.
by self-pOssession-we mean the fac
nit,as OF the whole man well In hand
or self-control.
True self-reliance implies self-posses.
sion; the latter can not exist withou,
the former. He who would concentrate
All his powers upon the accomplishment
o. an all-absorb;ng purpose. must be
selt-posscssed. Interruptions. surprises
and even surrounding confusion. will
not throw him of his base. He keeps
cool, labors on with a will. and never
loses sight OF the goal at tho end of the
race.
This is . valuable quality in the COM
mon walks OF life 1t is needed in all
pursuits. and every day. For the want
OF it. both men and women. both old
and young. become disconnected, and
fail when they ought to succeed. I'm
expected experiences ard startling cas-
ualties confuse them, and they know
not what they do.
A woman. whose house was on fire,
threw looking glass out of the win
dow. and carried a pair OF andirons
several rods, to safe place, beside q
stone wall.
Aman. suddenly awakened from hi.
sleep by the cry OF fire. leaped from
his bed to find that his own house was
In flames Instantly. he proceeded to
throw out OF door and window. crock
cry. shovel. tongs, chairs. bed clothes,
mirrors. -four. meal. pies. etc. but for
got the trunk in which were deposited
all his money. jewelry. gold watch and
valuable keepsaSes. and it was con-
sumed.
A mother. alone in her house with
her little child. was so confused by the
clothes OF the little one taking fire that
she ran into the street. crying franti-
cally for help. leaving the child to per-
ish.
A selfpossessed mother would have
quencned the burning-dress. and saved
the child.
A pleasure party on a small lake
were enjoying themselves. when a
young lady changed he- position 50
suddenly that the boat dipped little
water. She uttered a scream. ana
sprang to the other side. and others did
the same. upsctting the boat, and
drowning several OF the p .rty. Pres
cnce Of mind would have averted all
these disasters.
Not long since, a school-houss in New
York city was discovered to be on fire
BY one of the teachers. At once she
communicated the fact to the teachers
in the other rooms. who announced the
session closed. directing the pupils to
leave the house orderly. Every room
was emptied. and tho pupils in the
street. before the latter new the cause
OF their dismissal Had the teacher
shouted: Fire." fire." when she made
the discovery, there is no doubt that
lives would have been lost in the gem
eral rush for the doors. The self-pos-
session of the teacher prevented sad
catastrophe.
Not long since, farmers wife OF our |
acquaintance was left at homo on a |
Sunday, with her three children, while |
her husband went to meeting. The
latter had scarcely passed beyond the |
call Of his wife. when a shout from one |
o: the children told that the youngest,
two years old. had fallen into the we'll. |
There was no man on the premises,
and no neighbor near. as the mother |
well knew. and her frs. cool thought |
was: IF that child is saved, l must |
save her, Running 70 the well, and |
seizing the windlass. to lower the
bucket. she called: "Nellie, darling. |
don't cry; mamma will lower the
bucket"
Fortunately. the water was so low |
that the bucket could be dipped with |
and it went down carefully.
but quickly.
Now, Nellie, dear. get into the
bucket, and mamma will draw you UP.
Don't be afraid; mamma will draw you
right up to her."
There was not the slightest appear !
ance of alarm in the tone or words OF |
the mother, for, in her remarkable self
possession. she meant to remove the
child's fear. and encourage her to get |
into the bucket. Nellie obeyed her
mother. crawled into the bucket. and |
in a minute more was locked in her
mothers arms. Presence OF mind
saved tho child. Maternal love, for |
the ,imo being. held nerves, muscles.
mind and soul in complete subsection.
i'm its indomitable purpose to save tho |
child.
Courage is not self-possession. There
may be courage without self-possession,