The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-07-19
PRESENCE OF MIND.
MAY Make Heroes Of Physical towards
in Time Of Danaer-Not Mat
ter Of Courage.

in Time Of Danoer-Not Mat
ter Of Courage.
There is distinction to be drawn
between presence of mind and cour-
age. Persons who naturally are timid
and nervous will, in circumstances OF
great danger and excitement, perform
acts of heroism that would be beyond
their powers on ordinary occasions.
We speak of these as instances OF
presence of mind. But if you ask
them they would tell you that an in
voluntary impulse rather than any
premiditated course of action guided
their will on the occasion. Had they
time for reflection when all the threat
ening danger to themselves had be-
come clear to their minds their nat
ural timidity of character would have
asserted itself and deprived them OF
action.
It is absence of fear that prompts
the soldier under heavy fire from
the enemy's guns to 60 to the assist
ance of wounded comrade and bring
him to a place of safety, and nothing
in human nature can compare with
such self sacrifice. But in times OF
sudden emergency 1t is not always
the bravest who act with promptitude.
The following story is an instance OF
this:
One of our transports was returning
from the Philippines with invaded
men, and one morning at sea a group
of officers on the deck discussed the
subject of firing shells. A soldier was
told by the colonel to bring an empty
shell with a fuse. The colonel took
the shell in his hands and, striking
match, lighted the fuse. AS this SLOW
" burned and the colonel proceeded
with his address to the other officers
another soldier passed the group, and
the moment he caught sight OF the
shell he rushed forward, exclaiming:
Look out, sir; the shell is live one!'
Then he did what never seemed to
have come intolthe minds of any in the
group of officers. He seized the shell
out of the hands of the colonel and
threw it into the sea. For this service
he was promoted. The soldier who
had been told to bring an empty shell
had gone to the wrong magazine.
Those who talked with the man touch
ing this incident say that he repudi-
ated any idea of having done brave
thing. 81 don't know" he said, what
made me seize the shell out of the
coloneps hand, but it came suddenly
into my mind, and did it." 1t is this
wave of unconscious thought which
constitutes true presence of mind. This
will come to people of nervous and
even cowardly natures.
There is of authentic record the case
: of man known to be utterly deficient
of courage who saved himself from 4
very awkward situation by an exhibit
ton of real presence of mind. He was
an Englishman and lived in a town in
the midlands, where he was an organ
list. Late one evening he was returning
home through some of the back
streets which at that hour were more
or less empty of people. AS he went
along he noticed some distance
ahead Of him a man and woman
walking side by side, the mans arm
being around the woman's neck. Just
under a street lamp the couple stop
ped for moment when the organist
heard piercing scream and saw the
woman slowly falling from the mans
arms Almost before she had reached
the ground the man darted away
down side street and disappeared
When the organist came up to the
woman he found, to his horror, that
she was lying in pool of blood. His
first impulse was to run away and get
clear of the terrible scene, but his bet
ter feelings prevailed. and he knelt
down beside the poor woman to see if
he could do anything for her. When
he raised her head he found she was
quite dead, with her throat cut from