The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1911-06-13
PRESENCE OF MIND
May Make Heroes Of Physical
| towards In Time of Danger.
NOT A MATTER OF COURAGE.

NOT A MATTER OF COURAGE.
~ IL the Sudden Impulse That Moves
One to Do the Right Thing In an IN
expected Emersenoy-A Soldier and
Shell and Man and Murder.
There b a distinction to be drawn
between presence of mind and cour-
age. Persons who naturally are timid
and nervous win in circumstances Of
great danger and excitement perform
acts Of heroism that would be beyond
their powers ON ordinary occasions.
presence of mind. But If you ask
them they would tell you that an en-
voluntary impulse rather than any
premeditated course Of action guided
their win 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 IL absence Of fear that prompts
the soldier under a heavy IRE from
the enemy's guns to go to the assist
hnce Of q wounded comrade and bring
MIN to place Of safety, and nothing
Ia human nature can compare with
such self sacrifice. But 10 times Of
sudden emergency It is not always
the bravest who act with promptitude.
nhe following story is an instance OF
this:
One Of our transports was returning
from the Philippines with invaded
men, and one morning at sea group
bf officers on the deck discussed the
subject Of firing shells. A soldier was
bold By the colonel TO bring an empty
shell with fuse. The colonel took
the shell In his hands and, striking
match. lighted the fuse. As this slow
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,
tIook out. sir; the shell is live oneP
Then he did what never seemed to
have come into the 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
be 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 a brave
thing Il don't know" he said. what
made me seize the shell out Of the
colonel's hand, but 1t came suddenly
into my mind, and did It" 1t is this
wave Of unconscious thought which
constitutes true presence Of mind This
win 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 a
very awkward situation by an exhibit
ton Of real presence Of mind He was
an Hnglishman and lived in 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,
however, 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 street lamp the couple stop
ped for a moment, when the organist
heard a 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
ear to ear. Beside her on the pave
lment lay blood stained razor.
The organist was overwhelmed with
horror. Before he could collect him
self group Of people had gathered.
land presently he heard expressions
such as @He did it." 81 tell you l saw
him." There is the razor" 1.-THE fiend!
Where are the policeY 'eHand him
overy' 1t was certainly a very awk-
ward position, as the rough character
lof the people might tempt them to
take the law into their own hands and
use him very badly. The arrival of a
policeman seemed to steady his nerves
for moment, and then came a wave
LOT inspiration that might truly be call
led presence of mind He seized the
dead woman's wrist and. pulling out
his watch, went through the form of
feeling her pulse. Then he put his
hand over her heart and, turning to
1.-THE policeman, said as calmly as be
could: IT am sorry to say that I can
be of no further service here. The
lpoor woman is quite dead. There is
mo action in the heart or the pulse"
Al I'LL iuStdut tuc tuuNiuurb VI tue
crowd changed, and he heard Hes
the doctor" on all sides. This was his
opportunity, and, slowly rising and
AFFECTING to be In no hurry, he passed
through the crowd. who made way fol-
him. But when he got clear of the
street and came to the first turning he
took to his heels and ran for all be
was worth. The cowardly spirit goi
the better OF him in the end. He
heard the next day that the murderer
had gone straight to the police station
and given himself up New Yorl
Press.
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