Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-05-09
PRESENCE OF MIND.
May Make Heroes of Physical Cow
ards in Time of Danger.

/ There is distinction to be drawn
between presence OF mind and cour-
age. Persons who naturally are timid
/ and nervous VIII 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
/ premeditated course Of action guided
their VIII on the occasion. Had they
/ time for reflection when all the threat
J entng danger to themselves had be
/ come clear 10 their minds their nat
ural tinidity Of character would have
! asserted itself and deprived them of
/ action.
/ 1t is absence Of fear that prompts
/ the soldier under a heavy fire from
the enemy's guns to go 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 it 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
ly 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 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
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 a brave
thing. 81 don't know" he said, what
made me seize the shell out Of the
coloners 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 a
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
fist. 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 a woman
walking side by side, the mans arm
being around the wOman's neck. Just
under a 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 a side street and disappeared.
When the organist came up to the
woman he found, to his horror, that
she was lying in a 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 I
he could do anything for her. When /.
he raised her head he found she was
quite dead, with her throat cut frOns
ear to ear. Beside her on the pave |
ment lay a blood stained razor
The organist was overwhelmed with /
horror. Before he could collect him /
self a group of people had gathered, /
and presently he heard expressions |
such as HE did it, II tell you I saw 4
him." ''There is the razor" THE fend! f.
Where are the poIice?" "Hand him 1
overr' 1t was certainly very awk- /
ward position, as the rough character /
Of the people might tempt them to .
take the law into their own hands and 4
use him very badly. The arrival OF a I
policeman seemed to steady his nerves
for a moment, and then came a wave /
Of inspiration that might truly be call. |
ed 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
the policeman, said as calmly as he
could: 81 am sorry to say that can
be Of no further service here. The
poor woman is quite dead. There il
no action in the heart or the pulse"
In an instant the murmurs Of the
crowd changed, and he heard Hes
the doctor" on all sides.s This was his
and. slowly rising and
affecting TO be in no hurry, he passed
through the crowd. who made way for
him. But when he got clear Of the
street and came to the first turning he
took to his heels and ran for all he
was worth. The cowardly spirit got
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 York