The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1911-05-05
PRESENCE or Mind
May Make Heroes Of Physical
CoWardS In Time Of Danger.
NOT A MATTER OF COURAGE.

lt le tho sudden Impulse that Moves
Ono to Do the Right Thing In an Un.
expected Emerseney-A Soldier and
a She'll and Man and a Murder.
There is n 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 IL you ask
them they would tell you that an In
voluntary impulse rather than any
premedltated course of action guided
their will on The tOecasion. Had they
time for reflection when all the threat
ening danger to themselves had be
come clear to their minds their nat.
ural tlmidityNof character would have
asserted itself and deprived them OF
action.
1t is absence Of fear that prompts
the soldier under n heavy Gre from
the enemy's guns to so TO the assist,
ance Of q wounded comrade and bring
him to n place Of safety. aud nothing
in human nature can compare with
such self sacrifice. But in times Of
sudden emergency # is not always
the brayest who act with promptitude
The following story is an instance Of
this:
One OF our transports was returning
from the Philippines with invalided
men. and one morning at sea 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 fuse. The colonel took
the shell in his hands and. striking n
match, lighted the fuse. As this slow
y burned and the colonel proceeded
with his address 10 the other officers
another soldier passed the group. and
the moment he caught sight of the
shell he rushed forward. eSclaiming
"Look out sir; the shell is live oncr
Then he did what never seemed to
have come into the minds OF any I'm the
group Of officers. He seized the shell
ont of the hands of the colonel and
threw II into the sea. For this service
he was promoted. The soldier who
had been told to bring an empty shell
had gone 10 the wrong magazine
Those who talked with the man touch
Ing this incident say that he repuli
ated any idea Of having done a brave
thing. Il don't know" he said. "what
made me seize the shell out Of the
colouel's hand, but Il 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 eowardly 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 10y IN eXhibl.
tion OF real presence of mud He was
an Engishmuu and lived in town In
the midlands, where ne was an organ
ist 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 man ana n woman
walking side by side. the mans arm
being around the wonan's neck. just
under Il 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 "A side street and disappeared
When the organst came up to the
woman he found, TO his horror, that
she was lying In pool Of blood. IIis
first impulse was TO run away ana gel
clear OF the terrible scene, but his bet
ter feelings prevailed, and he kuelt
down beside the poor woman to see &.
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 heg on the. Daye