Year: 1877

Presence OF Mind.


From the Chicago Inter Ocean


The late St. Louis fire suggests, as
all such accidents must suggest, the
value of presence of mind. In that
fire, as in most fires, there were quite
as many who lost their lives from
lack of presence of mind as there
were who were saved by their own
composure of mental forces that en-
able them to make the best of the
means at hand.


The New York drummer who, en-
circled by flames and smoke, waited
patiently till rope was thrown to
him, and by which he reached the
ground in safety, atfored a violent
contrast of character to the lady who,
being told not to jump, that ladders
were coming, threw her arms wildly
in the air, and, leaping from fifth
story window, was instantly killed.


There was one man who coolly
dressed himself, and, tearing up his
bed-clothing, made his escape from
the window without receiving a
scratch or injury of any kind; while
in the same building was another
man who, even after escaping, was
so unbalanced in his mental machin-
cry, that he shot himself There
were women who screamed and faint
ed, or threw themselves out of fifth
story windows to be dashed to pieces
on the pavement, while there were
other women who patiently waited
their turn to be rescued, or procured
rope and effected their own escape.
All of which merely proves the i'm
mense value OF presence of mind.


However terrible and pressing the
exigency, there is always wise way
and foolish way to meet it.


Presence OF mind is largely de-
pendent upon mental discipline, and
comes. mot so because an urgent de-
mand has arisen for it, as because
the mind has been previously train
ed to calm thought and intrepid ac-
ton. 1t is not, however, altogether
4 question of intellect, but is due
somewhat to temperament.


A man or woman may be ever so
brilliant and accomplished intellectu-
ally, yet lack sufficient calmness Of
nerve to give them presence of mind
in any sudden and terrible emergen-
cy; while heavier and more stupid
person would have an appearance Of
calmness and fortitude, when he was
in reality simply too slow to keenly
realize or wildly express his sense
of danger.


1t has been we'll said that the es-
sence of all true and intelligent pres
ence Of mind arises from hope, a
secret belief that the emergency is
not as terrible as it seems, and that
escape is possible. This hope pre-
vents the mental and physical paraly-
sys of abject fear, and gives person
sufficient command of his faculties to
make the best use of them.


A striking illustration of this was
given by man who made his escape
from a very large rattlesnake, whose
baleful eye he suddenly encountered.
When asked how he had escaped the
paralysis of fear that would seem
most natural under the circumstan-
ces, he said that he remembered that
a rattlesnake never sprang upon his
| ,,;o+;,,, ,,,,+,l - Erct ,n.o;1c itca1f. on1
noticing that the reptile was coiled,
he at once felt that he had time to
make his escape.


Five times out of ten the danger
that threatens may be compared to a
coiled rattlesnake, and in the mo-
ment of grace that is allowed before
the fatal spring is made, there is gen.
orally time enough to escape the
peril, provided one can command
ones own faculties sufficient to make
the best use of the means at hand.


A celebrated philosopher once
found himself with lunatic on the
top of high building, when the lu-
matte throwing his arms about his
companion, exclaimed:


"Now let us immortalize ourselves
by jumping together to the ground"


"Poohw said the philosopher cool.
ly, sit would be nothing to jump
down. Let us go down and jump
up. That would immortalize u.s."


The lunatic consented to this very OF
iginal idea,and the philosopher grave
ly went with him to the ground, that
he might try the experiment of jump
ing up, and thus escaped.


A record of such instances is val
liable, because calculated to educate
the mind concerning the value of
calm nerves and ready wit. AS in
times of peace we should prepare for
war, so in times of safety we should
prepare our minds for danger; and
cultivate calmness Of nerve for all
ordinary occasions, that we may be
the better prepared for any extraor-
binary occasion where life may be
saved or lost, according to the man
ner in which we have conquered OF
nave been conquered Dy an emerSen-
cy.


There are few persons who cannot
speak wisely concerning another's
folly; and there are many who can
think after the crisis is passed how
they might have bettered themselves
if only they could have thought when
the time to think was at hand. AnG
this question of calm nerves anG
quickness Of mental perception ap
plies not only to times of danger
when 4 mans life is the price of hi
action, but it is equally valuable fo
all ordinary occasions where swift
footed opportunity passes and re
passes, aud serves only those VIII.
are swift to seize and strong to hold
A barber's epitaph-"Hs dyed ant
made No sion