Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-09-22
MISCELLANEOUS.
Translated from The German.
THINKING ALOUD

There are many persons who have
contracted a habit Of utteripg their
thoughts andibly when alone. Lively
imagination and intense feeling are
usually the cause Of this habit, which
by lapse Of time becomes fixed and in.
veterAte; and when connected IN any
degree with occasional, absence Of mi nd,
exposes those who are subject to il. to
the danger Of speaking aside, "a the
theatrical phrase is, even in company.
Kant, the celebrated German philo-
sopher, dined one day at a friends
house, where the conversation happen
cd to be remarkably monosyllabie. He
became weary Of the surrounding dull
ness, and at length exclaimed, with no.
nest simplicity. though uncousciousiy.
vet audibly enough" THAT an info
ierabiy tedious company this is!r'' The
company WAS astonished to hear the
candid remark from the philosopher {:
who, moment after, recovering from
his reverie. glanced around the room,
and was evidently not little surpris.
ed TO end himself the object of an uni
yersal stare
This habit is less frequently observ-
ed in the female sex than in the male,
though the former csnfessedIy surpas-
ses the latter in q certain hueney Of
speech and promptness Of expression.
Has nature furnished woman with
greater powers Of self-eommand, Or:
Let nature herself solve the problem
This much IS certain, that men are
more subject to such abstraction and
unconscious utterance Of Thought. And
il 10 not less certain that occasional
lapses Of this sort produce singularly
laughabie and awkward qaandsries-
the cause whereof 10 utterly incompre.
hensible g those who are snacQuainted
with mental phenomena
IL there are many who never think
aloud, there are slse some vho seldom
think at ail-and 20 these latter the
practice Of the former must seem pecu
lIarly silly, when 1t happens 20 break
forth on some strikiDgiy inoPPortuns
occasion.
This was the case with the wife o
an honest farmer, who could not con
ceiye how il was possible for any one
TO act 90 incredibly stupidity - her hos
band once acted. The worthy man,
who had probably never philosophical
much on "the mysterious eennsetiar
and process BY which the invisible viii
governs the Frame" Glanced, ~ III:
morning ride, to pass q mulberry tree
that extended It's richly laden branches
over thorn hedge. IndulgiDg his de.
sire TO regaIe HE palate with the deli
cioos fruit, he reined ~ his patent
donkey, and standing on the saddle.
leisurely grstified his sppetite-reioie-
ing meanwhile that LIS well.traiEed
burden bearer re mainsd 90 an moteabiy
quiet. Suddenly IL occurred TO him.
that he would be thrown OF and fall
through the thorn hedge. IL any one
should at thst moment cry Iges up,
gee up" 20 his donky. Unluckily, TOO
he az that moment suited, not the &C.
ton to the word, bot the word to che
thought. Scarcely had he fosmsd an
idea Of the wsrd. before his voiee
had given IL uitsrAnce. His donky
proved himself ~ prompt and obedIsai
as his tongue bad dO0e--noving OF -
mechanically a. does weil-drilisd
vstsrsn st the tsp Of dtom-whilc
he mulberry eater, not being . eea-
taur. descended rapidly tbroogh the
horn hssh; sOrsly scratched aud Ia
csratsd mAFIyr t. his habit Of thinking
-loifd!
The wife eosld never believe MS sc.
count Of the matter; she declared il
vas utterly incredible, and insisted
hat he msst have been drank a. che
lime. Honest Hodge on the confrsry
vowed and protested that be was Snly ,
,bssnf IN mind ahd thinking aloud.