Litchfield enquirer., 1831-09-29

terring their thoughts audibly when alone. Lively imagination and intense feeling are usually the cause of this habit, which by lapse of time, becomes fixed and invete- rate; and when connected in any degree with occasional absence of mind, exposes
 those who are subject to it, to the danger
 of speaking aside, as the theatrical phrase
 is, even in company.
 Kant, the celebrated German philoso-
 pher, dined one day at friends house,
 where the conversation happened to be re-
 markedly monosyllabic. He became wea- ry of the surrounding dullness, and at
 length exclaimed with honest simplicity, though unconsciously, yet audibly enough. -" My God, whGt Gn i'stOIerGbly tedious company tkis is 7" The company were as- tonished to hear the candid remark from this philosopher who, a moment after. recovering from his reverie, glanced around the room, and was evidently not a little surprised to find himself the object of a
 universal stare
 The habit is less frequently observed in
 the female sex than in the male, though
 the former confessedly surpass the latter
 in certain Auency ofspeech and prompt-
 ness of expression. Has nature furnished
 woman with greater powers of self com-
 mand, 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 it is not less certain that occasional lapses of this sort produce singularly laugh- able and awkward quandaries-tle cause whereof is utterly incomprehensible to those who are unacquainted with mental phenomena.
 If there are many who never think aloud, there are also some who seldom think at all-and to these latter the prac- tice of the former must seem peculiarly sil- ly, when it happens to break forth on some inopportune occasion.
 This was the case with the wife of an honest farmcr-who could not conceive how it was possible for any one to act so incredibly stupid as her husband once act- ,d. The worthy man, who has probably ,ever philosophical much on "the myste- 'ious connexion and process by which the invisible will governs the feeble frame" :hanced in his morning ride to pass mul- perry tree that extended its richly laden branches over thorn hedge. Indulging ,is desire to regale his palate with the de- icious fruit, he refined up his patient don- ;ey, and standing on the saddle, leisurely ratified his appetite, rejoicing meanwhile hat his well trained burden-bearer remain d SO immoveably quiet. Suddenly it oc- nrred to him that he would bo thrown off nd fall through the thorn hedge, if any ne should at that moment cry "gee Wp, ee wp," to his donkey. Unluckily, too, @ at that moment suited, not the action Q the word, but the word to the thought. l 'carcely had he formed an ide0 of the l ,ord, before his voice had given it utter nee. His donkey proved himself as rompt and obedient as his tongue had done moving off as mechanically as does veteran at the tap of drum nile the mulberry eater, not being cen- lur, descended rapidly through the tlorn- nsh, sorely scratched and lacerated mar TT to his habit of thinking aloud!
 The wife could never believe his acc punt of the matter; she declared it utter 7 incredible, and insisted that he must ave been drunk at the time. Honest lodge. on the contrary, vowed and pro- ,sted that he was only absent sn msnd and tink;ng aloud.
 The Georgia Journal, in republishing n article dissuading ministers from the use ftobacco, says---" We have an old friend vho asserts as follows: If wur a gGl, d sooner buss a bear than one of your obacco chGscers.'"
 Dr. Abernethy.-The late Dr. Aberne- hy would never permit his patients to talk much. He could not succeed in silencing ! ! loquacious old lady, but by the following expedient :-" Put out your tongue, mad- am." The lady complied. Now keep it there till l have done talking"