Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1842-02-15
M | S C E L L A N Y .
From the Boston Transcript.
ABSENT MTNDFDNESS.


Some people seem to be so utterly absorbed In
their own thoughts, that they are nearly lost to all
external objects, and ii you speak to them, they ell
ther will not make any reply, or drawl out an I'M
meaning babl or look at you with vacant stare
The celebrated Hannah Adams absent
minded, that she would frequently, when she walked
out forget where her lodgings were, and some
friend would conduct her home She would some
times at supper time, think II was the hour for
dinner and wondered that they did not get her dim
ner ready. In walking the streets, she would stop,
and after standing short time, would lift up each
foot alternately, and put 1t down In the place,
and continue this motion for considerable time,
before she became aware that she made no progress
by her steps
Sir Robert Hamilton whose essay on the Ma
tional Debt of England, which fell on the Houses
of Parliament like bomb Shells or rather which rose
and illuminated their darknesa like orient sun,
was one of the most absent minded men that ever
lived. He most profound and clear-headed
philosophical thinker, and most amlable man, and
vet he became completely absorbed in his own
reflections, to lose the perception of external
things and almost that of his own identity and ex-
istence In public, he was mere shadow. An
English paper relates the following as instances of
his absent mndedRess. He pulled off his hat to
his own wife IN the streets, and apologized for
having the pleasure of her acquaintance. He went
TO his classes in the College dark mornings, with
one of her white stockings the one leg, and one
of his own black ones on the other
He often spent the whole time of the meeting in
moving from the table the hats of the students,
which they constantly returned. He sometimes
invited them 70 call on him, and then fined them
for coming to insult him. lie would run against a
cow in the road, turn round, beg her pardon 'ma-
dam, and hope she not hurt At other times
he would run against posts and chide them for
getting out of the way and yet his conversation at
the same time, if any body happened to be with
him. was perfect logic and perfect music "A vol
ume mi chit be filled with anecdotes OF this amlable
and excellent man, all tending TO prove how wide
the distinction is between first rate thoug ht and
III, merely animal use OF the organs OF sense which
prevents ungifted mortals from walking INTO wells
In the Fish Market at Aberdeen the hSh women
expose their wares in large baskets. The Doctor
one day marched into the place where he was at
tracted by a curiously figured stone in a stack of
os,imneys He advanced toward it till he in
terrupted by one. of the benches from which how
ever, he tumbled basket into the stream. and the
fish which II contained speedily borne towards
their native element
The visage of the lady was instantly in lightning
and her voice in thunder, but the object of her
wrath was deaf to her loudest sounds and blind to
the most alarming colors She stamped gesticu
lated and scolled which brought crowd that
filed the place. but the philosopher turned not from
his eager gaze and his inward medtatons on the
stone While the womans breath held good she
did not seem TO heed has indifference but when that
began 10 fail and the violence OF her acts moved
not one muscle of the object, her rage teit no
bounds. She seized him, and yelling In an effort
OF despair, "speak to me or Ill burst, sank down
in a state of complete exhaustion, and before she
had recovered the doctor reverle was over, and
he had taken his departure