The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1847-06-26

Rensws the HE OF Joy in hsppie-, hours"
Meoesy.
Memory is a mystery. How strange,
how ineXplicable is i. that the mind of man
should be able 10 retain, al the end of long
life, the facts and impressions OF its early
years. Here is man. John Quincy Ad-
ans, for instance, eighty years of age, who
has been storing his mind with knowledge
ever since the days Of his childhood, and
little worth remembering has been forgot.
ten. He has Been III the time accunula-
ting new stores, and yet there is room for
more. His mind is not yet so full tha, he
cannot readily find place for whatever he
chooses to put in il. II has expanded--we
are, wont to say. But how expanded! 1t
is not substance. elastic and capable of
being distended after the manner Of some
material bodies II We say, it has en-.
larged, the question may still be asked, how
enlarged Ii occupies nearly the same
space tina, II did seventy years ago. II
every new thought and acquisition has en-
larged il according to our notions of mate
rial enlargement. would that same space
hold it?
What is thought Does i, occupy any
space? "No,"-it will be thought
is the action of the mind" Let it be So
But how is a past action of the mind re-
called How is Mr.. adams able to produce
his minds pas, action? How can he Sc
lect, att short notice, what he desires from
the vast variety which, for 50 many years
he has been storing away We canno.
tell. Memory is mystery. We know
the fact, but the explanation is beyond our
reach. 1t may, however, afford us instruc.
ton. Such a consideration of it, as We
nave just made, may serve to teach us the
wonderful power OF the MIND, the SOUL
the immortal spirit. 1t may teach us to
perceive and feel the practicability and im-
porta Of cultivating the memory. "What
man has done, man may do, not in the
manner and to the extent Of the distin-
guished individual whom We have named,
but still in some way and some degree,
which shall make him who tries il greater
blessing to himself and to the world.
The great point in cultiva,ing the memo
ry is to gain command OF the attention. A
habit Of continued, unrela1ing attention,
especially if acquired in early years, is the
foundation Of good memory. A habit of
attentive thought is better than all the arti-
fetal mnemonics ever contrived To the
formation Of such habit, sufficient efforts
have not often been directed. Therefore il
is that We hear many persons complaining
Of the want Of memory. They cannot re-
member the lectures, sermons and addresses
which they hear, nor the books which they
read. All seems to run through seive.--.
They were entertained and even edited,
they would say, but ask them TO state what
iAwas that entertained and instructed them,
they cannot tell. Close attention, or rath-
or pcrsevering effort to give close attention
will help even such memory. The too
common practice is to attempt to fill the
store house Of the memory before lounda-
ton is laid or habit Of attentive thought
is formed
But however retentive memory is, or how
ever readily il may be able TO call up past
acquisitions, yet something more is neces.
sary to make one WISE The facts, thoughts
and rcasonings which memory retains may
be bad as well as good, worthless and cor
rupting as well as useful and improving
What is good may not be used at all, OF
used for bad purpose. "Memory," there.
fore, as has been well remarked, sis not
wisdom" "Yet what is wisdom ,cilhoui
memory? A cask running out, a bottom.
less chssm. There be many that store, but
have no wisdom Of their own. There be
many that CLEAN and store unlawful things.
In order to make one wise, facts and
thoughts must be carefully selected and we'll
stored. The more the mind is filled with
stubble and rubbish. the less will it be duly
nourished. On such materials it will soon
be starved into imbecility."
"The mind" says the modern mass Of
proverbs, sis spirit and drinketh in ideas,
a. fame melteth into fame" II should be
the prime object Of parents and teachers to
present no ideas for young spirits to drink
in that arc not true and pure. "For their
memories Of sanctity or ain pcrvade all the
armament Of being"
There ID good reason for hslieving that,
when the spirit leaves it, house Of clay, the
nemoEy Of Ill it. pes thoughts and the scts
lof ~ The Pass lie viii h revived. Hsw