The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1849-07-07
For The Cecil Wing.
N e II RY.

The Memory is the great store-house OF
the mind in which is laid up all our knowl-
edge. Every fact that we use in process
Of reasoning, whether great or small must
have place in the memory for the time
being. And we desire to influence our fel-
low men either by written or spoken Ian
guage, memory is the repository from which
we must draw all our materials. Hence
arises the necessity of classifying our
knowledge and arranging our thoughts by
some plan or system, putting everything in
its proper place, and permitting no inter-
mingling of things which should have no
connection.
The man who does not use some settled
plan for acquiring and retaining the knowl-
edge that he wishes to use, may be COM
pared to lumber merchant who instead of
arranging his various kinds of material by
themselves, and placing them at proper in
tervals, throws every thing in heap to-
gether crossways and every other way, and
thus puts himself to the necessity of tear
ing down the whole pile to get at what he
may chance to want. 1t just so with an
individual who does not classify his knowl-
edge. He may be under the necessity of
ransacking his whole mind for the least
thought that he may want to use, and even
then may have to squeeze his head for half
an hour before he can get it out.
But we should endeavor to stock our
memory as the farmer fills his barn, hav-
ing an appropriate place for each kind Of
produce-or as the merchant fills his store,
having shelves for each variety of goods;
who by pursuing a fixed plan is able to
place his hand on any article that he wish
es to use in an instant, and thereby avoid
much delay and confusion. do not mean
to say that we should in reality erect par
titions in the mind nor put up wooden
shelves; but that in acquiring many differ
ent kinds of knowledge, we should divide
our time systematically so that the mind
may be brought to bear fully on one thing
at time, and not to grasp all things at
once lest by confusion we render our
knowledge Of no use.
The cultivation of the memory may be
considered the chief object of education;
for the reasoning powers are of no value
to the mind unless they have in their SER
vice well trained momory, memory that
has been Injured to systematic action, that
has been stored with due regularity and
been accustomed to pour forth its treasures
at the command Of the will. To cultivate
the memory, we must in the first place fill
it with useful knowledge. And in ac-
comprising this we must fix the attention
on the subject with which we wish to be-
come acquainted: for unless the attention
is firmly fixed, our knowledge is imperfect
and transient, and, as matter OF course, of
no value.
But if we succeed in binding down the
mind, and in concentrating all its powers
on the object of study, such an impression
is made on the memory as cannot be easily
erased: We must next adopt some plan
for retaining this knowledge and rendering
it available. This can be best accomplish
ed by reviewing, calling to mind at stated
intervals all our knowledge on the various
subjects to which we have been paying at
tention. This is of great importance; for
it subjects the memory to the will which is
the very thing we need, since it is the only
means by which the memory can be rem
dered useful to us for if it is not obedient
to the will it is the same as if we had no
memory. But in reviewing we should re-
view nothing but that which is of real util-
ity. We shall thereby purge the mind of
dross, for that which is not frequently re-
called soon vanishes from the mind and
will thus give place to more important
matter. S. w.
Hopewell Academy, Chester Co., Pa.