Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1867-12-06
ILLUsIvE MEMORIES.

4 have come 70 kn0w whether YOU
think am dersased or uot sai-} a vonpo
I lady one day, With di8cefnesz fraoknass
/ and unenharrass E8ent very unusual. A{te.
! an hour Investigation il was demonstrated
/ that she vas hopelessiy deranged. The
+ form OF the malady Wa, that when she heard
an impressive sermon, 90 exciting address,
or read an interesting article ia prose or
verse, she became possessed with the idea
that she herself was the author, aud that by
some unfair means others had become pos
sessed OF her own ideas.
1t Is setln the mem0ry of some how earn
estiy an estlmsble young lady claimed a few
years ago, that William Alien Butler had
found her lost con- position, dropped In a
stage, and made out OF It the celebrated
article about Miss F.eIa AlcEImsey, Of
Madison Square, who poger had anything
% wear. There is al this time a very excl
ting controversy between gentleman and
lady, aud their mul6tadIBeus frieads. as %
the authorship II thu nsaeh-adn4ised piece
OF poetry, Rock Ne 10 Sleep, Mother. -
Taking il Tor granted shaL the lady and gen
tleInan are equally honest aud il earnest.
mag It not be; as 70 enc Of them, . case ot
Iliuslye memory
Not q few readers llav-the writer GER
tainIy does-Temember that dreams some
times come over them Us if they were a con
uuuation Of some former dream. as If the
beginning OF II had some connection with a
previous dream. ln precisely the same
way the present reality may be connected
with DIN, shadoTy impression OF pre-
yious existence, when there had been no
previous existence. We are ali familiar
with the fact. that 2 person with whom we
are eonTerslDg may give al expression 10 8
sentiment which strikes Us with peculiar
force, from the fact that it had been floating
about in our mind vision. but had never
formed itself into definite words on phrase,
/ and We felt delighted in thus having it franz
ed 10 Us. It may be that a higher degree
Of this thing may give rise % states OF the
mind in relation 70 the authorship il cues
ton, which are readily diseased OF iiiusive
memories, somewhat akin 20 the habit some
times met with il persons who, in the ex-
element of conversation, viii state facts,
I what Tor their purposes they wish 10 be
/ tacts-0r, as likely as not, In theiT TieE, 10
I be facts-thus misleading others. and often
putting themselves IN painful CT LUnalia-
ting positions. Tendencies u this kind
should be Tesoiutely striyea against, for
they grow by yielding 10 them, and, in point
I Of morals, there Is all tie cTimIuality ot q
tscA4tfal 1Ag 4a4--s4t4I. 41ACAl.
Of truth aud Of extensive learning, are the
last men IN the world 10 be positive Of any
( thing which Is not akin 70 demonstration;
! and least OF all, positive OF auVihiHg which
! leans on memory alone. The weakest mind
+ Cd and the least informed are habitualy the
most positive. The lesson is, adare Truth,
I IL writing, IN conversation, and 10 action; %
I not assert as q truth that which cannot bC
/ demonstrated or coITDborased If need be,
/ by outside evidence. 4 tsae gentleman
/ habituaiy avoids making positive state
meuts, Tins securing himself from the
charge Of falsehood, aud society would be
( greatly blessed #, IN addition, the habit
I were .seduiously cultivated Of making 20
{ stasenent winch was NOT HCeIa5iv true. With
( q vide margin, and if often and .very
were our highest expletives, instead Of Al.
ways. never. awful, and the Ike ~ H1Y.
I .}5g7agi Of HSQIt