Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-06-30
ABSENT.ysNDEDNESs.
By REV. A. ELRoY wYL1E.

SOME people live very much by their
senses others very little. The former are
never among the absent-,ninded, the latter
very often.
The saying of Lord Macaulay is, per-
hape, too severe on one of its sides, when
he remarks that absend .mindedness is the
mark of either q genius or fool
A mans mind may be 20 intensely occu.
pied and absorbed away in his spiritual
nature, that his senseA seemingly, are
scarcely awake 70 the realities of this tan
Rible world. This, undoubtedly, IL true OF
transcendent genius.
It was said Of . great painter that he
sometimes walked along the street, utter
ly oblivious to the presence of people,
horses and carts, and was observed to
wave his hand in the air, as If holding Q
brush or pencil in the act Of dashing OF
the outline of some great conception.
We know Of young fellow employed
In . country store, who, one day, was sent
into the cellar to draw q gallon of oil.
While waiting, he snatched up piece OF
chalk, and in q minute was absorbed in
sketching his masters profile. The pro-
file on the hogshead was capital, but the
masters barrel of oil, while the boy. artist
was absorbed in his pursuit, pursued its
way over the cellar floor. It was voted he
would not do for q merchant; but just
now he is first-rate artist.
1t is said of Sir Isaac Newton that he
often forgot to eat his dinner, which his
housekeeper was accustomed TO leave IN
4 closet near his study door. His head
was TOO much in the heavens to mind the
earth 30 q friend, knowing thisjpeculiari-
ty. one day slipt his dinner out Of the
basket, and ate it up. When at last the
philosopher came out and greeted his
friend, he asked to be excused till ne took
his lunch. On looking into the basket
and finding it gone, he simply exclaimed,
much to his friends amusement, "Oh, |
forgot had eaten my dinnerr'
But absent mindedness may come from
the habit of intense concentration. These
cases are more frequent, especially among
those men who train themselves to dwell
upon the workings of pure mind, or whose
profession leads them to the intense pur-
suit of abstract truth. 1t is said OF the
great and good Neander, the learned lee
furer, and ecclesiastical historian of Ger
many, that his sister had to watch him
daily, to see that he did not start to the
University with his night-cap on, or with
his study. gown and slippers; and it was
not uncommon for him, when moving
aside from the jostling crowd in the street.
TO step into the gutter, where he walked
ON and on, seemingly unconscious where
he was stepping.
We knew well an eminent college Pres
ident, who often seemed to stare at people
in the street, sometimes at his own chill
dren, and declare he did not see them, nor
Hid ho notice when thew smoke.
Prof. D., the fine mathematician OF
L. College, was rather famous Illus
tration. When he was counting the
Young lady who became his worthy wife,
he would often walk for many blocks in
her company without saying word, and
apparently quite oblivious of her pres
ence. One evening she took advantage
of his mental absence to play him trick
She slipped her arm from his, and hurried
home a nearer way. He continued to
hold his arm in the same position, walked
I'D the steps of her fathers house and rang
the bell and, 10, she herself opened the
door! He stared in an incredulous man.
ner, and exclaimed, "Why, s., how
in the world did you get on that side OF
the door,"
There is a late striking instance given OF
Pere Gratsy, who has just been nomi-
dated Director of the Academy in Paris.
One day, when going to the Sorbonne,
where he lectured on theology, he imag-
ined he had forgotten his watch, and took
it out of his pocket to see If he had time
to 20 home and fetch 1t.
But, in most cases, observation-disclosures
comes of the more faulty habits OF mat
tention, listlessness, and day-dreaming,
and sometimes, temporarily, from young
people being very much in love; in which
case it IL q temporary disease, like the
measles. We had class innate whom we
could rank neither among geniuses nor
fools, but who often gave very amusing
illustrations of mind-wandering. Some
times he would run up stairs, rap on his
own door, and stand silently waiting, or
in listening attitude, for some one to say,
" Come in" He has, perhaps, more than
once hurried into my room for Goals, and
taken up my shovel, and marched out
with Q coal shovel in each hand. How
ever, since he captured the young Lady
with whom he was 90 much In love, he
has no need of going . wOol.gathering,
or, rather, chignOn.hunting, for she 10
lever near"
Another fellow takes his book and can
die up stairs, wonders why 1t Is 90 "piaguy
dark" and wakes up to the TACT that ne
has not lighted his candle.
Bob B -, up on the line Of the Har-
lem road, who is somewhat OF . queer
genius and speculater In stocks, - well -
. dsiry-man, was lately seen driving, Jehu'
like, with his milk-wagon on four-mlie
heat, thinking he would be too late for
the train. The villagers stared - he
rushed through the street. The train vas
already standing at the depot; he dashed
across the track, backed up his empty
wagon with the end board out, turned
around, held up his hands and exclaimed :
- By iukesi / thought Pete had put them
cans inr A four mile race with an
empty wagon-so much for mind wander
ing. Observation-Disclosures.
1icted with this mental malsdy, there is
iust one simple cure which never fails, II
You faithfully and resolutely make appli'
cstion of its merits" Mind what you are
about"
a Knowing Horse.
DuRua the early settlement Of Wis
,consIn-or the wilderness part OF 1t, ct
1esst-I was frequently employed by cor.
reanondepts from abroad TO search out
~ Lend and PoFS0rt IN