Wilmington daily commercial., 1872-11-20
The Associations of Memory, Thought, an
Feeling.

The Associations of Memory, Thought, aud
Feeling.
LFrom " The Sheaf Friends Lyoeum Weekly
Paper.
Awsking from sleep, the other morning, mem
oiy strove in vain to gather the fragments OF an
'7tel. upted dream, 80 vivid that it har1ted and
oppressed the waking mind, which yet was una
ble with all its efforts, to fully recall it. The
impression lasted some hours, but faded as the
day went on, and by night had quite passed
away but when the horr for retiring came, and
the sAme attitude was assumed as that OF the
dreaming morning hour 10, there was the vision,
fresh and entire, as il it had lain waiting on the
pillow all that time.
1nis lie one little instance Of that association
between certain acts Of the body, and cell
recolections or trains Of thought Of
which We must all be more or less aware.
1t is cUrous, sometimes, TO check one
self il reverie, and trace back the links which
have connected one wandering thought with an
other, till, like Ariel, they have put a girdle
round the earth" \ their sweep; and frequently
the ing point wiz be found iu some odd or
trivial association.
For instance, whenever have occasion to wipe
and fill the solitaire salt cellars presently find
my mhu engAged Win emma, Chlnese labor, or
some kindred topic. After long while, becOm-
ing conscious Of this habit, and looking round
70 see why salt should invariably suggest some
thing connected with the Ceestials, memory
finally supplied the link.
Many years ago, when Anson Burlingame was
Ayolng politician, making his first splurge
Cif such term be allowed for his somewhat
sensational proceedings) CHANGED to be his
neighbor at tea-table where for the first time
saw these little round salt cellars, one at each
place. Mental remarks on their convenience
and determination to have a set Immediately
ran on contemporaneously with the rattle and
chatter about the future Minister Of China.
Behold the far-fetched, but indissolubIe connec-
tion now established between solitaires and
China
Some associations have dropped quite out of
memory az being too trivial, or obscured by time
yet being established still remain Why ironing
the hens Of handkerchief should always bring
mp the determined statement, - You cannot my
lords, you CANNOT conquer America, is a mys-
terry TO me, yet such il the fact. Perhaps some
boy-orator has spOuted 1t to a childish listener
distracted by the difficulties Of her first task of
ironing but the link il quite lost
Odors are the most powerful Of all agents
OF association, but with them 1t il not 80 much
thoughts as words and feelings that are recalled
The smell of the rare, sWeet-scented grass Of
summer pastures does not so much suggest a
thought Of strawberries, as bring back the very
feeling Of childish heart beating with pleasure,
AZ little hands part the odorous grass, land pluck
the crimson fruit glowing here and there among
it,
Why should the mirth Of some festal occasion
be suddenly disturbed by an emotion Of solIow-
full yeArning, thrill OF pain? young girl
near by wears in her hair a wreath Of the sweet
AMI graceful Fayal vine, and the odor of it's
blossoms, long forgotten, brings back instantly
the very feelings OF the time when the Fayal
Vine lay on little waxen hands and beside white
cheek lying quietly in their last resting-place
The grief Of that loss has long passed away in a
memory that is only sweetness, but at 30 subtle
touch Of association, the silent chord thrills
again al OF old This is not thought but feel
ing.