American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1874-06-06
The Tricks of Bad Memory.

There are plenty of people who find it
easy enough to remember some things,
who have no corresponding ability to re-
tain even the shadows of others in their
minds; and the provoking part of it is
that the things we remember most easily
and most surely are apt to be those Of
least consequence, or those even which
we would gladly forget. Memory plays
tricks, too, sometimes, failing Just at the
moment when we need its services most
imperatively, and performing its functions
perfectly we'll at all other times. School
boys and schoolgirls suffer greatly in
this way about examination time, and
many excellent people, without other
mental defect, find themselves sadly en-
barrassed by their utter inability to re-
member anything in witness box.
FURRY and diffidence are the causes of
the trouble in such cases, doubtless, but
neither furry nor diffidence can account
for the fact that with many people proper
names are never forthcoming when
wanted. We know a man, not at all diff
fident, who, in addressing his most init
mate friend, is sure to cali him, "Ah-,"
or "Mr. ah-," unable for the instant
to recall name which comes to him the
very moment that its coming is too late.
Very provoking must it be too to re-
member everything approximately and
vaguely, but nothing accurately or with
certainty; and the people who suffer thus
are not few. They recall everything in
tain of anything past. The facts of yes
terday are to them only uncertain ghosts
of fact, resembling their originals, but
presenting themselves in so uncertain and
ill-detined outline as to be wholly useless
for any practical purpose. These are
they who make lawyers heads grow gray,
and convince the rest of the world that
stupidity is the common lot.
Still more provoking to its possessor
must be that not uncommon kind of men,
ory which recalls all but the essential
part of the thing wanted. If it be jest
or a story, they remember all of it but
the point. And people of this sort are
very apt too to be much given to the
telling of good stories, persisting in the
attempt in spite of repeated failure. They
hurl cOnundrums at their friends On all
occasions excellent conundrums-of
which, when their friends .'glve
the answers. They tell stories excel
lently so far as beginnings and middles
are concerned, breaking down only at the
very end, and forcing the listener to con-
tent himself with the assurance that the
forgotten climax was Every good-very
good indeed" To be constantly with
such people is equivalent to a perpetual
course of reading the half sheets issued
by the story papers for advertising pur-
poses, in which, just as the readers inter
est is fairly aroused, he is quietly informed
that "the rest of this story may be found"
etc, etc, etc.
Now, for these and all other serious de-
fects in our memories we have to thank
ourselves and our teachers; ourselves be-
cause, by determined effort, we may cure
the ill if we choose; our teachers because
almost every bad memory is the result of
educational laundering. In our schools
the memory is used too much and trained
too little 1t is overtaxed and left undis-
ciplined. 1t is required to do work
which belongs of right to other faculties,
and is not properly drilled in the art OF
doing its own.-HearM and Home