Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1877-10-13
Culture Of the MemOry.

Culture of the Memory,
The student lsmen,ing his lack of abil.
i.y 10 remember his lessons, and, jealous
of another who spends only half the time
which he employs in their preparation,
sees tina. his rivals memory always serves
him in the recitation room, may take
announcement from the following, con-
den>ed from the Philadelphia Public
Ledger:
Il is : common idea that a good memo
" Is q feady-mads git which nature
whimsically ccn.crs upon some and with
holds from Others.
Now. the truth is that the memory is
A faculty which, As much as any other,
needs development. Its capacity is
doubtless greater in some than in Others
bv natural endowment. but this differ
ence i les, important than that which is
caused by education or neglect. Whether
for the purpose of facilitatingmental pro-
ce,ses, or Of promoting practical efficiency
in htes pursuits, a cultivated memory Is
much more valuable than a naturally
strong one, Wemay be capable Of amass
ing within our minds a vast amount OF
facts, or rules, or knowledge of any kind
thrown together at random, without
reapiug any benefit, either in mental
power or the conduct of affairs but when
the memory has been so trained as TO re-
tain what j. confded to it in classified
order and makeit available at every mo-
meut OF need, its value cannot be over
estimated.
Like all our other powers, the memory
is strengthened and developed by exer-
else, and weakened by disuse. In what
ever direction we make constant demands
upon it, it responds obediently. The
merchant finds no difficulty in remem-
bering the prices and qualities of goods in
his own line; the physician easily recalls
the daily symptoms Of his patient the
| mechanic does not forget the functions #
his various tools. The same conditions,
daily repeated, will almost invariably
bring up corresponding ideas, and in our
regular employments we seldom have
occasion to complain Of a poor memory,
This may afford clue to the cultivation
Of this faculty in directions where il is
now detective. If we would have it
faithfully serve lis, we must keen 1t IN
constant use. The same attention which
we bestow on our daily business, ami
which enables u to recallits details with
so much ease, will be equally effective il
| exercised in Other matters. To strengthen
the memory on any other point, the first
requisite is to bring all our mental energy
to bear upon il We are charged with
some message ,or commission, perhaps
which we promise in all good
taith to convey or to execute but, moi
being in the line of our thoughts, il
passes out OF our minds and is untuI
filled, We commonly excuse ourselye'
los such &elciiction on the ground tina
We are unable by any effort of the vii
to command the power Of memory. We
had we, by a strong self control, hXet
our attention wholly upon the matte
whcl presented to us, had We OismisseC
all wandering thoughts and concentrate
our mental energies for the time upo.
that one thing, the impression woul'
have been so strong that in all prob
ability, it would have been remembers
and accomplished. This mental concen
t]Iation is the first and most importan
means Of improving the memory. II !
, largely within our WI power OF will |
enforce this, and he who is %conspicuou
OF neglect in this respect cannot claim t
be excused for torgetfulness.
Another valuable method of t~rainin
the memory is through the laws of aesC
cation. Our knowledge must be an
ranged and classified if we would recaI
/, it with facility. We must base rule
upon principles, and effects upon cause,
8 If we would imprint them firmly on on
minds. That this is not done with sutf
cient ]thoroughness is the chief Caus
: why 50 much of the knowledge which W
acquire passes from us. The Empero
Napoleon, who was one of the mos
marked instances of a ~retentive mine
> used to say of himself that his knowIedg
, was all laid away in drawers, and that h
, had only to open the proper drawer an
all that he had acquired on that subiec
a., was at once presented before him.
, This is, as we have before limited, on
/, great need in our present system Of edit
cation. TO take up a single study lei,
, urely, presenting it to the student in a
! its relations, and leading him to trace j
a principles from their foundations up t
their highest known results, is of ia
more real value, both as a mental disc
pline and as a permanent acquisition
- knowledge, than to skim over the surfaC
? ? of twenty branches, overlooking tn
! mind with isolated facts or rules, bearin
q no apparent connection with each othe
q and thus fixing no tenacious grasp upo
i the memory.
There is M great encouragement
the cultivation of the memory in Il
. fact that the work will grow easit
, with every effort. II we patiently an
q steadily fix our attention on every SUI
ject we wish to recall, the power of col
. centration will become habitual. II "
, constantly arrange and classify OF
> knowledge, it will grow more and mo
available.