Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-03-29

from the Boston Transcript.
The above was the subject of Prof G. STAN
ley Halls fourth lecture in his cOurseson "Ped-
agOgy, delivered at Wesleyan hall The
question OF memory. he said has become the
chief battle-ground between the materialists and
idealsts. and from this conflict can be gathered
something OF benefit to teachers Materialism
has given us the best vocabulary for dealing
with the science of memory The brain and it's
functions are the best basis for studying memo
~ for the brain is recognized as the most intri-
cate organ of the body; and verymuch is known
In regard to the structure and come ction of its
noers III we leave the structure and ask what
taxes place within the nerve cell we are utterly
at sea- After referring to the various hypothesis
which have been brought forward to explain
the process of thought. Prof. Hall proceeded to
speak OF the terms which had been given to
science by these researches. These terms teach
one that he is not dealing with occult forces
10 begin with the simplest form of memory
there Is the after-image on any one of the senses
each OF which has q very brief memory, To
illustrate this curve Of forgetfuness has been
Invented. There are but twelve recoverable
changes OF intensity which the mind can take in
without counting them We have really no
memory OF time except By regarding the things
taken to I'LL it, Our memory of space is of course
more perfect. Children remember everything
but their after-memory is short. They remem-
Der thing but few seconds. All the motor
impressions are very potent. but they are but
slightly recoverable The lecturer then referred
20 the memory pictures imprinted on the brain.
These are revived by q re-excitation of the
Issues through which they are received
They are generally reproduced involuntarily
ana are beyond our control These
Ieverie pictures give a Elasticity to the nerve
forces which is greatly underestimated. Speak
ing OF voluntary memory, Professor Hall said
tnat what is learned by heart Is not learned at
ali. The necessity Of learning facts, alien mat
Ter, by heart Is. however. very important It is
necessary to swallow and not understand great
deal IN the automatic stage Why shou)d we
not learn mechanically, if the thing learned ia a
mechanical thing, and exercise our senses in ac-
quiring other things? 1t Is sign OF weakened
mind that can not learn by rote. Adults are in
cined 10 think tue child mind like their own,
whereas the child can memorize almost any,
thing; but the child will not easily learn a thing
unless he Is taught to respect it. 1t is impossible
TO mechanize certain moral precepts. A child
VIII De inclined to good Or evil accord
Ing as to what comes first into its
mind II, however. the memory Is crowded
too much and too long all original
Thought Is destroyed. The transition to
JCdiclous training shonld be gradual. IL the
transition Is too rapid. much that has already
been attained is lost. The Technical! method
should be used only to admitted extent Eyery-
thing that comes INTO the mind comes through
the memory, and we must have a thing i'm order
TO hold it. IL is said that culture is not accord
but consists in the quality. This is not quite
right True culture is the connection existing
between the facts. Anyone who learns thing
py heart. without analyzng its higher associa-
uons, Is liable to lose it at critical moment
and once lost 1t is lost forever. The child asso-
GATES iaets with feeling, but the facts remain
whie the feelings fade. We never remember
facts as they occur, the mind making its own
order Prof Hall, speaking of the moral side
OF memory, said children should be taught
TO remember to do right The boy who
does not forget his duty Is the best
ooy. He then spoke of the half-natural half.
brute method OF memoriZing which should be
taught To tie child, the teacher working with
TIE child and studying his powers OF associat-
Ing ideas We never shall succeed thoron,rhIv
untu We follow the processes of the students
mind Tie four different kinds of memory
tue apt quotatfye, the analytic. the assimiat-
ave and The index-were briefly referred to; the
highest form OF memory. however was the
memory continual What asked the lecturer
becomes Of all the forgotten knowIedges Is II
= entirely lost? Perhaps an impression once
made Is never eflaeed. Does not the impress
sion upon the nerve tissues tend either to
broaden or narrow the power of memory? Ey-
erythias put into the memory becomes consol-
idatcd as instinct, and is transmitted: therefore
.ne teacher can have no higher aim than In sec
ing thar the mental impressions Of his pupils
are pure and good. and his knowledge sach as
WIZ heip him toward the pole Of human destiny
-----s>>----
u Meteor that Made Mountains Trcna.
bic.
From the Helena Independents
An enormous meteoric stone Eel! last night a.
10 O'Clock, southeast Of Fort Assinaboine.
Mountain. lighting up the surrounding country
with the glare. The time which elapsed between
II striking the earth and the report reaehins