Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-02
Failure of Memory.

I remember very droli example of gen. tleman who knew himself well. His name was O'Halleron, the greatest talker l ever knew, and with an earnestness and vigor in his tones which, unless you knew him, you would have thought must needs be accompa- nied by truth Our host had started some subject on which the other at once became amazingly eloquent. It reminded him, he said, of an aaecdote that had occurred to him in Paris (with ever so many q's) and which was calculated to make us die of laugh ing; yet after burst of about twenty min utes he seemed just as far of the anecdote ss whea he.-began. Of course was all at- fenti6h and polfsS1Se 1Sess-x cifeufn instance which, though hope not uncommon, appeared to tickle my host extremely. ''You amuse me immensely he said, cutting of the others flow of talk at the very main, as it were. by addressing me with grave directness. "You don't know my friend here, or you would not be in such creditable state of expectation. O'Halleron begins all right, you know-his intentions are honorable enough-but after the first few minutes he altogether forgets what it was he proposed to talk about. At this very moment he has not the faintest idea where he started from or where he is going to-" As there was an awkward pause, during which the conversationalistt turned exceeding ly red, hastened to interpose. q am quite sure, I said, with courteous air, ''thet MT. OHalleron knows perfectly well what anec- dote he was about to tell us" ''Begad, don't, though" said O'Halleron 'I'Ve for gotten all about it." He was, it seemed, perfectly aware of the loss of his memory, and had learned, not, indeed, to do without it, but to use some substitute of imagination or fancy, just as when one has but one leg, one gets thing of cork and wires, instead of flesh and blood, to supply it's place. In tine scientific treatises on the failure of mem ory some very curious specific examples are Thus rTaOfIapoan oo11d retain any conception of words beginning with the letter D, (such as his debts, for in- stance } while with another the figure had utterly lost it's significance. This latter ca- tastrophe would be serious to whist-player, since he would never know when he had won a game; but otherwise the blank seems en- durable What would be much more curious would be the losing sight of number one, which, however, up to our last moments (and, indeed, in those especially is never forgotten. Of ooursa, thera are exceptions as regards this first hint of mental decay. It is even stoutly asserted by some persons that the loss of memory arises merely from disuse. It is only, they argue, in youth, in most cases, that we attempt to learn things ''by heart at all, while, when we grow old, we delegate the duty of remembrance to oth
 CTS If we kept it up the faculty would not desert us corroboration of this pleasant theory is found in Mir. Samuel Brandram, who, though not apparently III HIS pTe"teTe 5eunesse exhibits appropriateness of recol- lection infinitely more marvellous. because accompanied by the acutest perception, than that of the most calculating boy. One of my favorite nightmares-I have whole stud of them-is to dream that am standing be- fore distinguished audience, including her Majesty and the royal family, who are await ing a reading from Shakespeare without book; the indisputable glass of water is on the table, with which just moisten my lips. and then when I attempt to open them find word of what I came to say has fed from my mind. I gasp and tremble; everybody becomes excited and impatient in vain at tempt to conciliate them by offering to state accurately and off hand the date of the battle of Hastings There is sort of O. P. riot, the distinguished audience rise en masse, tear up the benches and make for me in tho order of precedence; I wake in a paroxysm of terror apd-instantly forget all about it.