Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-07-24
THE ABSENT.MINDED,

A gentleman, While IN church, intending
to scratch his head, in a mental absence
reached over into the next pew and scratch
ed the head of an old maid. He discovered
his mistake when she sued him for a breach
of promise Of marriage.
Another gentleman had bad memory.
A friend, knowing this, lent him the same
book seven times over; and being asked af-
terward how he liked it, replied:
81 think it an admirable production but
the author sometimes repeats the same
things"
The author of the ''Spiritual Treasury"
while engaged in that work, was called upon
by gentleman on business. Instead Of ta-
king his name and address, as desired, and
as he thought he had done, he wrote the
chapter and verse on which he had been
meditating; and when he came afterward
to look at the paper, in order to wait upon
the gentleman, he found nothing upon it
but "Acts the second, verse the eighth"
At wedding, not long since, one of the
guests, who sometimes was little absent
minded, observed, gravely:
81 have often remarked that there have
been more women than men married this
year."
Robert Simpson, the Scottish mathemati-
clan, was noted for his Observation-Disclosures
He used to sit at his open window on the
ground-hoor, deep in geometry, and when
accosted by a beggar, would arouse himself,
hear a few words of the story, make his do
nation and resume his study. Some wags,
one day, stopped mendicant on his way to
the window, with:
"NoW, do as we tell you, and you will get
something from that gentleman, and shil-
ling from US besides. He will ask who you
are, and YOU will say, Robert Simson, son Of
John Simpson, of Kirktonhill."
The man did as he was told Simson gave
him a coin, and dropped off. He soon
reused himself, and said:
sRobert Simson, son of John Simson, Of
Kirktonhill! Why, that is myself That
man must be an impostoro'
Doctor Campbell, the author of the ''Sur-
vey of Great Britain" was so absent-mind-
ed that, looking into pamphlet at book
sellers he liked it so we'll that he purchased
it, and it was not until he had read it half
through that he discovered it to be his own
composition.
Adam Smith, the distinguished philoso-
pher, was remarkable for absence Of mind
AS an anecdote of this popularity, it is re-
lated of him that, having, one Sunday
morning, walked into his garden at Kirk
alady dressed in little more than his night
gown, he gradually fell into reverie, from
Which he aid not awaken till he found him
self in the streets of Dunfermline, a town at
least twelve miles off.
He had, in reality, trudged along the
kings highway all that distance in the pur-
suit of a certain train of ideas, and he was
only eventually stopped in his progress by
the bells of Dunfermline, which happened
at the time to be ringing the people to
church.
His appearance in q. a.crowded church, on a
Scotch Sunday morning, without clothes, is
left to the imagination of the reader.
A strangely absent-minded person one
day had party coming to dinner, and just
before their arrival he went upstairs to
change his dress. He forgot all about them,
thought it was bedtime, and got into bed
A servant, who entered his room to tell MN
his guests were waiting for him, found him
fast asleep.