The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1888-09-15
Old Tricks Of Memory.
From Chambers Journal.


the lapses of memory one sometimes meets
with il persons whose powers OF mind, both
natural and acquired, are considered to be
much above the average. 1t would be folly
to expect grapes from gooseberry bushes or
figs from fir trees; and it would be preposter-
GUS to look for anything but unwisdOm from
the wise; and above ali We do anticipate ex-
pertness from the really clever. And yet,
what breakdowns do happen now and again
in the Senate, on the platform, in the pulpit,
and even on the stage; and not seldom the
more skillful the person the more curious the
catastrophe.
In recently published letter Of Thackery's
, we have description of the sudden forget
fitness he was subjected to at the literary
fund dinner. He was one of the speakers, and
and he describes the affair as an lawful
smash" OF the thread of his discourse he
seems to have said, not in words, but in the
spirit of an old dramatist,
IT'S lost;
Like what we think can never shun remem-
brance,
Yet of a sudden is gone beyond the clouds.
1)uU Iuc JHc Vi uhitS
Fair was far from being singular to himself
Others have got their pearls of thought and
illustration into the wrong place, nay, some
have been so unfortunate as tie lose both
pearls and their setting 1t seems to have
been trying time for Thackery, and he sat
down afterward and described to friend
what d fool he made of himself but his
mother, who had contrived to be within
hearing distance, came to the opposite con-
cluslon.
The senate is not free from cases of sudden
forgetfulness, though in days when it was
considered out of place to Use manuscript
the lapses took place much more often:
, Nowadays case seldom happens Unless the
notes have been disaffanged or mislaid, or
when the paper gives out" But the thing
does occur, and to front bench men and back
bench men alike. Not long since an ex-cab-
met minister collapsed completely from fail
ure of memory, and he was shortly afterward
translated, perhaps by way of consolation,
to the house of peers. Only the other day,
too, member with a grievance made IAN
awful smash" to the delight of the house,
through not being able to get at his notes,
but he has had no consolation and little
peace since.
On the stage the promptor is the safety
from forgetfulness, but in the concert theater
| lapses take place. Even a great living tenor
has been known to retire in the middle of a
song he had been singing every week for al
most a lifetime, because all memory of the
! words he wanted was gone. Such case OF
sudden forgetfulness took place In one of the
| London theaters early in the present century
| nurinu thu nnrforrn anna which nHAr1ed td
have been mixed character, the gods In the
| galleries called for their favorite song, "The
| Sprig of Shillelagh," though it was not an
nounced in the bills; and Mr.. John Henry
| tombstone, a well-known Irish actor and vo-
calist, came forward with alacrity and good
humor to comply with the wishes of the gods,
| Accordingly the music played, but the singer
stood silent and apparently confused. The
symphony was repeated, but the same silence
| and confusion on the part of the vocalist
| took place in rather an increased degree
| The symphony was performed third time
but all to no purpose. AT length Mr.. John
stone came forward to the front of the stage
and thus addressed the audience: Ladies
and gentlemen, assure you that have sung
| this song so often that forget the first line !"
A roar of laughter greeted these words, and
hundreds of good humored voices began to
prompt the singer, who Immediately gave
| the favorite song in good style, and gained
increased applause.
Sudden forgetfalhess Is not an unusual
thing in the pulpit. Aubrey, the antiquary
| says that when he was freshman at college
be beard DR.. Sanderson, bishop of Lincoln
well known for his work, "Nine Gases of Con-
science" break down in the middle of the
Lords Prayer. Even the great French
| preacher Massillion, once stepped IN the mid
die Of his sermon from defect of memory,
and Massilion himself recorded that the same
thing happened through excess of apprehen-
| sion to two other preachers whom he went
to hear in different parts of the same day.
Another French preacher stopped IN the mid.
| die of sermon and was unable to proceed.
The pause, however, was got over Ingenious
| ly. Friends" he said, II had forgot to say
that person much afflicted is recommended
to your immediate prayers" He meant him
self. He fell on his knees, and before he arose
he had recovered the thread Of his discourse,
which he concluded without his want of mem.
| DRY being perceived.
| The late Rev. Henry Ware, of Boston, was
die of a sermon his memory failed him, and
he stopped abruptly. The pause seemed lor e
to the preacher before he regained his
thought, and he imagined the sermon to be a
failure in consequence, but as he walked
| quietly up the aisle different impression
was given him. "How did you like the ser
mon?" asked one hearer of another. Like
it? 1t is the best sermon Mr.. Ware ever
| preached. That pause was sublime"
| A good illustration of this sudden forget
| fulness comes from the same district of Bos-
| ton. worthy minister there is not only
absent-minded and has short memory, but
| he breaks down as continually as he breaks
down suddenly. To counterfeit this it Is a
| habit with him when he forgets anything to
rise again and make few supplementary re-
marks, which he always begins with the
| phrase, by the way" One Sunday he got
| half way through a prayer from memory
when he hesitated, forgot what he was about,
and sat down abruptly without pronouncing
| the closing word. In a moment or two he
rose, and pointing his finger at the amazed
/ congregation, he exclaimed: "Oh, by the
! way, Amen!"
1t is said of Father Taylor. preacher to
| sailors, that once, when he got confused, he
cried out: Boys, I've lost my nominative
case, but never mind-we're on the way to
glory!''
We can understand lapse of memory tax
ing place when the mind is overburdened and
| usually demands are being made upon it, but
| for failure to occur when there is stress put
| upon the mental powers is singular. Here is
a case in point: We are told on good au-
thority that prominent Harvard professor
went in the old Cambridge post-ofice and
| presented himself at the place where the de-
livery of letters are made. He stood there
silent, but apparently very confused about
| something. The clerk in charge inquired
what he desired. "My letters, please. :"
"Name sir?" asked the clerk, After STAN
mering and suffering the learned man
said: 81 have quite forgotten my name. -
The official knew the professor, and with a
| smile handed him his letters.
"You will forget your own name next, is a
| phrase often thrown at the stupid, and per-
haps there would be some excuse for them
| even if they did.
There is some consolation, however, in
cases of sudden forgetfulness; the pity is that
| it does not come soon enough to benefit fully,
| and at times it is denied altogether to the
actor. As for the orator, he knows after
| ward that none but himself is aware of the
valuable forgotten things and the difference
| between the projected ideal end the actual
| performance. 1t would have been a great
saving of nerve fierce and pleasurable emo
ton to have thought of these two items before
| he had wished himself 1 900 miles away and
| before the room had swum around and be-
| fore he burst into perspiration at every pore.
A Colossal Catalogue Of the Star.
TnndOn Naus