Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-22
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SOME INSTANCES oS a ooonoH AHp nunARRAaau(
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SOME INSTANCES ov 4 ooanoH Ap EMBARRASSING
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Prom chsnbsrs' journal
Not many things are more sufpgialnc than II
lapses OF memory one sometimes messs wssA IN
persons whose powen Of mind, both natural and
acquired are considered 20 b much abcvs th<
average Il would be folly 20 expect craps frou
gooseoerry bushes or ngs from ar tree; and n
would be a. preposterous 20 look for anything bot
anwisdom from the slss; ana spovs ,s ~e 90
yet, what breakdowns 40 happen now ana again
10 the Senate, on the platform. In the pupil and
the person the more curious the catastrophe
In q recently published letter OF Thackerayswe
was subjected 20 Al the literary fund dinner. he
affair = an lawful snasa- OF the thread O 81.
discourse he SEEMS % have said. not In woroA but
In the spirit OF an old drsmaust;
'Tis lost.
Ike what We think can never shun renembrancA
Yet Of sadd y Is gone beyond the oiouda
But the experience OF the author OF VANITY
Fair was Tar IRON being singular 10 himself
tration into the wrong place nay, sumo have oesn
SO unfortunate as 70 lose both the pearls ana
for Thackeray, and he sat down arterw ard and de-
scroed 70 q friend what q fool had made OF
m,ls,a oat his mother. who nad eontrved 70 ps
conclusion.
The senate is not free from casrs OF sudden for
/
sldered out OF place 10 use manuscript the lapses
| LOOK place much more often. Nowadays a case
ranged or sn,slsid aT when tSe ,.nsner gives an
But the thing does occur, and 70 iron. bench men
nen and back bench men alike. Not long since an
| failure OF memory, ana he was shorty afterward
translated perhaps by way OF consolation. 10 the
with grievance made ..aa ana awrSl smash, 10 The
| delight OF the house, through not being able TO
get Al MS notes but he has had no consolation and
on the stage the prompter Is the safety from
| forgetiulnesS but In the concert Jhester lapses
known 10 retire In the middle OF a song he had
been singing every week for almost a lifetime be-
cause al memory OF the words be wanted was
place In one OF the London tbesLers early In the
present century. During the performances. which
seems 10 nave been OF a mixed character the gods
In the galleries called for th,ir fayorit. song slhe
| sprig OF shillelagh." though Il WAS not an
nounced IN the bills; and M. John uenry John.
stone, a well-known irish actor and v calst came
4 forward with alacr1ty ana good humor 10 comply
Win the wishes OF the gods Accordingly tbs
music Played, Out the singer stood silent and APP
parently confused. The symphony was repeated,
but the same silence and confusion on the part o2
the vocalist took place In rather increased de-
gree. Tue symphony was performed a thlrd time.
| out all 10 no purpose. AT length Mr.. JohnstOne
came forward 70 the front OF she stage and thus
| assure you that have sung this song often
that forget the nrst line" roar OF laughter
| greeted these words. and hundreds OF good-hu-
| mored voices began ~ prompt the singer, who i'm
mediately gave the favorite song M good style.
| and gained Increased applause.
| sudden forgetiulness Is not an unusual thing IN
the pulpit. Aubrey, the antlquary, says that when
afIeshman AT college he heard Dr. sanderson,
bishop OF Lincoln, well known for his work, Mine
Cases OF Conscience" break down "a the middle Of
the Lords Prayer. Even the great French or. acher
| mon IRON defect Of memory, and Massillion him.
| sea- recorded mat The same III ny happened
through excess OF apprehension 20 two oJner
| preachers whom he went 10 hear In different parta
| Of the same day. AnothT French preachr
stopped In the middle OF a sermon AMI was unable
| genlous.y. "FrIends," said he, 81 hal lorgot 20
| say That a person mach am cted Is recommended
TO your immediate prayers" He meant nimselE
| lie Tell on his knees and before he arose he had
recovered the thread of his discourse which he
concluded without his want OF memory being per.
| ceived
The late Rev. Henry Ware, OF Boston, was once
In a similar predicaInenL In the middle OF a SER
mon his memory failed him and he stopped
abruptly The pause seemed long TO the preacher
| before he regained his though 1T and he Imagined
the sermon 70 O. a failure IN cons auenc; bdt a.
sion was given him. "now did You nke the
mong" ASKED one hearer OF another. Like IL. II
pause was suDiIme."
good illustration OF this sudden forgetfulnes
comes from the district OF Boston. A worthy
minister there is not only absenJ-minded ana mas
a short. memory, but he breaks down as contin-
ualiy as he freaks down suddenly. To counteracs
thls II Is a haoiI WITH him when he forgets any.
thing 70 rise again and make a supplement arg
remarks, wnIcn lac Always begins with the phrase,
by bue way que SUNNY ne sOt hau way
through prayer from memory when ne heslLxted,
| forgot what he was about, and SAT down abruptly
| without pronouncing The closing word 10 o
moment or TWO he rose, ana puinuing his unger &C
TIE amazed congregation he exclaimed; oh By
the Way. Amen.
II Is said OF Father Taylor, preacher 70 sailors
that once, when he got confused, he cried out I:
"Bcys, I've lost my nominsuve case, but never
mlnd-were on the way TO sioryi"
We can understand lapse OF memory taking
place wnen tue mlnd IL overwhelmed and usually
demands are being made upon it, bul for a failure
TO occur when there Il stress put upon the mental
powers Is singular. Here Is q case 10 point: We
ward professor wonL IN the old Cambridge post
Office and presented himself the place where
tue delivery Of letters was made. He stood there
silent, but apparently very confused about some
thing. The CLERK In charge inquired what ne dc.
sired. any letters, please" Name, srl" asked
the clerk. AIter stammerng and suffering the
learned man said: IL have quite ToTgollen my
NAME" The onicial knew the professor, and with
q smile handed nun his letter.
| "lou Will forget your own name next" a q
| phrase often thrown at the STUPID, and perhaps
there would be some excuse for Them even n they
did.
There is some consolation, however, In cases OF
sudden forgeduness; the pity ls that IL does noe
come soon enough 10 bcnenI July, and al tmcs 10
Is ueBied altogether 70 the acJo- As for The ora
tor, he Knows aTterward that none but himsen 10
aware OF the valuable forgotten things and the
difference between the projected .eal ana The nc.
tuaI performance IL would have been . great
saving u nerve force and pleasurable emotion 10
have thought OF these Two Items befor ne had
wished himself 200 miles away AID before the
| room swum aroma and before he burst into Der.
| sparatlon at every pore
Tact and Tactics,