Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-21
OSd Tr,csS, ~ w~-.xx-

SOME INSTANCES or a COMMON AND rrblKKAssrxa
HABrr OF nnp.
From Chamber Journal
Not many things are more surprising than tho
lapses OF memory one sometimes meets with IN
persons whose powers OF mind. both natural and
acquired, are Considered 20 be much above ths
average. II would be folly 70 expect grapes nom
gooseoerry bushes or ngs from ar trees. and &c
would be as preposterous 70 look for anything but
anticipate experiences from the really clever And
yet what oreakdowns DO happen now and again
In the Senate. on the platform, In the pulpit. and
even on the stage; ana not seldom the more sklful
the person the more curious the catastrophe.
In recently published letter OF Thackeray's we
was subjected 20 at the literary fund dinner. he
was one OF the speakers and he Describes the
affair as an awful SMASH OF the thread Of his
In the spirit OF an old dramatist:
- IT'S lost:
Ike whAf We think can never sLun remembrance
Yet Of a sudden Is gone beyond the clouds.
But the experience OF the author OF vanity
fair was far from being singular 10 himself.
tration Into the wrong place, nay, some have been
so unfortunate as 20 lose both the pearls and
for ThacSersy. ana he sal down srrerwsr and de-.
scroed 10 friend what a fool be had made OF
nlmseit- out his mother, who had contrived 20 DO
within hearing distance. came 70 the opposite
The senate Is not tree from cases OF sudden for.
Getrulness though In the days when Il was con-
sioered out OF place 20 use manuscript the lapsss
TOOK place much more often. NOWADAYS a cass
seldom happens unless the notes have been dissr-
ranged or mislaid. OF when the paper gives out"
But the thing does occur, and 90 front bench men
men and back bench men alike. Not long since an
esA,caolhet minister collapsed completely from
failure OF memory, and he was shortly afterwArd
translated perhaps by way OF consolation, 20 the
house OF peers Only the other day. too. a member
Win grievance made IAN awful smash. 20 the
delight OF the house, through not being able TO
get at his notes but he has had no consolation and
uttte peace since.
On the stage the prnnotar A. TIA sa,a,v ,-,,,
Iorgetiulness but In the concert theater laUses
take place. Even great living tenor has been
known 20 retire In the middle VI a song he had
been singing every week for almost a lifetime, be-
cause all memory OF the words he wanted was
gone such case OF sudden forgetfulness took
place In one OF the London tbeaters early In the
present century. During the performance. which
seems 70 have been OF a mixed character. the gods
IN the galleries called for their favorte song Ihe
sprig OF Shillelagh," though IL WAS not an
nounced In the bills; and Mr.. John Henry John
stone well-known Irish actor and vocalist, came
forward with alacrity ana good humor % comply
| with the wishes OF the gods. Accordingly The
music played but the singer stood silent and APP
parenty confused The symphony was repeated
but the same silence and CONFUSION on the part OF
the vocalist took place In rather an increased de-
gree The symphony was performed a third time
came forward 10 the front OF the stage and thus
addressed the audience: "Lades and gentlemen
assure you snat have sung THIS song 50 often
greeted these words, and hundreds OF gOOd-hu-
mored voices began 10 prompt the singer, who I'M
mediafeiy gave the favorite song IN good style
and gained Increased applause.
sudden forgetfulness Is not an unusual thing In
the pulpit Aubrey, the antiquary. says that when
bishop OF Lincoln, well Known for his work. sNlns
Cases OF conscience" break down IA the middle OF
| the Lords Prayer. Even the great French preacher
Massiuon, once stopped IN the middle OF his sef
mon from defect OF memory, aud Massllion him
self recorded that the same thing happened
through excess OF apprehension 20 two other
preachers whom he went 10 hear IN Different parts
OF the same day. Another French preacher
stopped IN the middle OF a sermon and was unable
| 70 proceed The pause however, was got over an
geniously. "Fnends" said he. a had forgot 70
| say that person much afflicted is recommended
| 70 your immediate prayers" He meant himself
| He fell on his knees, and pefore 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 similar predicanenL In the middle OF a SER
mon MS memory Jailed him, and he stopped
before he regained his thought and he Imagined
| the sermon 10 De a failure In consequence, but as
ne walked quietly UP the aisle different impress
| sion was given him. show did you like the SER
mon?" asked one hearer OF another. Like AZ? It
| Is the best sermon Mr.. Ware ever preached That
| pause was sublime"
A good Illustration OF this sudden forgetfulness
| comes from the same district OF Boston. A worthy
| minister there Is not only absent-mlnded and has
| q short memory, but he breaks down as contin-
| ually as h. breaks down suddenly. To counteract
this II is a habit with him when be forgets any
| thing 10 rise again and make a few supplementary
| remarks, which he always begins With the phrase,
| by the way" one sunday he got half way
| through prayer from memory when he hesitsted,
| forgot what he was about, and sat down abruptly
| without pronouncing the closing word. la q
moment or two he rose, and pointing his nnger at
the amazed congregation he exclaimed: 'oh, by
| the way. Ameni"
IL Is said OF Father Taylor. preacher 20 sailors
| that once. when he got confused he cried Out
| "Boys I've lost my nomlnative case but never
| mind-were On the way TO glory!"
| We can understand a lapse OF memory taking
place when the mind rs overwhelmed aud usually
demands are being made upon IT, but for a failure
TO occur when there Is stress put upon the mental
| are told on good authority that a prominent Har-
ward professor went In the old Cambridge post
| ONCE and presented himself at the place where
| the delivery OF letters was maze. he stood there
| SILENT but apparently very confused about sOune-
| thing. The clerk In charge inquired what he de-
| sired my letters, please" Name, sir" asked
| the clerk. After stammering ana suffering the
learned man said: 81 have quite forgotten my
| name" The Official knew the professor, and VIII n
| q smile handed hun his letters
| you will forget your own name next" Is q
/ phrase often thrown at the stupid, and perhaps
| there would be some excuse for them even II they
did.
There is some consolation, however, IN cases
| sudden forgetfuness; the pity Is that IL does l.
| come soon enough ~ benefit fully, and at tlmes
| Is denied altogether 20 the acto-. As for the o.
| tor, he knows afterward that none but himself
| aware OF the valuable forgotten things and
| tual performance IL would have been a great
saving OF nerve force and pleasurable emotion 20
| have thought OF these two Items before be had
| wished himself 600 miles away and before the
room swum around and before he burst into per-
SEPARATION at every pore.