, 1889-01-26
He IS NO PHoNoeRAPH.
But Little Harold Mech Has n Most r
Memory.

winch ne does NOT wish to lear re-
peated verbatim at inappropriate times
and places the heads OF the family go
out for a ride, leaving instructions that
Harold Is on no account to be allowed
to leave the house during their alb
sence. Harold is only years old, but
he has an astonishing memory. He
remembers everything that interests
him, and he makes it his business to
be interested in whatever his gifted
papa says. Unlike most of the mu-
scum prodigies, he is no monograph;
his mental apparatus is sensitive
enough to things which strike his
fancy, but receives no impression from
routine jargon and phrases which his
understanding cannot fathom. He is
a bright, healthy, wholesome boy,
with a big, active brain in his Uranium.
Harold was good enough to receive
a visitor from Tho Tribune. Tho honor
impressed him deeply, but failed to
abash him in the least. His memory
was in fair to middling condition, he
guessed, and by way of removing from
his WI mind any doubt in the prem
ises he proceeded TO reel off a few cold
pages of American history. This was
merely a kind of turning up process.
"Who won the battle of Waterloo7"
asked Harold's mamma.
Napoleon"
who was Napoleon's wife2"
Josephine"
"What was her sons Nance"
Eugene"
Eugene what9'
''The Duke of Orleans"
What was the name of Josephine's
daughter7"
"Hortense."
"What famous marshal was with
Napoleon at WaterlooT'
Harold's mental apparatus had to
have q little time here. He took q
turn about the room, and made a run
ming jump to the knee of his visitor
with a whoop of victory.
Marshal Ney," he said.
Can you repeat something when
you have heard it once9" asked Har-
ODDS visitor.
I'll try" said the boy, jumping to
the floor and throwing out his chest.
'What is it,"
Tho visitor took q mean advantage.
He quoted to the ~unsuspecting genius
the first verse of amagazine love poem:
Tho king md the pope together
Have sent n letter to me;
wan - btANA1h NtINC
1t is sealed with a golden key.
The king wants me out of his eyesight;
The pope wants me out of his sec.
Harold made an unsuccessful effort
to conceal his disgust and began:
Tho king and the popo together
Aletter have sent to me;
Signed with n golden something
And sealed with a golden key.
The king wants me out of his kingdom
And the pope wants me out
"My goodness, how I hate poetryl"
And Harold had to have a drink of
water TO take the taste out of his
mouth.
what do you like, HaroldY"
"He likes history" said Harold's
mamma. For two years no read
nothing but American history"
why do you like American his
tory, Harold7"
Tho boy seized q flag which stood
furled in one corner Of the room and
waved 1t periodically from ram
parts improvised out. of a haircloth
sofa, and answered, with a cheer:
"Hurrah! Because there's war in il. T"
Then the youngster, having marched
around tho n number of times,
plunged into tho story of the battle of
Shiloh, and nothing could stop him.
Though he did not Invariably use the
exact words of tho historian, his
p~hraseology had the genuine histori-
cal swing, and his voice and manner
changed according to whether the de-
scription was spirited or pathetic. In
describing the heroic effort of Gen.
Johnston to conceal from his staff the
fatal nature of his wound the little
chap was really impressive.
Little Harold Meech's knowledge of
the principal battles of the rebellion
has proved embarrassing to the man
ayers OF one or two panoramas in Chi
cago. The first time he saw tho
representation of tho battle of Gettys-
burg he cast his eye over the expanse
of canvas and detected at once the alb
sence of an important detail. The
lecturer looked the matter up and
found that the boy was right.
Harold inherits from his mamma q
good deal of his interest in history.
Not long ago Mrs. Mech prepared o
at the request of o society of which
she is q member. She read the paper
and q few days afterward Harold rot
hold of it. 1t was just in his line.
he read it through once or twice and
with his mamma for ar audience re-
citedit with fine effect from beginning
to end.
Harold is commander-in-chief of all
the boys in the neighborhood. Under
his direction they barricade the alleys
and fight all the famous battles of his
tory without missing an incident of
strategic Importance. In these battles
1t Is noticeable that the forces under
Harold invariably march on to vic
tory.
Harold has an intimate knowledge
OF every prominent nan in American
politics. Tribune.