Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-12-14
&c AeseN1mNoso woMAN.
Several Arguments to Provo That She
IL Nc., as sho Teurs, Insane.

IL Nci. as She renrs, Insane.
A lady who hastcnod TO explain that
she Is mot drinking woman tina she
Is mot addicted to the use Of drugs in
short TINT ahe has no habits hat would
tend TO impair tho intellect. cites an cx.
perionce that has caused her much dis
quictude. Briefly told and in her own
language, she "wcnt down town and
forgot to put ON either hat or bonnet"
This bit Of mental alteration has 40
haunted, worried and generally upset
her that she appeals for rulief-some-
thing in the nature Of citation Of similar
cases that may convince her that sho u
not a glaring exception to the world OF
sensible people and that her performance
IL not 10 DO taken as an indication tina;
size "a losing her mind.
II ought to be tho easiest thing In the
world to convince this noodlossly alarm
ed lady that in the light Of the many
and notable examples OF mental lapsei
her experience is rather PLEASANTLY
distinguishing characteristic and not y
terrifying malady. II she has followed
tho daily papers or has read the floating
bits Of biography sho must have noted
the many strnngo stories Of great men
and women remarkable for their absent.
inindedness. In fact, tho preoccupation
of the mind has led people into many
absurd experiences and has made them
the subjects OF many oft told jesis.
But nobody would think for u moment
of accusing such people OF a marked
tendency toward insanity or Of intimat
ing that the brain was softoning. The
explanation would be that the mind Is
80 concentrated on what happens TO be
occupying II ut tho moment that all
other things nro suhordinatcd. For ox.
ample, people wrapped In thought will
be carried beyond their railway station
will walk several blocks ont Of thoii
way, will even pass their own door.
n further interesting and consolinq
thought Is tho fact that tho proioundcsl
thinkers afford tho most numerous illus
trations Of abscntmindodnoss. Scicn
lists. literary mon. college professors
lnwyers-in short, all classes Of pcopl,
who aro Of studious prolession-nr'
noted for such ccccntricitios. The wis
professor, with his head crammcd full
Of the inspiration Of tho study, is th,
butt of tho students and the practlca
folk TINT enjoy tho bewildermcnt int
which his prooccupation leads him
Professor Sophoclcs, Of Harvard univer
sity was u man OF this kind. proiesso
Smell, Of Amherst, was another. Pro
fossor Walter Houghton. the historian
Is n third. It IS related Of Profo5so
Houghton that in leaving his room {
pass down long corridor and thence t
the street no invariably raised his mn
brella unconscious Of tho smiles Of th
amused spectators.
Samuel 7. Glover. for many years ili
bright ornament Of the st. Louis bn
was VIGOROUSLY ahsontmindud. u
would onior restaurant, order
luncheon and fall into u brown stud
over q law case. After the luucheo
had been served no would pick up Il
I check. pay tho cashier and wall; Oh
, leaving the food untouched, entirely nj
mindful OF the fact that his stomach WI
still unStisded. Mr.. Boccher has rolat,
stories in which thought preoccupatiC
has played him pranks, and has laugh'
p as heartily as anybody over the misfo
tunes.
In view OF the thousands Of cspci
= onces that might DO cited in evidence
a tho extent Of absentmindedness, 1t won
. appear that the lady who prancod dow
! town bereft of her bonnet has no rcas,
u to fear that she is also TO be boroft of h
n reason. A thousand BloomingdGl
}. could not accommodate tho lunaiics
y her stagoof disease. New York Worl