The Red Cloud chief., 1892-05-20
VICTIMS OF A BAD HABIT.
Men whose Absent M~lndedaess Leads
Them into stormy Paths.

VICTIMS OF A BAD HABIT.
Men whose Abscnt. Mindedaess Leads
Them Into stormy Paths.
The absent-minded men are hopeless
cases. One Of them played n of his
old tricks the other day. lie was walk
ing down Fifth avenue when he saw
some one coming toward him whose
face seemed to be familiar. His own
story best explains the situation.
az was conscious" he said, "that I
knew the man very we'll, but l was
thinking Of something and his approach
did not make n clearly defined impress.
sion on my brain. I was also conscious
that when he saw mi he gave o start
and took q step toward me with his
hand outstretched. And yet, all that
did not recall me sufficiently from my
thoughts to enable me TO realize clearly
Just what vas happening. Isaid, In an
absent way. How do you doP' and
walked on rs II I were In the habit OF
seeing him every day or "a II ] were
only slightly acquainted with him.
Even in that minute I was awake to
the fact that there was o queer light In
his face and that he returned my bow
very stifiy.
''lt was not until I had gone n couple
Of squares down the avenue that 1t
flashed into my mind that the man was
one Of my oldest and most intimate
friends, whom I had not seer In several
years, and that when he had started TO
greet me cordially ! had worse than
cut him by giving him q cold bow. I
then, as a man will do, turned TO hurry
back after him, but, Of course, he wal
gone"
Here Is another extreme case which
seems improbable, but for the truth OF
which the writer can vouch. A New
Yorker who made n trip to California
was met at the pier in Oakland by q
man who rushed up to him and wrung
his hand heartily.
GLOW do you do, WHIP" cried me
stranger with delight. ~ heard you
were coming and I thought you would
like to have me meet you"
The New Yorker looked at the otheS
man in blank establishment.
"I'm afraid" he said, 'that there Is
some mistake. do not seem to know
you"
"Well," said the other with a laugh,
"you are q cool fellow to joke in that
way. But how long are you going to
stay out hereP want you to come to
our house."
"But, my dear SIR" declared the New
York man earnestly, ~ don't know you.
I never saw you before. I can't imagine
what you car mean"
20, II that's the case" was the reply
In tones Of indignation, II will not
trouble you. But just to refresh your
very remarkable memory I propose -
tell you that I know you. am your
cousin, George D.. We were boys
| together, we went to school together,
and you haven't changed In appearance,
and l do not think that I have. Good
day, SIR" and he started to walk away
In disgust, but the New Yorker raj
after him, offering O thousand apologies.
He II q man who simply cannot emem-
Der even faces.
The absent-minded writer who after
filing . sheet Of paper with what to
T! him at least Is valuable literature tears
It up, without knowing what he is
doing, and throws the bits Of paper In
q waste basket, recently brought o n
fusion and horror into his existence by
one Of his "thinkless" actions. He had
completed an article Of several thousand
words and had finished ''looking 1t
over" and making changes and correc-
| tions In IL. Then he sat back and let
his mind dwell on the subject upon
which he had been working, and work.
ing very hard, and for some time too.
AS he mentally reviewed the whole arti-
Gle, his fingers began to do deadly work
with the manuscript. They tore It oil
into the finest bits and threw them
away. Then the man got up with o
sigh OF content that the work was com
pleted to his satisfaction. Not until the
next day, when he went to his desk to
take out the manuscript, did he discover
how much his terrible vice Of absent
mindedness had cost him. All his labor
and pains were gone in fragments OF
worthless paper and the thought made
him faint and sick. And yet he himself
declares that there Is no help for him.
He considers himself q "hopeless case"
and tries 10 make the best Of q bad trait
"a straying and capricious mind.-N.
| Y, Tribune,