Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-30

Men whose Absent NJ indedneSs Lead Then
Into stormy Paths.

hhtt Ntotihl hato>s
Prom the New York Tribune.
The absent-minaed men are hopeless cnsca
One OF them played one OF he old tricks
the other day. lie was walking down 5th
svenne. when ne saw some one coming toward
him whose face seemed to be familiar. HIS own
story best explains the situation
Il was conscious he said ''ila; knew Ne
man very well, bat vas thinking OF some th'ux
and his approach did not make clearly DO
fined impression on my brain. was also con-
scious that when he saw me he gave n start and
took astep toward me with his hand outstrctchod
And yet all that did not recall mo sufficiently
from my thoughts to enable me 90 realize
clearly just what WAS happening. said. in an
absent way, How 10 Won dog and walked on "a
II L were IN the habit OF seeing HIM every day
or a. ~ l were only slightly acquainted with
him. Even in that minute | was awake TO
tho fact that there was queer light in has face
aud that he returned nv bow very stiifly
lit was not until had gone a couple %
squares down the avenue that it flashed into
my mind that the man was one Of NV Oldest
ana most intimate friends, whom | had not
seen in several years and that when he had
started 60 greet me cordially had worse than
cut him by giving him a cold bow. I then,
as man Will do. tarned to hurry bach Alter
HIM, but, OF course, he was gone"
Here ~ another extreme case which seems
writer can vouch. New Yorker who made .
trip TO California was met at the pier IN Oak
land ~ a man, who rushed mp 20 hun and
wrunG has hand heartily
How do you do. Wiz cried the stranger
with delight. Il heard you we're coming aud
thought you would like 10 have me meet
yon."
The New Yorker locked at the other man in
blank aston'shmen:.
I'm afraid" he said. that there Is soma
mistake. l 20 not seem TO know you."
well, SAID The other with laugh ''you are
a cool fellow 90 joke IN that way. But how lone
are you going to stay out hcre9 want you 70
come to our house."
But. my dear sir" declared the New York
man earnestly. Il don't know you Inevor sav
YOU before. L can't imagine what you can
mean"
''oh. hthRts tho case, was the reply in ,ones
OF indignation, Il will not trouble YOU. Bus
Just TO refresh your very remarkable me morv
propose 10 tell you that I know YOU lam your
cousin, George II. -. We were bows together.
we went to school together. and Won haven't
changed IN appearance, and do not think that
L have. GoOd-day. cir. and he started 10 walk
away in disgust. but the New Yorker ran after
| him, offering "a thousand apologies lie H. Q
man VINO simply cannot remember even faces.
The absont-minded writer who after filing q
sheet OF paper with what TO him at leas. Is val
uaDle literature tears 1t up without. knowing
what he Is doing aud throws the bits of paper
| m a waste basket recently brought confusion
/ and horror into his existence by one OF his
| 'thinkless' actions. He had completed an
article Of several thousand words and had
| finished looking il over and making changes
and corrections ia II. Then he sas back aud
| let MS mind dwell on the subject upon whirh
he had been working, and working very hard.
and FOR some time, too As ne mentally re-
viewed the whole article has fingers began to
| do deadly work with the manuscript Thoy
| tore 1. all into the finest bits aud threw the "a
| away. Then the man got up with sigh of con-
| tcat that the work was completed 20 his satis-
| faction Not until the next day, when he went
/ TO his desk 10 take out the manuscript, did hs
| discover how much hIs terrible vice Of absent
mindcdness had cost him. All his labor and
| pains were gone IN fragments OF worthless
paper and the thought made him faint aud
| sick. And yet he himself declares that there
Is no help for him. lie considers himself .
| hopeless case, and tries 20 make the best of
bad trait-a straying and capricious mind