Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-10-08
THE AssENTMINDED WOMAN.
Several Arguments to Prove That She
l. Not, ~. She Fears, Insane.

| Is rot, as she ears, insane.
\ lady who FASTENED to explain that
che is mot drinking woman" that she
Is "uot addicted 10 the use of drugs" in
short that she has no habits that would
tend 10 impair the intellect, cites an ex-
! pcliuce that has caused her much dis.
quielIe Briefly told and in her own
! language, she went down town and
forgot 10 pst on either hat or bonnet" ="
! This bit Of mental alteration has so
! haunted, worried and generally upset
her that she appeals for relief-some-
| thing in the nature Of citation of similar
ra-e, that may convince her that she is
not Ehring exception to the world OF
sensible people and that her performance
Is not 10 be taken as an indication that
she Is losing her mind.
il ought 30 be the easiest thing in the
world 10 convince this needlessly alarm
eli lady that in the light Of the many
and notable examples Of mental lapses
her experience is rather pleasantly
distinguishing characteristic and not
| terrifying naiady. If she has followed
the daily papers or has read the floating
bits Of biography she must have noted
the many strange stories Of great men
and women remarkable for their absent
miudcduc,s In fact, the preoccupation
If the mind has led people into many
absurd experiences and has made them
the subjects of many oft told jests.
But nobody would think for moment
of accusing such people Of marked
tendency toward insanity or Of iutimat-
ing that the brain was softening The
explanation would be that the mind is
so concentrated on what happens TO be
occupying it at the moment that all
other things are subordinatod. For ex-
ample, people wrapped in thought will
be carried beyond their railway station,
| Will walk several blocks out Of their
way, win even pass their own door.
4 further interesting and consoling
thought is the fact that the profounlest
thinker, afford the most numerous illus
| tratiOus OF gbsentmindedness Scien-
| lists, literary men, college professors.
! lawycrs-in short, all classes Of people
who are Of studious profession-are
! noted FIR such ccccutricities. The wise
! professor with his head crammed full
Of tie inspiration Of tho study, Is the
butt Of the students and the practical
folk that enjoy the bewilderment into
! which his prcoCcupation leads him
! Professor Sophoclcs, Of Harvard univer-
! sity. was a man Of this kind. Professor
! Smell, Of Amherst, was another Pro
fessor Walter lIoughton, the historian,
! is third. II is related Of Professor
! Houghton that in leaving his room TO
! pass down long corridor and thence 10
the street he invariably raised his um-
brella unconscious of the smiles Of the
amused spectators.
Samuel 7. Glover, for many years the
bright ornament Of the 81. Louis bar.
was VIGOROUSLY absentminded. He
would enter restaurant, order a
luncheon and fall into a brown study
over law case. After the luncheon
had been served he would pick up the
check, pay the cashier and walk ont,
leaving the food untouched, entirely I'M
mindful Of the fact that his stomach was
still ursatisfcd. Mr.. Beecher has related
stories in which thought preoccupation
has played him pranks, and has laughed
as heartily as anybody over the misfor-
tunes
In view Of the thousands of expert
ences that might be cited in evidence Of
the extent Of absontmindedness 1t would
appear MAT the lady who pranced down
town berctt of her bonnet has no reason
TO fear that she is also 10 be bereft Of her
reason. \ thousand Bloomingdales
could not accommodate the lunatics in
her staseof disease. New York World.