Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-02-07
THE AsseMTMlNoep WOMAN.



IL Hot, ~ She Fears, Insane.
A lady who hsstened to explain that
she is mot drinking woman, !" that she
Il mot addicted to the use Of drugs" in
short that she has no habits that would
tend to impair the intellect, cites an ex-
perience that has cansed her much dis
quietude. Briefly told and in her own
language. she went down town and
forgot to put on either hat'or bonnet"
This bit of mental alteration has 90
haunted, worried and generally upset
her that she appeals for relief
thing in the nature of citation Of similar
cases that may convince her that she is
not glaring exception to the world Of
sensible people and that her performance
Is not to be taken as an indication that
she is losing her mind.
| 1t ought to be the easiest thing in the
world to convince this needlessly alarm
ed lady that in the light of the many
and notable examples of mental lapses
her experience is rather pleasantly
distinguishing characteristic and not a
terrifying malady. II 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
mindedness. In fact, the preoccupation
OF 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 a moment
Of accusing snch people of marked
tendency toward insanity or Of intimat-
ing that the brain was softening. The
explanation would be that the mind Is
SO concentrated on what happens to ba
occupying it at the moment that oil
other things are subordinated. For ex
ample, people wrapped in thought will
be carried beyond their railway station
will walk several blocks out of theil
way, will even pass their own door.
A further interesting and consoline
thought is the fact that the profoundes
thinkers afford the most numerous illus
trations of observation-disclosures. Scien
lists, literary men, college professors
lawyers--in short, all classes of people
who are Of studious professional
noted for such eccentricities. The wis,
professor, with his head crammed full
Of the inspiration of the study, Is tn,
butt of the students and the practica
folk that enjoy the bewilderment int
which his preoccupation leads him
Professor Sophocles, of Harvard univer
sity. was man of this kind. Professo
Smell, Of Amherst, was another. Pro
fessor Walter Houghton, the historian
is third. 1t is related OF Professo
Houghton that in leaving his room t
pass down a long corridor and thence
the street he invariably raised his UNI
brella unconscious Of the smiles of tn
amused spectators.
Samuel T. Glover. for many years tn
bright ornament of the st. Louis bal
was VIGOROUSLY absentminded Il
would enter restaurant, order
luncheon and fall into brown stud
over law case. After the luncheo
had been served he would pick up tn
. check, pay the cashier and walk out
leaving the food untouched, entirely ur
: mindful of the fact that his stomach wa
! still unsatisfied.t Mr.. Beecher has relate
I stories in which thought preoccupatio
has played him pranks, and has laughe
as heartily as anybody over the misfol
: tunes.
, In view of the thousands of exper
ences that might be cited in evidence c
: the extent of observation-disclosures it woul
: appear that the lady who pranced dow
town bereft of her bonnet has no reaso
to fear that she is also to be bereft of he
reason. A thousand Bloomingdalt
could not accommodate the lunatics
her stage of disease.-New York Worlt