Waterbury evening Democrat., 1893-11-28
M EMORY.
Father MuIcahy's Discourse at the Cor
vent Last Night.

rather MulCahN1S Discourse at the Con-
vent Last Night.
The Rev J. A. Mulcahy SPOKE on Mem
Dry at the convent of Notre Dame last
| evening. He said:
Memory is undoubtedly one of the most
| important faculties with which God has
enriched the human mind. 1t is the
storehouse in which are deposited all the
| treasures of the intellect; the link which
unites the past with the present. giving us
consciousness of continued existence. BY
its mysterious power the entire past, even
to the slightest conscious perception. is
rendered ever present to the intelligence.
enabling Us to bring to the performance of
each action all the knowledge, prudence
and wisdom gnrnered in our whole pre-
vious course of life. Thus for us, mem
DRY annihilates time and gives us perhaps.
the clearest idea attainahle of that eternity
in which God exists which admits of mel
Their past nor future.
When in connection with this we con-
slider that we can acquire a new idea or
thought, or, in other words, increase our
store of knowledge, only by comparing
each perception as il comes with the idea
or ideas which the memory has already
stored, and now ut our will recalls to con-
seriousness, We can fully see how well this
subject merits at our hands close and con-
slant study.
Memory may be defined as that faculty
which our intelligence possesses of pre-
serving that which has once been pre-
sented to the consciousness and of recall
ing it SO that it may be again present to
that faculty. 1t role is twofold to pre-
serve and to recall. 1t is not special
faculty distinct from the intellect in
which ii acts. 1t is the mind dealing with
the past, Memory may be considered
sensitive or intellective. according as the
organs of sense or tine intellect itself fur
nish the storehouse in which the impress
SionS aretreaSured up.
''All beings possessing sensitive soul
are endowed with sensitive memory. AM
mails can perceive by their senses. BY
this perception objects are determined, in
diVidualized and photographed upon the
organs of sense. There memory preserves
and recalls as required.
In sensitive memory two essential elc-
ments are required. the organs of sense,
chiefly the brain to receive and retain, and
the soul to recall; but in ineffective mem
ory the intelligence only Is required. 1t
performs necessarily the twofold office.
Rational beings it is evident possess both
memories, or, if you will, both modes of
preserving the past.
Regarded in its operations memory
may be divided into word memory
thought memory and mental image mem
DRY, according as We make symbols
thought, or complete pictures the objects
of our study. In point of merit word
memory stands the lowest, whilst the men
tai image memory takes the highest. This
alone gives the rich and vivid imagination,
the clear and extensive conception of re-
lations which distinguish the masters IN
every field. The best balanced mind is
that in which all three receive due atten-
ton.
Memory may be improved to an in
definite degree. The first essential requi-
site to a good memory is to acquire clear
ideas of those things which we wish to re
call. This is the foundation of memory
and of all true education. Perceptions do
not grow clearer in the storehouse of
memory.
I'VE recall that which we deposited and
nothing more. This all important element
is secured by attention. 1t is impossible
to over-estimate the value of attention in
all the walks of life. 1t may be slid 10
consist in doing one thing at time. 1t is
the secret of success, and its opposite. in
attention or destruction amounts for the
failures of life. Having secured clear
ideas, We can best retain them by aSsocia-
ton. Hence when a new thought enters
the mind We should Immediately link it to
some other thought of like nature. The
bond should not be fanciful but real, based
upon principles The union arrangement
and classification of ideas in the mind will
ensure good memory for $50 ont of every
1000"
The next instruction will he on What is
TRUTH