The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-23
MIR. BOWSER ON MEMORY.
He Explains the New System i'm a
Practical Way.
hrs. BOWSER THINKS IT IS ALL

what have you there!" asked Mrs.
Bowser as Mr.. Bowser pulled a small
book from his pocket and sat down to
his after dinner cigar.
'sThis? It's book Green lent me over
at the office. It's called, How to Guilt
vate Memory It says in the preface,
and it says truly, that the past years Of
most people are blank wall How far
back can you remember, Mrs. Bowserf"
"To when I was or years of age. ="
'tGive me some incident that hap
pened when you were years old. -
I'll fell down stairs and broke my
arm"
VERY we'll. How came you to fall
down stairs?"
81 don't know.
"How many steps in those stairs?"
ST never counted Them
"Who picked you up at the bottom of
the stairs?"
ST think it was MOTHER
Glow long before your arm was
well?''
'Why, how con tell all those things,
Mr.. Bowsers'
''That's it-that's the very idea ~ he
O40SA4OOs NAOA you W01O abOuO =
years old, something like a tragedy
happened-you were romping in child
ish sport when you suddenly pitched
headlong down stairs. You broke your
arm instead of your neck. A doctor was
sent for-yon were laid up for long
weeks-you suffered great pain-and
yet you practically remember nothing
about It'll suspected just such state
of affairs. And it was on your account
more than my own that borrowed this
book. -
but why should I remember an in
cident that occurred when was only
4 years old?" she protested.
"Why should you? Suppose there was
$1,000, 900 at stake. Suppose you had
witnessed murderl"
"But there was nothing of the kind. !"
Chow do you know? You can't re-
member What you want to do is to
carefully pernse the pages of this book
for about two hours. I presume your
childhood is perfect blank to you. Ayei
doubt if you can remember anything
of moment between the ages Of IL and
10. In other words, half Of your life is
sort Of dream. -
'But yours isn't!" retorted Mrs.
Bowser with considerable pepper in her
voice.
Certainly not. I can distinctly re-
member things that occurred when
was only year old. For instance, I
day, and I recall how alarmed mother
was. When 10 months old, they found
me with fathers razor in my hand"
"Had you shaved YOURSELF"
''There you gol Every time I try to
| poand some sense into your head you
get mad about it Why don't you take
this book and read up and benefit by
it?''
Because it's all nonsenser'
sit is, Ell? Of course, you'd say that.
Let me tell you something, Mrs. Bow
ser. Before I got hold of this book I
couldn't remember events Of five years
ago. Now can recall the minutest de-
tails of my daily life back to the first
year. can even remember every time
I stubbed my toe or had sore heel as
boy. It has just come to me that on
the day was 16 months old I was bit
ten on the thumb by cat. 1t was a
black and white cat, and she was blind
! in the left eye. Mother found my thumb
all bloody, but I didn't utter a single
cry. On the day was years old fell
into the cistern. On my eleventh birth
day got choked on fish bone. Every
thing stands out as clear as print. -
"You were born on the 10th day OF
June. 1912" said Mrs. Browser.
81 was
"What particular thing happened on
the 18th day of July, 1892"
''What particular thing? Give me
just minute. Let's see! All have
It'll Alta O'Clock on the afternoon Of the
18th Of July, 1S43, being then about
IS months old. my uncle Reuben was
sunstruck in the harvest field and died.
And they would not let me see the
body, for fear it would shock me. -
Chow thoughtful of themi'' said Mrs.
Bowser
'That's You to dotl' he shouted as
he rose up and began to walk about.
because you are so cabbage headed
that you can't see through this thing
you are making fun of mel All right,
however. If you want to go slamming
around like an old horse, living only to-
day, I shan't object. I suppose you car
ry card round with you SO as not to
forget your own name"
''Mr. Bowser,'' said Mrs. Bowser,
after a moments silence, ''you say you
can remember everything connected
with the past?''
81 can"
ga week ago you brought home some
hooks to put up in the kitchen for the
cook. Where did you leave the pack
age?'
where? Where? Why, I-I"-
''Some 10 or IL days ago." she con
Ginued, ''you hunted all over the house
for. the oil can to oil the springs of q
mousetrap. Where did you leave tht
can:''
He looked at her without replying.
Five or six days ago you got the saw
down to fix the back door. Where die
you leave that saW?''