The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-03-04

wavy lines, which display to best ad-
vantage its fine contour. 1t is said
that Major Mckinley presides as first
critic whenever a new bonnet is to be
selected.
So much has already been said
about Mrs. McKinley's health that it
seems best to plainly state the facts.
She now suffers from partial paralysis
of one leg, which makes it difficult,
though not painful, for her to rise
and walk; and, too, from lack of
strength which her inability to take
healthful exercise naturally brings.
She is, therefore, somewhat averse to
meeting strangers, whose curious gaze
affects unpleasantly her naturally
nervous temperament and sensitive
nature, and prefers to have about her
only her intimate friends.
Although in a measure debarred
from active participation in social af-
fairs, Mrs. Mckinley is a woman of
rare tact and Judgment, and that she
will exert a powerful influence in
creating cordial and harmonious rela-
lions among all those whom the Of
fetal position of her husband brings
about her. In the best meaning of
the phrase, Mrs Mckinley will al
ways WELD a powerful social influence.
Trained Habits of Observation.
The development of Conservative
sense so to speak, is conspicuous by
its infrequency. The cultivation of
the power of observation should in
every case precede the training of the
memory; for the memory cannot be
relied upon if one be unable to OBJ
serve accurately.
1t seldom occurs to any one that il
he should be questioned about GER
tain event which he had witnessed he
would fail to give clear, concise ans
wers, or be unable to remember
whether a certain store or house was
four or five blocks from a given point
unless something OF personal interest
had transpired to fix it in his mind.
An experiment tried ON tifty-siX stu
dents OF Columbia College proves that
Memory is the twin brother of Obser-
walton. This experiment was con
Quoted by Professor j. Mckeen Cat
tell, who realized that just so long as
the power of observation was unde-
veloped, just so long must an insur-
mOuntable barrier stand in the way
| of perfect education, inasmuch as the
memory could not be correct He
therefore asked II class of fifty-siX
students: What was the weather
| during the afternoon q week ago to-
| day?n One can but admit that this
was the simplest of questions, depend
ing merely upon the memory of a day;
not an event, mark you, but day
that was not long past. Of the fifty
six students sixteen answered clear,
twelve rain" seven SNOW" nine
stormy" six cloudy and six part
ly clear" and partly stormy" The
disparity in answers was certainly
surprising, and leads one to believe
that the Undergraduates have a very
clearly defined and important object
in view when every morning they ask
each member of their little circle:
"Well, what did you see on your way
to kindergarten this morning." or
"What happened yesterday after you
went homer"
Everybody knows how different is
the description of an incident told by
two or three people. They are each
perfectly sincere, but their power of
observation has not been trained to
eXactness. 1t is not keen. Certainly
much often depends upon ones power
to remember correctly some act OF
place which he may have observed.
Let any one go into court of law and
listen 10 IL crOsS-eAallllllaJlOn. he
lawyer himself possibly could not, to
save his life, tell what happened a
week ago; yet he brands a person as a
perjurer or an incompetent witness
because he succeeds in making him
contradict himself, or because he can
not swear to an exact distance, or to
the clothing which the man, woman
or child had on. This might all be
avoided if the power Of observation
should be cultivated.
Sometimes a person is gifted by
i A D