The herald., 1898-05-12
MEMORIZING
MADE EASY.
Put Sense Into DateS and the Figures No LONGER
Seem Jurnbfed Up and Meaningless.

III only one didn't forget! 1t is so
disoouraging. Ais fast as I pile UP in
my head the things I want to know.
they begin slIpp ing down and I lose
them.''
This was the complaint of bright,
ambitious boy, who has just reached
the age where manhood looms up be-
fore him like q great mountain to be
scaled. He has plenty of pluck and
means to be somebody. But he had
becn trying to "cram'' lot of names
and dates for an examination; his head
was hot, his brain muddled. and his
spirit weary.
.Do YOU know anything about your
,nemory." I asked him-"what 1t is
and how it works. and how to use 1t p
mot very much, guess" he an
swered. "Would it help me any with
this mixed-up stznff = did? Father
says memory tricks are no good, for
he has tried them-
"And your father is right. have
looked into several so-called 'mnemonic
systems, too, and found them about as
helpful as the old scheme Of sprinkling
salt on a birds tail IN order to catch it.
Hut little sound knowledge and COM
mon sense will help you a great deal.
You couldn't become a crack athlete
without knowing how to train and keep
yourself in prime condition. These
things are Just as important II you
want to strengthen your memory. Do
you know what the matter is tonight?"
az feel stupid"
"And you are stupid; but that is be-
caus you are tired. and because your
t.. ND hnf Be win
Now. and the fresh air will blow some
OK TIN, fog on those dates you are puz-
zliug over. But you can't remember
we'll when you are tired; and have you
had anything to eat?"
IN OF since breakfast: can't study
when I'm stuffed"
mo, nor when you're starved. You
slfould keep yourself well fed with
ptoper amount of simple. wholesome
f6od. e: uactly as if you were training
for a m. itch; and you will really save
time by resting a bit after eating-a
few mint ties at least. Don't you see,
YOU have made every blunder that was
POSSIBLE? Exhausted and hungry and
feverish, Ou are not in fit shape to
learn a spe tling lesson. I wonder that
you haven't forgotten your own name.
.sI'm rath, er glad you didn't ask me
for it." he pl otested. Anyhow, seem
to have forg often all the other names
ever knew
Every likely. Men have actually for
gotten how tep talk under such condi-
lions, Let mes tell you case or two.
The first 1 ha We in mind was the ex-
perience of very noted scientist-but
I won't bother you with any more
names tonight. This man had occasion
to go down intos very deep mine in
Germany. After, time he became
greatly exhauste d,-the heat and con-
fined air contrii buting to this no less
than his exertion.s g. Ordinarily he spoke
the German lang uage with great flu,
ency-though he was an Englishman-
but suddenly he found that he couldn't
remember q word of it; he was forced
to use signs to make his guide under
stand that he wanted to return to the
surface. But after he had rested and
cleared his lungs ard refreshed himself
with food, his Ger man all came back
to him.
II hope some Of my United States
history will come back to me tomor-
row." said the boy.
what seems to you to be the chief
diff1culty?" I asked him.
Things get muddled and mixed up"
he said.
Precisely: and to remember any,
thing clearly you must start with a
perfectly clear impression. If any point
isn't quite clear in the book, make it
clear for yourself, and then you will
never forget it. Make your own tables
and write out your own statements if
you find 1t necessary. With some peo-
pie the act of writing anything down
fixes it in the mind almost indelibly.
"A former Speaker Of the House of Rep
resentatives used to write out on scraps
Of paper whatever he wished to COM
NIT to memory, and then Immediately
threw away the paper; he had no fur
ther need Of it. Unless you write with
wide-awake, intelligent attention to