The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-01-12

remember it far more easily. lessons could be increased in length, and time saved in the school course. In short, lessons should never be given out by paragraphs. or pages, or chapters, but by topics. A history class should not be told to take from page TO to page 1s0, but to take 'Burgoyne's Campaign for instance, or The Settlement of Vir- ginia.'"
 The speaker read Thurlow Weeds ac- count of the way he developed his memory.
 My memory was originally sieve said the famous statesman. Faces, names and facts dribbled through it like water. I said to my wife. ''Kath- life. never can succeed in politics be- cause my memory is so poor" She said, You must train your memory" !" So began each night to devote fifteen minutes to recalling all that had hap pened during the day. I found that when began that could not remem- Der what I had for breakfast. After I had been at it a few weeks my wife said, Suppose you recall these things to me aloud. My interest in the recital will stimulate your own and render the operation less monotonous." Having great respect for my wife's judgment, I then and there instituted a comics sional, which has lasted for fifty years. Every night during that period rela- ted to my wife everything that had happened during the day. every person I had ment what had said to him, and what he had said to me; every letter l had written and what I had put in it. To this practice owe the possession of memory hat has been considered of more than ordinary tenacity.'
 Nevertheless, according ta psycholo- gists," said the speaker, "Mr. Weed did not affect his memory at all. It was ! the same old memory. He had strengthened his concentration. Know ig that he had his cofessional awaiting | him that night, he observed every tri- fling incident with more closeness, and the process of the recital enabled him to see them all over again, and fix them yet more closely"
 ! 10 luS IulS SCGbiiSu Sb uAoAiAiS tion without 8 difference. and the short memorized people began to look hap pier.
 "Mr. Weed was observing with pur- pose" said the speaker. ''That made all the difference in the world. Suppose you read dry report with the purpose of getting facts and figures out of it, to use in debate. It is astonishing how much more you will remember from one reading than if you have read il with no purpose. d..8
 No fact was ever remembered in the world except by association with other facts; and the larger the area Of asso ciated facts in the mind the more easily we remember any new fact. Thus some persons have a very good memory along certain lines, and very weak one along others. Thus a successful farmer has large area of associated facts concerning agriculture in his mind. Any new facts concerning agri culture immediately associates i tself with this large cultivated tract, and is quickly and permanently remembered But the same man would be almost cer tain not to remember a fact concerning the Greek language; and very often ht would not remember anything you tolt him about politics or fiance. ..
 We should read, not by books, but by topics. If we are looking up cer tain subject, read what a book contain: on that subject, but not necessarily any moro of the book.
 "All mnemonic systems for strength ening the memory are based on this as sociation of ideas, only in such system! is an artificial association. For in stance, the man who never can remem Der his umbrella is taught to associate umbrella with a door, so that ever, time he sees door he will remember to get his umbrella. Some of us thinl it would be better to lose four or fiv' umbrellas than to have that umbrell; starting up every time we went through door; but, still in the interests O
 economy, it may be useful.
 "Tt is easy to read without an aim and 1t is easy to live without an aim I know the superintendent of an orphan asylum, and he is always telling mi thow impossible it is to inspire the chil dren there, living away from all natu ral environment, with any aim In life New York Thibune.