The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-03
ant things that take UP our brain

0Atk Things NAAdl ~ohO ~ ooA 0AoAAA
Conan Doyle makes his world-fa-
nous hero, Sherlock Holmes. say that
the reason he is able to
many things important in his pro-
fession, is that he at once exDels from
his mind all information that is use
less to him. For instance. he can in
stantly recognize the ashes from almost
any brand of cigar. but the fact that
the earth goes round the sun. instead
of vice versa was not necessary to him
and, therefore, he forgot it as soon as
he had learned it.
1 certainly do not think such COM
plete ignorance of everything outside
ones particular sphere very desirable.
but I do think the ability to unload
ones mind so completely of all unnec
essary memories would be very fine
to possess, and wish Sherlock Holmes
had explained just how he did 1t as
glibly as he explains his other slight
of-mind featS.
Probably he did it by examining his
mind full of the things he did want
to remember.
guess that's the only principle on
which a good "forgettery" can be Gull
tivated-the exclusion of the bad and
useless by the free and full admission
of the good and useful.
In an article on Mental Chemistry
Orison Sweet Marden, the new thought
writer, says:
''That man is truly great who can
rule his mental kingdom, who at will
can master his moods: who knows
enough of mental chemistry to neutral
ize fit of the blues. to antidote any
evil, poisonous thought with the oppo-
site thought just as a chemist neutral
| ICES an acid which is eating into the
flesh; by applying an alkaline anti
| And then he makes this optimistic
prophecy
"The time will come when we shall
find that it is just as easy to counterfeit
an unfriendly, disagreeable, vicious
| thought by turning on the counter
thought as it is to rob the hot water
Of its burning power by turning on the
/ cold water faucet. We shall be able
to regulate the temperature of ou1
thought as the temperature of water
If the water is too hot we simply turn
on the cold faucet. If we feel our brain
heating up with hot temper we shall
4 simply turn on the love thought, the
peace thought, and the anger heat will
be instantly counteracted.''
In the same way I suppose an evi
| remembrance could be counteracteG
by a pleasant one.
I hope his prophecy is a true one.
Why not try to make it so?
| y
ct have always been excessively font
| VI QI1tlIlSs d WOIlan VINO mas Just ful
| filled her hearts desire by acquiring :
| horse. said to me the other day, land al
| ways had so pitifully little of it. Severa
of my Weather neighbors used to hay
carriages, but they took each other .
great deal, and somehow didn't get NOR
than two or three drives IN summer
So now that have team am going t
try very hard to take the people who al.
fond Of driving and don't get much of /,
Il And another thing-there are never goin
to be any empty seats In my carriage
For years have sat on my piazza beaut1
full afternoons and seen carriage afte
carriage go by with one or two empt
seats, and it just used to seem wicked t
me when I wanted SO much to ride s
my carriage is always going to have jus
as much happiness in 1t as there is roor
for, even If I have to call people out 9
the highways and byways to fill up.' 4"
| Do you know think my friend by ths
speech stamped herself as an emfnentI
| successful woman
For whatever his financial standins
| whatever his attachments or achievement
it seems to me that any person has
right to be called success who has bee
able to pluck from his own deprivation
and sufferings and misfortunes such a
: eager desire to have things different IL
| other people.
.tGive to establishing a free lodgin
house-not by a damn sight, stormed
| rich old man to whom had gone to as
for money for such a charity. ST CUES
j people that haven't any place to slee