Show DO WE EVER FORGET 7 cultivation of tho lio BI einor the need of severn severe discipline the quality of the mind which we call memory has ix been en well avell lil likened enad t to 0 as a storehouse tor ey into which have been thrust without any definite order or arrano arrangement precious iliin alinga 3 and worthless things lings ti priceless treasures and useless rubbish the mechanical task of selecting from the conf confused lacap la a particular thins thing which is needed is called an effort of the memory but should rather be called an arousal or excitation of the memory for i ii is all but certain that from the vast storehouse nothing ever disappears nothing is ever lost only when we cannot ind and just what we nye want at the time we want it we ave say py we have forgotten it may be a bold assertion to say that we never forget that i is 4 that nothing ir is ever abOl absolutely lost beyond the possie possibility clity of recollection or reg re gathering it as aa the word bearis but the i facts acts bear out the claim that in hi the lie strict sense of the word we ave never forgot forget it is a common expression to say that one person lias has it a much imer finer memory all mother another but it only means that the one ona has tho the power of selecting and arranging which wh ch tile other lias has tie never ver cultivated or which lias has become weakened through disease it is undoubtedly that some have a hio higher her natural power of this kind hind just ajust as some mens muscles are naturally stronger than others but tile the faculty exists in all who are of sound mind and can certainly be cultivated to a degree winch seems extraordinary to those who have never looked into or t thought hought upon the subject cultivation of the art of memory which by tile way is a singularly ext exact expression for the process is a matter li latter upon much thou thought lit and attention have been bestowed and as to which opinions i have widely differed the alie literature cr of lims has become very extensive and many system of artificial memory have boon been devised to help those whose ideas and associations lack sequence and who do not know liow how to set about the task of recollecting dut but all these are outside the real idea of cultivating the memory they are aids to an unused or untrained faculty nothing in more they are am simply the application tio ii of mechanical force to help out a 3 weak or enfeebled muscle they are not the muscle itself the memory can be cultivated strengthened made efficient and accurate ain in only one way by systematic and persistent insistent Isi stent exercise it does docs not differ in ia this respect from illy any other human f faculty 1 c it whether of mind or body ducle J t i cly and intellect are subject to tha same rules and the same conditions use astren strengthens disuse ir weakens eakens an li hi efficient feeble memory must be put pat under lidid discipline pline and exercise systematically and especially usiel used in those directions direction in in which it is most defective memories 3 differ very widely as to the th objects which they grasp with ease or difficulty one remembers dates with inaccuracy accuracy another is always uncertain about cabout tham one remembers faxes perfectly another always confuses them one remembers the alie sequence of events another is never absolutely certain as to historic lii order or precedence one recollects only the gravest and most important affair 3 another only froth and nonsense each case of uncertain or defective memory c calls 3 for his own treatment and that is severe discipline A 1 poor memory tor for dates can call be made better by hard study of y the useless faculty of remembering trivial things can bo be cured by an exclusive study of mattery of consequence we have said mid that the natural memory differs widely in different people and history many incidents of persons remarkable for the strength of their memories lut tile the wonderful feats performed by these only establishes the truth of tile the general proposition that we never really forget anything just as remarkable instances of muscular develop ment demonstrate the latent power of the muscle and show the extent to N w aich the forces of th t human body may be increased san francucci franci ico chronicle clu |