-Copyright, 1911 by the Star Company. wat Britain Rights Reserve.
Why We
1DST FORGET
To Keep from
GOING INSANE
THE child who, when asked what memory la, re
plied. "It's what you forget with " was much
nearer right thanH generally supposed. We
do actually forget far more than we bring Into con
sciousness, and that is what Is called memory.
There Is no memory sense, nor does memory consti
' jtute a special faculty of the human organism. The
physiological explanation of memory Is not difficult, but
Its method of working Is far from being so simple.
Every Impression plants a memory, or, to speak in
the words of the scientists, every nerve agitation has
am effect upon the growth of the nerve-strand and
changes the brain cells at the centre to which the
nerve runs. An act of memory is simply making the
nerve-strand and cell work backward and reproduce
what was Introduced Into It from without
" You see a friend to-day and talk with him, and
when In the evening you are asked, "Well, whom did
you see to-day?" the very question brings up the pic-
Mental Power Depends Upon NOT CONTINUALLY REMEMBERING All We See and Hear
ture of that friend. At the same time the cells of the
brain that were engaged, in the conversation begin to
reproduce the thoughts uttered then you are remem
bering the conversation.
But you had forgotten even that you had met this
friend until asked the question, and had probably not
thought of what had been discussed until you recalled
his name and thought of the Ideas that had been ex
changed with him.
The entire brain Is filled with these memories, or,
rather, each cell has an impression which it is ready to
reproduce when called upon. It might be compared
with the disk of a phonograph which has received mil
lions of impressions, and when the proper place is
reached by the needle (that is, when we call upon that
cell to utter its impresston) It echoes what was re-
celved possibly twenty or thirty years ago.
All this time the cell has been holding Its thought,
waiting to be called upon to reproduce it This thought
while kept ready for reproduction is what science calls
"below the threshold of consciousness." We had the
thought, but were not conscious of it until it was
raised to the level of consciousness.
What then, makes the difference between good
memories and bad? Why Is It that one person can re
member easily and another forgets absolutely? Why
Is the forgetful person unable to bring back to con
sciousness something which passed through his brain
years before? Let us see.
There Is a great difference between brains. Their
physical matter is precisely the same, as far as science
can determine, but the power of reproducing thoughts
varies between individuals and In the same Individual
at different times.
The power of reproduction Is in proportion to the
distinctness and depth of the first
impression. Some persons have a
power of receiving Impressions
more vividly, and, of course, these
reproduce more perfectly.
While you are young the train
Is not filled with Impressions; yon
are eager for every new thought
and you concentrate your attention
upon each thought as it is received.
This power of concentration seems
to be like an engraver's tool which
marks the ideas of thoughts more
deeply on the disk of memory, so
that when called upon for repro
duction they emerge clear and dis
tinct, not foggy or confused.
The gaining of the power of con
centration is a matter of training.
One person can read a book ln a
room where many are conversing,
while another person cannot read
a line. The former has the power
of perfect self-direction, and shuts
off the sounds of conversation, fix
log his whole mind upon the words
he is reading; the other lacks that
power. Th$ person who has this
perfect control will remember for
years what the other forgets almost
overnight
There is another line of training
which goes te make the perfect
memory, and that is training in ob
servation. Some persons do not see what Is going on
about them because they do not fix their minds upon It
Others, as we say, "take It all In" and they keep tt as
well.
Thereason that the old person says 1 can remem
ber what happened twenty or thirty yean ago better
HOW YOUR MEMORY WORKS.
Vlom
(did you
"Too have completely forgotten your friend nnlil
some chance remark brings the memory of your
last meeting with him to conscions life In your
brain. The reproduction of this Impression In
turn revives your forgotten promise to send him a
book.'
than what occurred day before yesterday is easily
explained. When he' was young the cells of his brain
and his nerve-strands were fed with good red blood
and were at the height of their activity, so that It was
easy for a thought to make a permanent Impression.
Houses That Follow the Sun
a i0 build a house with southern exposures
' I on all sides sounds a great deal like
' making a regal coach and four out
of a pumpkin and some mice, as in Cinderella,
bnt this Is really done. Of course the im
possible is not performed, and so all the sides
of the house do not have a southern exposure
at the same moment
The answer Is simple enough, however.
, These houses rest on a sort of turntable, and
may be turned about at any angle or entirely
around. A long while ago one or two such
experiments were tried; but these turn-table
cottages did not seem to be practical. Now,
however, quite a number of villas have been
botlt In Munich and seem to be quite popular.
The solid foundations do not move, natur
ally, but the villas rest upon these founda
tlons with proper turntables, so they may be
turned about A villa built upon a little knoll
or hill can thus be made to follow the sun
around all day, having sunlight in the same
room from sunrise to sunset or the villa
may be turned around so that the sun may
be In the kitchen during the forenoon and in
the living room during the afternoon.
For invalids who need to be In the sun con
stantly such an arrangement allows them to
, rest in their chairs or hammocks on a veran
da from morning until night, with the added
attraction of a change in the landscape every
little while.
These houses are, of course, only villas, or
like our small bungalows, and were first built
as a novelty. Now a number of experts are
studying them to see if it will not be possible
to build something after that pattern for use
of patients in a tubercular colony.
M
YOU MIGHT TRY-
To Remove Match Marks.
ARKS on kitchen walls, which have been caused by carelessly
striking matches on them, will disappear If rubbed with a bit
of lemon and then with a clean cloth dipped In whiting. After
wards wash the Burface with warm water and soap then wipe with a
clean damp cloth.
To Remove a Glass Stopper.
WIEN the stopper of a bottle has become fixed and will not move,
if It Is soaked in vinegar for a few hours and then worked
gently, it will come away quite easily, and there is no danger
of breaking it
Preventing China From Chipping.
HOUSEHOLD china is apt to get chipped at the taps In the kitchen. j
Cut two Bmall pieces from some old garden hose or rubber tub- i
ing, and slip one over each of the faucets at the sink. This
will prevent such accidents.
, which can be recalled at any time by the exercise of
the will or by the call of other similar thoughts. But
-when a person Js old It is as If the wax on the disk of
memory bad become hardened and the impression
made by a thought does not go very deep, and. as a
consequence, recollection is difficult or Impossible.
, No one can explain all about the action of memory,
but It is plain that we are forgetting most of the time
sinking our thoughts below the threshold of conscious
ness, to lie there until wa feel the need of calling them,
up to consclpua life.
This is perhaps the most wonderful power of our
brains. If we were continually conscious of all that
we had ever seen or thought our minds would be in a
tumult and we should go insane.
As at present constituted the mind calls up only
what it needs to remember, and for the time forgets all
else, thus making it possible to work logically and fix
our thoughts upon one subject at a time instead of upon
many million. This arrangement also gives the greater
part of the brain cells time to rest, for if all worked
together the expenditure of nerve energy would be so
goormous that no organism could stand it
We want to remember everything when we want to
and not all the time, and the well-trained mind does
precisely that, It does not go "wool gathering," letting
thoughts arise at random, as they do in dreams when
the will is quiescent
What we call memory Is the most wonderful com
bined activity of brain cells and nerves, but training,
at many points will make It possible even for the aged
to receive as vivid Impressions almost as the young,
and certainly to do far more with the stored-up
memories than the untrained mind. Training comes
from exercise you can not think too deeply.
What Flowers Do for Weary Brains
I t HE3 eyes and the brain of the busy man.
I no matter what kind of work he
follows, become weary and need rest
Just the same as any other part of the human
body.
Nothing has been found In the wide world
that win give weary eyes and a tired brain
more Immediate rest than a few moments
gazing on a pretty bed of bright colored
flowers. The contrast is so great from that
which has occupied the organs until they
were well nigh exhausted, and the effect is
simply marvelous.
Flowers in the home divert the mind and
rest the weary eyes of the housewife and
mother.
A boquet in the sick room aids in keeping
the mind off the disease, and often starts the
brain on a new channel of thought that puts
the patient on the road to recovery.
Flowers in the office, or on the desk of the
weary clerk or stenographer, will produce
such a telling effect that by actual compar
ison more work Is accomplished by those
whose eyes and brains are rested by the
presence of those gifts from nature.-
Artists visit the parks and gardens to study
the flowers, and their orbs are wonderfully
toned up by tha refreshing glimpses of the
colors in nature, and no artist has ever been
successful who does not study colors in the
beautiful flowers.
It will pay any student, or anyone deeply
engrossed In thought along any particular
line which Is apt to make the brain weary,
to have a pot of bright flowers on the desk.
Teacfaiofl Girls to Be Sportsmanlike
By Jease F. Williams, they are building up character. It Is a sub-
- R.J i..t-..(-. .i .i tn. t t r. . . conscious building. We do not preach loyalty
Read Instructor of the Physical Department of to tte,r co,lege themBelve8j
Columbia University, words, but by object lessons.
IT Is the spirit behind the game rather than For instance, we never give up playing a
proficiency In the sport itself that we make "ame because one or two important members
the cardinal principle In our athletios at 01 te&m flave fUd us. We play the game
Teacher's College. It Is sportmanship rather eve knowing we have no chance to win. We
than records for which we strive. But do not have Played match games of baseball with
misunderstand me, we go In to win and do, but onIy flv members of the team in the field,
the winning Is of secondary importance to the We would &lay 14 wltn aly batter and pitcher
formation and development of character. rather tnan lve u How doe" this teach
Many of the most valuable lessons of life are loyalty Suppose a game of baseball was
taught on the athletic field: self control, cour- scheduled for a certain Saturday afternoon,
age, courtesy, loyalty, responsibility. 11 happens to be a delightful October day and
' , . . , A1 , .... , several of the team prefer to go to the theatre
The girl who learns these lessons while play- or to shop or have made engagements of
Ing baseball or basket ball is victorious, al- some sort that preclude their being at the
though she never makes a home run or a goal. same.
We develop athletes, but more than all "we na "tu l c"ee hey fln
" " game was played without them and probably
Jevelop character on our athletlo fields and lost to the visiting team. "But why did you
In our gymnasiums. This is, of course, not not postpone It?" they will ask. And they get
te.. The athletio training for boys has long tnelr flr8t les80D- In responsibility when we ex
leen based on this principle. plain that we were in honor bound to play the
vwuwyio. game because we had promised to. We had as
The general belief that girls are not sports- a team, as a unit, assumed a responsibility and
manlike, that they are poor losers, that they we neld to !t- Tnls teaches those who stayed
i not alwava "dIrt the nmi" fa not ntlr! away loyalty responsibility, and to those
tjo not always play the game is not entirely who went bravely lnto wnat they knew woul(,
true. Fundamentally, girls and boys, men and be a losing game it teaches courage. It is, by
aomen are not unlike in this respect Many the way, only at the beginlng of the college
Sf the same attributes are in both sexes, but year betore the new students have the real
they lie dormant through lack of cultivation i
came as the result of an unusual play, but she
falls. She does not meet her responsibilities,
you see. This is forcefully explained at the
time and not only the girl herself, but her
team mates receive a lesson in loyalty and re
sponsibility which will affect their future ao-
A. J i 1 .4... . -
uoq on ue auwetic Held as well as in Ufa
er use. sportmanahlp is one of these quali
ties. Girls have had no chance to develops It
Man has played games for centuries.
may weaken our side in a contest but those
left to bear the brunt never refuse to "play
the game."
Loyalty is shown In other ways. Personally
I do not think that too much can be made of
But Just what is sportmanship T Can it tnls characteristic. My philosophy is that so
be defined or Is It an elusive something that ag aa per80n ls meniber of any organisa-
'' i v, iin . . . . . , tlon, be it a team, a college or what not, ho
we feel but can not logically explain or define? 8hould be abBolutely loyal Bln word and aeedi
True sportsmanship cannot be defined in words, should show loyalty under the most trying con-
the man, the person. Is really the deflnatlon ditions, should not "knock" his fellows or his
of the word. For instance, we say that the leader aQd should support his organization
,imninn VfT , . u with all his prowess. This is the kind of
tennis champion. McLoughlin, is a thorough ,oyaltjr w try t0 teftca at Columbia to our
sportsman, but we do not really put in words girls.
: Just what we mean. Wo feel, however, that What ls it that brings a boy or man to the
he is a man of courage, couftesy, loyalty and football -field or to the diamond every day,
. , . , . . . even when he knows that he ls not going to
truth, that he Is a good loser, a kindly victor. piay and that, perhaps, he may never have a
that he has great self-control; else he would chance to play in a big game? What ls it that
not occupy his present high estate. brings him to the Bide lines day after day
. dressed in his playing clothes? What keeps
Therefore, when. we speak of sportmanship him from cutting away and having a good time
; we have la our minds not the definition of the town? Loyalty to his class, his team, himself.
' word but the figure of a man representing it Thls 'eeling of loyalty and responsibility is
wr a ,oi, j. .v.. " strong in girls; the Irresponsibilities have,
W do not think so much of what records the however been of a vastiy different nature for
man has made but of what he ls. The athlete's centuries and it takes sometimes months of'
triumph" over speed and space, his ability to training to make them realize that there is a
throw straight and far, his prowess on the responsibility In play as well as In work, that
gridlronj.re not foremo.t in our mind, when t&SSSSSSi. W"'
we speak of his sportsmanship. I ben0V6 that with every opportunity comes
- It ls this spirit, therefore, that we keep ever responsibility. The worker, the athlete, who
,. i tha. nh!oni . fa" to seiee that opportunity, shows a lack of
fa the foreground In the physical education of reBp0nllbllity. on the athletio field, for In
cur girl students. While they believe that they Btance, a girl may have a chance to make a ,
are building up stronger bodies we know that goal, she does not grasp It, perhaps because it
At th
begins to take an Interest in athletics she
naturally wants and expects to be on one of the
teams, she does not make it but is told that
she may Join the practise games and that she
may have a chance later to take a substitute's
place. Being perfectly human, and therefore
not perfect she does not take the suggestion
kindly or seriously, she stays away from the
games entirely or sulks along the side lines in
everyday clothes rather than in her playing
costume. This is one of the commonest act
of disloyalty toward her classmates among the
uew siuaents.
There is no natural gang spirit among girls.
As a child, the normal girl plays single plays,
plays for which only one companion or per
haps two is needed. She plays dolls, bouse,
or If older, reads her story books. Boys on the
contrary are natural gangsters. They love to
flock together. They follow a leader naturally.
This quality is in feminine nature as well as
in the masculine, but It is only recently being
brought forth or developed. But boys and
men have had to be trained Just as much as
girls, only their training has been going on
for generations, perhaps centuries. The old
troubadours, for instance, were sportsmen, they
had the quality which we are bringing forth
to-day In our girls and which is considered
to be "natural" to boys. But it is not
"natural." When the new Bystem of athletics
became included in the schools of the country
it was found that boys lacked this highest
sportsmanship, they went into the game for the
record alone, let come what would, not for the
spirit It is but natural, therefore, that we
should be going through Ahe same phase with
girls, who started practically two generations
later. We used In America to lay our em
phesis in the training of both boys and girls
upon the development f character. No mere
records will suffice unless school athletics
are making better citizens, from the stand
points of loyalty, honesty and responsibility,
they are failures.
Girls learn self-confidence on the athletic
field. They learn to lose sight of themselves,
which la the truest self-confidence.
To go Into a game with fewer members on
their team than on their opponent's, and to
fight bravely, gives the fighters a self-confidence
that nothing else can give. The girls
"find themselves" speedily under such condi
tions. They have to, else they could not play.
I would not say, however, that' In every In
stance responsibility to others In an athletio
contest presupposes a permanent sense of re
sponsibility to others throughout life. This is
a form of faculty psychology no longer be
lieved in, but I do believe that In many cases
It helps a lot The person who proves her
responsibility in small things Is apt to prove
them In the larger things of life.
Aside from self-control, as ordinarily ex
pressed, the modern system of athletics
teaches a girl to take open criticism grace
fully. Girls inherently resent criticism. Boys
on the contrary not only take it but seem to
expect it
In athletics this criticism ls absolutely
necessary. It is all part of the game and the
girl who does not overcome her sensitiveness
will never develop the true sportsmanship.
But why this difference? It lies, I think. In
the fact that the feminine nature makes every
thing personal. Incidents, criticisms, deeds,
that to a boy or man are general, are to a girl
personal. "-
While naturally without the gang spirit girls
readily acquire it when properly led. There
is nothing In life so well calculated to develop
leadership as athletics. The development of
leadership goes hand In hand with the de
velopment of team work.
I do not want anyone to think that the de
velopment of the true sportsmanship means
the development of a race of mollycoddles.
We believe In fair play and Insist upon it, but
we also play to win and play as hard as we
can. Slugging? Well, slugging a not a fem
inine accomplishment! We have won a good
many games at Teacher's College and Barnard
without It but we are by no means mollycod
dles. Girls who are determined to make a
goal at basketball are as emphatic in their
plays as boys they forget frequently that they
belong to the "gentler sex!" It is this that
develops the give and take attitude. In ath
letics as well as In everything else life ls a
game of give and take. Girls speedily learn
to take as good as they give.
That there are no purely physical actions ls
never more clearly proven than on the gym
nasium floor or the outdoor field. Mind and
body are one, else of what use to found our
athletics on the higher plane? Why not de
pend' solely on brute force? Neither are there
purely mental acts. Our actions affect our
thoughts Just as surely as our thoughts affect
our actions. This is why we place sportsman
ship far and beyond the winning of records.
If we play a straightforward victorious game
of football our mental attitude will be affected
by that game for hours afterward.
And this is true of dancing We have large-
classes in folk and national dances, but we do
not teach the new steps that have recently
called forth much criticism. Dances inevi
tably affect the mental state. If one dance
a Jolly folk dance, the mental attituder for
the hours following it will be brighter and
Jollier than if one dances a stately solemn
measure. The dance may be used to induce
attitudes of mind and if one knows what is
desirable In the dance, one can get satis
factory mental attitudes.
There are still conservatives who fear that
devotion to athletics means a lowering of the
feminine standard, that there Is something un
womanly in battling for a ball on a green field.
Conventions produce such feeling. If athletics
are properly coached and supervised there
Is no boss of Inherently womanly traits, but
real gain in qualities very desirable in woman
hood. Some athletio girls are masculine, I admit
but are they not athletes because they were
primarily masculine In their tendencies?
A girl who becomes a sportsman need lose
none of her desirable feminine qualities, but
. J?ay and doe l0M many that are not desirable.
Hep Streak of Luck
(J KNOW yon won't b!lv mo,"
Plaintively bgan the youn
woman who was crocheting
tho bedspread, Nobody with a par-,
tide of common sense would believe
me, but that dinner party I gavo on
the isth of the month was a real
party. Occasionally when I think of
It th affair aeemi like on of those
moving pletur dreams that cause you
to wonder how on earth they made
the films.
"If I hadn't tried to bo io stylleh
and act Ilk an etiquette book hostesa
It wouldn't have been ao bad, for then
my auesti could have shared my sor
row with me. I made the fatal mis
take of attempting to conceal my
hysteria under a set smile and by pre
tending that thla- world we live In
ls a happy little place and that I wu
having a really delltrhtful time.
"I had modestly aatd when I in
vited the Canatows and the Amsleye
that we would have the chickens sent
over from the farm In Michigan.
"So when I reached homo at
o'clock the night of the dinner and
found the cook hanging over the
front gate waiting for me with the
news that the chlckena had not come
I waa somewhat upaet
"The atores In our aaburb cloae with
great promptness at o'clock, but by
doing a ilarathon I reached the
butcher shop Just as the man waa
locking up. There I purchased some
cold storage fowls that I knew every
one would recognise aa cold storage.
And after my country chlckea boasts,
tool
DISCOVBnED.
"Tearing madly through the back
yon can. to the grocer's! He Uvea
over his store! Get some canned
oup If you have to use your flats oa
him.'
"Then I went back languidly to my
wondering guest and kept on aotlng
aa If everything was going beautiful
ly. I think the hardest possible
thing to do ls to act aa If nothing ia
happening when people axe atarvtng
to death uefore your eyee aad staring
at you reproachfully.
"Finally, after millions ef years, a
perfectly Impassable faced aerving
man, who didn't In the least look as
though he had been engaged In hold
ing up an honest grocer. Announced
dinner1.
"I thought at flrat It was my emo
tion that made the soup taste ao
queer, but afterward I found that the
man had got a can of clam bouillon
and a can of tomato aoup, and they
didn't aeem to mix well. He had not
noticed the unusual character of this
combination In hla excitement
"Then Mrs. Canstow began to be
aympathetlo, which waa very hard to
bear. She conveyed In the moat deli
cate manner the feeling that of
course she realised my dinner was a
failure, but that nothing leas could
have been expected, since I was the
person riving It That woman has
tne moat uncanny habit of alwaya
having things absolutely perfect If
he'd only make a failure now and
SSL1 couM srow -ult 'ol ot her.
The next thing that happened was
?h .1d "vsr in the pantry.
John, with a resigned sigh, rose from
hla seat and faded Into the back re.
fro" .vTh! ,e,?:ln nn. nervous
l.Ti " ot the -evening,
bad let the cork of the champagne
?.tiV2p Ut ?nd ha,f in
tents had escaped, so John knew If
ne wanted to save the aecond bottle
hed have to go and attend to it
himself. Still I maintained my per
fect calm and silently dared Mra
Canstow to notice anything.
LIKE SAWDUST.
streets and alleys for fear I ahoulJ
meet some of my gueata and they
would notice the ejblcken lega pro
truding from my bundles, I reached
home and fell Into my dinner dreaa.
The man I alwaya have to serve at
dinners waa on hand preparing the
table, and I talked with feverish
brightness to the Canatowa and Ami.
leya aa 7 o'clock arrived and passed.
"Then my husband, whom X had
not been able to warn, began signal
ing to know" why dinner waa not an
nounced. Jast then X was oalled to
the kitchen and found the cook In a
violent rage.
."Thfl seoond girl In some manner.
In endeavoring to help, had thrown out
the soupl It was cream mushroom
aoup at that I And X nad mostly ex
pected It to make a hit with my
guests! ' ..,'.'
"X fixed : theservlng man with a
stern eye. 'Run I hissed, 'as fast as
"The chicken waa like aawAna I.
my mouth, and I waa firm in my be
lief that the cook had put olnnamon
In the aalad dressing Instead of mua
tard. However, I gritted my teeth
and kept my eye figuratively on the
end of the evening and tried to kee!
Jntrya,gnh,tn1nreUanln t0" "
. 2dy 3KUnip and pia th,na- Mo of
U".uhd t0 what waa thefrouble.
"The gaa stove oven had blown i
because the freneled cook had Teft it
turned on for thirty wlnutea within
lighting lt-at.4 lwlah you oouTd hi"
hiV A, cVi?ITl? a,rtUUo ainer li
which the cheese and crackera. whioh
were supposed to be toaatlng. wire
plastered over the walls.
"However, it waa a relief not to
have to pretend any longer, I Just
told them all about everything and
the awful strain I had been under,
and then wa peacefully ate what was
left of the dinner.' At least I did.
with my guilty secret off my mlndT"
"As for the 18th of the monthput
me down aa a strong believer In dark,
eat auperstltlonl"
C9