, that something is to be done,
that _he_ has something to do; and presently he will make out what
that something is.
A good memory for business depends upon local, well arranged
associations. The man of business makes an artificial memory for
himself out of the trivial occurrences of the day, and the hours as
they pass recall their respective occupations. Children can acquire
these habits very early in their education; they are eager to give
their companions an account of any thing they have seen or heard;
their tutors should become their companions, and encourage them by
sympathy to address these narrations to them. Children who forget
their lessons in chronology, and their pence tables, can relate with
perfect accuracy any circumstances which have interested themselves.
This shows that there is no deficiency in their capacity. Every one,
who has had any experience of the pleasure of talking, knows how
intimately it is connected with the pleasure of being listened to. The
auditors, consequently, possess supreme power over narrative
childhood, without using any artifice, by simply showing attention to
well arranged, and well recollected narratives, and ceasing to attend
when the young orator's memory and story become confused, he will
naturally be excited to arrange his ideas. The order of _time_ is the
first and easiest principle of association to help the memory. This,
till young people acquire the ideas of cause and effect, will be their
favourite mode of arrangement. Things that happen at the same time;
things that are said, thoughts that have occurred, at the same time,
will recur to the mind together. We may observe, that ill educated
people continue through life to remember things by this single
association; and, consequently, there is a heterogeneous collection of
ideas in their mind, which have no rational connection with each
other; crowds which have accidentally met, and are forced to live for
ever together.
A vulgar evidence, when he is examined about his memory of a
particular fact, gives as a reason for his remembering it, a relation
of a number of other circumstances, which he tells you happened at the
same time; or he calls to witness any animate or inanimate objects,
which he happened to see at the same time. All these things are so
joined with the principal fact in his mind, that his remembering them
distinctly, seems to him, and he expects will seem to others,
demonstration of the truth and accu
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