My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

—MY EARLIEST MEMORIES 17a little further on the road, the little church of Llanbadockand the stone stile into the churchyard, thefishermen and their coracles, the ruined castle, itswinding stair and the delightful walk round its topall come before me as I recall these earlier days witha distinctness strangely contrasted with the vagueshadowy figures of the human beings who were myconstant associates in all these scenes. In the houseI recollect the arrangement of the rooms, the Frenchwindow to the garden, and the blue-papered room nwhich I slept, but of the people always with me inthose rooms, and even of the daily routine of ourlife,I remember nothing at all.I cannot find any clear explanation of these factsin modern psychology, whereas they all become intelligiblefrom the phrenological point of view. Theshape of my head shows that I have form and individtialitybut moderately developed, while locality^ideality, colour, and comparison are decidedly stronger.Deficiency in the first two caused me to take littlenotice of the characteristic form and features of theseparate individualities which were most familiar tome, and from that very cause attracted less closeattention ; while the greater activity of the lattergroup gave interest and attractiveness to the everchangingcombinations in outdoor scenery, while thevaried opportunities for the exercise of the physicalactivities, and the delight in the endless variety ofnature which are so strong in early childhood, impressedthese outdoor scenes and interests upon mymemory. And throughout life the same limitationsof observation and memory have been manifest. Ina new locality it takes me a considerable time beforeI learn to recognize my various new acquaintancesindividually ; and looking back on the varied scenes