Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 42.djvu/527

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NUMBER FORMS.
509

4 = a young lady, same characteristics as 2, but is calm, more quiet, studious, a home girl.

5 = a society girl, a policy girl, is always favored, has everything she wants; selfish; does not care how much trouble she makes other people; not always truthful.

6 = a young man, plain, matter-of-fact person, slow, good; will never amount to more than the average.

7 = a sort of villain; a schemer; dresses well, has polished manners, a good talker, bad habits; has a certain sense of honor; is able, but does not use his ability in the right direction; clearcut features, tall, dark.

8 = a lecturer or clergyman; good, solemn, careful, very pious.

9 = a lady, hair rather gray, tall, soft low voice, sweet face, very well educated, dresses in soft colors; a truly refined woman.

No explanation of these peculiar associations could be offered. Each person arose in a distinct mental image whenever the corresponding digit was thought of. One notices, of course, that we have here the prevailing types of mankind as seen by a young girl. I have recently found another case quite similar. Here, also, the subject is a young woman, and she can give no explanation of the origin of her associations. In hearing or reading long numbers rapidly, she says that she does not have time to see the mental pictures, but single numbers, especially if written by herself, instantly call them up. The associations are as follows:

1 is without definite character, as is also 8, with the exception that the former reminds me of a short person, and the latter of a very stout person, but neither has sex or other characteristics.

2 is always a graceful woman, beautifully dressed. She is slender, with a beautiful delicate face.

3 is a chubby little girl, with dark eyes and bright quiet ways.

4 is a plain woman, rather tall, with pale hair brushed tightly back from a severe face. She is dressed very plainly, and the lines of her figure are angular. She is abstinent, intolerant, and hard to get along with.

5 is a man, dark, medium height, dressed in gray clothes. He is a business or professional man, successful and not particularly intellectual. 5 is always associated with the color gray.

6 is a pleasant-faced woman, medium height and stature, with hair brushed back plainly, and with quick, quiet ways. She is dressed plainly and neatly, and always looks pretty. She is an excellent housekeeper, and I think of her as engaged in household duties. I do not know the color of her hair.

7 is a man of quite opposite type from 5. He is very tall and dark, of musical or poetic temperament. I don't know how he is dressed, except that his whole figure is dark as I imagine him.