Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1854-04-07
All Eool'a DaY.

are at lOEBeTneauS Win t1Cn OlneE
upon the origin of this day. and, for part, we
are at ioggerheads with them ALL. They unite, it
IS true, regarding the strange custom as exceed
ingiy antique and admit that it is probably unver-
sal The French, they say, have their April fishes
and the Scotch their gowks, or Cuckoos, as We
have our ApTil fools, and there is reason to be-
lieve, they significantly add, that even the tawny
Hindoos and other semi civilized and savage races
yield to the prevailing law, and consecrate day
to all fools. And yet they t1iH persist in tracing
The custom through the shadowy labyrinths Of his
tory toward some imaginary fountain upon the
heights of time. Some OF them have earnestly
Soug hit its origin in the rude NJ yseneS nd Aorali-
lies OF the middle ages, and even published its
discovery upon ascer aiming that the scene in the
life of Jesus where heis sent from Plate to Herod
and back again from Herod to PLATE was repre-
>ented in April! According 10 these irrevetents
plodders. our Saviour as the first April fool, and
his followers commemorated the joke by yearly
testlVai!e Others have concluded, in default of
everything more definite, that All FOOLS Day NAV
be the remains OF some Koran custom derived from
the East and spread over Europe with the laws
and institutions and conquering Eagles OF the
Eternal City, But as all Tools must have their
day, what(in the name of folly) became of the
fools Of Europe while their day was Shedding lis
beams exclusively upon those dusky fellows in The
East f? Answer us that ye wise-acres. We have ,
even seen All FOOLS Day described parody of
the festival of All Saints Day, as if there were
rot fools long before there were saints and always
a thousand 10 one. 1t would be much nearer the
mark to regard All Saints Day as travesty of the
festival of All FOOLS Day, for saints, compared
with fools, arc a tacilurn and solemn fellowship,
and could never have Independently suggested so
lively and comprehensive festival as that Of Hal
lowtide. ~ ' -tEr
hut however the learned may differ concerning
the origin of this day, have ourselves not
shadow of doubt upon the subject. Its name iln-
ports lis origin in the fitness Of things. In truth,
to look among the accidents OF history for the
source OF a custom hat has prevailed Throughout
Il green earth from its earliest epochs is stretch
of folly worthy of tile theme. Its simple uniyer-
salty suggests necessity, and things winch are ne.
cessary, We all Know, exist by the grace of no nal
try incident in the small ages of the world but
through the force OF intrinsic propiiety: concern
ing them, the much abused woman's reason is The
only phiiosoph icai one-it is enough to say tha.
they are, because they are. All Foops D v then
Is only GENIAL blossoming out OF the pervading
fact that II men have more Il decided touch
OF the fool! If there are any executions we do
not wish to know them-not only because uey
would spoil our theory. but because they are mon
Ste:s OF excellence. 10 be built up so high in
wisdom rs no: 10 catch and enjoy the exquisite
aroma OF folly difTnsed around the general levels
OF humanity is capital mistortune-it is 10 be I'M
Ptlsoned in cold and coloriess perfection, far
above the fears and laughter, the light aud beauty
and rejoicing harmony or life. Even the Hottest
natures or: pierced with the loop holes of Iclly
through Which they constantly escape into the
bright and ,nsPiritlng fields of nonsense, while the
majority OF us freely communicate willthose fields
through folding doors, and rarely leave Ihem ex-
cePt in dreams. or under the spur Of some start
ling exigency.
But though All Fools Day is thus bold recos-
milton OF the fact that the best OF US have "a
speck of the motley, it is especially the festival
oil those largely injected individuals " hose pleas
antty finds expression only in practical tests, and
whose invention even in that line is good but for
single dsy Were 1t not for the ceremonies of
aptlls day the balance. of fun, would, be sadly
against these saturne jokers. But OF this season
custom seems good naturally to lay hold OF the
brighter portion OF man and womanknd, and 10
nan IloK.1
themselves for all The glitering sallies they lave
received during the past twevemonth. II YOU
have expended your wit upon any of them during
that time, look out for characteristic retaliation
iiley VIII resent a singing pun by petsuading YOU
TO SIT down upon pin-lhey will wire oul n
sparkling epithet from their sensbities by iuducs
ing you TO wipe off an imaginary spot from your
lace-they will match asarcastic metaphor with
potato candle, e&tinguish brilliant retort Nv
pouring water into your lamp, cripple winged
eplgEam by tripping your flying feet. All Fool's
Day is indeed the Carnival of ounces. They reyel
through its brief hours in IRRESPONSIBLE dizziness
and perpetrae nnmeasured stupidity with imnnni,
tY. IL is the jabiee of nSolvent wass. Upon its
advent they hasten TO enjoy the benefit OF a kind
oil an intellectual bankrupt law, and pay their
wit by exultCSly certifying that they are destitute
OF The article. 1t is, in breI an amiabje pbnse IF
the great law of compensation, iu which the big
iools confer an honorary degree upU,, the little
ONES, anu an natures equilibrium is preserved.
But we do not yield the festival toholiy to techui-
cal fools, for whose especial behuof it appears
nevertheless TO exist-alihough dedicated 10 them,
1t is The common property of all who are endowed
WIN generous spice oil nonsense. And We bold
with charming Ella, flat she no haiti, not dram
Of folly in his mixture hath pounds of much worse
matter in his composition 1 { therefore GU. read
ers think that anything herein contained excludes
1Lenn or us from the delightful privilege of the
day, they are beautiful troop OF Anil fools ms
ever ; an April morning slone upon Louisville
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