Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1855-08-08
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The b0w0 10 eueetess after the shower, and
Ne soui light 10 noss brightly when ss;rred
y = 80 thoaght. Chs<1fslness 10 It's sun-
shine. He chose d - the theme OF his
C0mmeneeaent Address u Dastmouth Cob
is1e, y. r., declaring tito be q necessity,
and that they erred who supposed mirth 70 6e
sither low or unmanly, or dangerous, Of in
itself wicked.
The oratien, IS rublished, is full Of point
aad spirit. True. IL battles against tina; stu
pidity which claims 10 be respectable, that
dalinsss which passes for wisdom, and that
ascetic sobriety which make. religion in are
puisise dresa; bat is does 30 in 6ne temper
and With . just purpose.
'Of the soul We know almost nothing. I,
Jet gees muinsd, and looks II and sees, bu,
. itself unseen, undiscovered. Everything
else 10 supposed to conform to exact laws;
but the mind opens, and shuts, and changes,
like the clouds that people the summer Ar.
OF ito scales We know scarcely nothing
The dread Of reducing the soul to material.
iam has made scientific research slow and re-
lucsant. Men submit ali other matters 70 4
test; bat viii not analyxe the faculties Of the
soul. Some Of those faculties become yul-
gar or unfashiouabis. Some are regarded az
rooms totbe shut mp and not orderly opened.
The sober and reverend are haunted with
spectral leyities when sunny mirth - to be
seen 10 :fsm, and do net like to gaze into
them, AZ II it were allied folly, or opposed
to sobristy and good sense.
Mr.. Bsechcr thus describes bis object:
"Mirthfo.ness he understood to be an orig
inal faculty Of the mind, having the power
to give apceuliar quality to any other facul.
" with which it combined. faculty which
like the cuckoo, lives in other faculties nests
1t belongst to that class of faculties which
have no utility except from the ether facui-
ties Of the mind. There can be no defui.
ton of it. No original feeling can be 6efn-
ed. The definition of this would be nothing
more than the individuals opinion Of it,
Mirth mingles with and Influences the intel
lectual faculties and moral attributes, but
seldom consorts with the passions or arpe-
titles. Laughter arises from the perceptive
faculties, those which when tinged with mirth
give everything with which they meet an air
of righteousness. That which is styled re.
fined or intellectual mirth, is combination
Of mirtb with the reflective faculties. 1t is
the result Of disslmilarity of certain things,
upon which the mind is rehecting.''
Mirth and wit are contrasted. The effect
OF wit combined with sarcasm, and of cir
cumspect wit which peeps out from the thin
covering of the lips, but dare not come forth,
are described. Mirth is not suppressed wit;
it IS allied to benevolence; the companion OF
conscience, and lives next door to firmncss.
Mirthfulness 10 one note of the mind enter
ing into combination with every other note,
giving them peculiar qualities, touching with
a generous glow all our thoughts, charging
the affections and even smoothing tho rough
ness of the passions. Hope, benevolence,
love, and cheerfulness, are the very elements
of the atmosphere in which virtue must -four
ish. Indeed, virtue requires pure atmos-
phere az much as the flowers DO. Veneration,
too, should always walk with the angels
Hope and Love on either side, and these
must be fostered by the influence of cheerful
ness.
The faculties Of mans mind, il properly
turned and trained, would surpass the fines,
organ in the world in all its notes and vibra.
tions from the highest note in its power t.
the lowest diapason. 10 considering the ioy,
which those faculties are capable Of jmpart.
ing, it is marvel that any man should eve,
be unhappy. There 10 excitement enough il
the advent Of one morning to give an appre.
ciating spectator more real exquisite pleas.
ure than most men experience in a lifetime
Mirth cannot bring happiness, nor can ex.
element. Moral influences are needed TO,
that; but mirth controls the malign passions
Some suppose, that mirth is tcmpter to thu
devil, but said Mr.. B. think it exercise
him an hundred times where it tempts hin
once.
Among the many devils which possess man
he said, the devil care is the most trouble
some. He is q low-browed parsonage ant
seeks no good. Sorrows are ennoblinc. bu
not so care. 1t has no faith, nor hope, no,
trust, nor love. 1t posters the whole OF life
1t broods troubles and trials until the su,
can never clear them up. When it touches
labor, it becomes weary. 1t touches povert,
audit stands forth widowed like blaste;
corn. Sorrow hath slain its thousands, bu
care has slain its tens Of thousands. 1t il
the rust that has furnished and eat the blade
Sorrows are like the princes in the East. VIII,
dug wells in the wilderness for those wht
come after them, but care only digs the pits
Cursed be care, and let all the people sa,
Amen. Loud applause.) Let those VIII,
wear its sackcloth take it Of, and let thos
who have buckled it to their girdles put i
far from them. What does cnre do? 1t doe,
nothing but throw gravel among the Machine
ry and dust in the eyes, and converts tn,
honest sorrow Of bereaved heart into sell
fish murmurings and dissatisfaction. Ours
ed be care in the field, in the street, in tn,
hut and in the mansion, and blessed be tn,
spirit Of mirth that brings with it light to tn,
eye, hope to the heart and strength to tn
hand. (Applausc.)
1t wise men were generally little NOR,
mirthful, perhaps there might not be SO man,
fools. Tue scriptures ipculeate no lard fea
tarea and cullen sobriety. Cheerfulress il
wholesome. Laughter itself might be q laed
lcine. God did not make man naturally
cheerful to be morose.
Since labor must be the lot of the great
est portion of men, it is desirable to rescu,
it from its curses, by the influence of mirth
assisted BY clear conscience and inspiret
by hope. This is the peculiar necessity o.
Northern labor, which, as it is industrious
patient, untiring and enterrrising, is reward
ed by SUGGESTS liberal to its fellows. NJ
royal liege ever received more perfect ODE
dience to its laws than Northern labo,
awards to its ruling government. The prin
opal elements of labor hero are solid, sub
stantial and good but they lack the oongeni
atty of mirth. The minds of our peopl,
are ever anxious and restless for the future
hoping, and seeking future social position
and superiority. They are always in a stat,
Of feverish excitement, and instead Of eat
ing, "feed' q eur engine men would steam.'
But the laughing face is not there. TIL,
merchant thinks smiling countsnsnce doe.
him no credit, and even the petty clerk imag
ines that the least deviation from steady 90.
briefly lessons his chance for promotion
Men are like Instruments, they 70 very vel
now but would 60 little better if they wer.
oiled little. II would not do to make tn,
shop . theatre Of buffoonery, or to substitut,
quips and quirks for industry, hut it would
be vol to employ cheerfulness to strengthen
tho bonds Of acquaintance and friendship. in
their daily lives, and if it were tried, mer
would find that il was profitable, that il
would pay.
Literary nen need mirth; they receive 4
diploma and indigestion at the same time
They want muscular education, as laborine
men want intellectual education. Our intel.
!ecsual men resemble heavy ordinance mount.
ed on weak gun carriages, which, after the
first three or four discharges fall with the
heavy artillery to the ground. Mirth would
relieve, and might save them.
There are many notions about religion
which mirthfslness will remedy better than
ANYTHING else. The tvinO mn tha faai;cr :.