Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1855-08-09
Mistellanp.
Mirthfulness.

feelings and the angry irritation Of men; it
makes them more generous and more Just. 1t
Is more powerful, even with good men, than rea-
son or conscience. When an assembly of men
has become excited and irritable, they are
unjust, implacable, ihtolerant and intoerable.
But let jest fall like bomb in their midst.
exploding in shouts of laughter, and the clouds
lift, the tumult ceases. Mirthfulness is said
to be the DEVILS weapon, but it has exercised
the devil hundred times, where he has made
use oft once. 1t is this which brings an or
ator into direct and powerful sympathy with
his auditors it is like controlling the servants
in the castle gate. 1t wings his rebuke, and
makes them patient under its inhictioH 1t is
more reasonable than reason, giving it clear
atmosphere for its energy, and it works more
powerfully for conscience than conscience it.
self.
The cares of life are rendered less poignant
by mirthfulness. Care is human devil it
is like a dried, wrinkled apparition in the
house of fear. Sorrows are noble, and en-
nobling, but care is an evil hag. 1t has neither
faith, nor hope, nor love- 1t touches the path
of misfortune with blight, and rests upon the
sensitive soul like mildew upon flowers 1t
curses poverty with weariness, and it stands
forth mildewed and blasted Sorrows hath
slain its thousands, but care its tens of thou
sands. 1t is the rust that hath tarnished and
eaten the blade. Sorrows are like princes
that have dug wells in the desert for those that
have came after them, surrounded by trees
and herbage-for true heart never suffers for
itself alone, but care throws gravel into the
machinery, and fills the air with dust. Cursed
be care, and lei all the people sag Amen. Let
those who wear its sackcloth, rend it from
them let those it has compelled to wear its
girdle, loose it from them. 1t is an migrate
full murmurer, il changes honest groans into
mutterings. Cursed be care, in the shop, in
the street, in the hut, in the field, and in the
mansion. And blessed be the bright exorcis-
or, if there be such, that hath the power 10
Danish from among US, and destroy it forever.
Hail the spirit of mirth, which giveth light TO
the eye, hope to the heart, and strength to the
hand. Under its benign influence the heart
can rest in Providence, in gratitude and trust,
and say Our Father'-an art which fear new
er knew.
1t is mlsapprehension of mirthfuness to
mistake it for its outward manifestation
There is a difference between mirthfulness and
earnestness, yet they are by no means incom-
patible. The danger of thought is excess
non-elastic earnestness-and mirthfulness is
the guardian of the faculty. Earnestness is
the cold, blue, steel lip upon the aze; it may
be tempered with gaiety, and still retain its
cutting edge. 1t is no valid objection to mirth-
fulness, that it has been found with the vic
ious. There is no part of man God took the
trouble to put into him, in order to make man
take the trouble to put it out. The same mu-
sical tones which soothed Cleopatra in her
barge, were employed by the bard of Israel in
singing praises to God.
Mirthfulness is supposed to be inconsistent
with sobriety, and this is great recommenda-
ton. The sobriety of Holy Writ was not the
keeping of the tongue in minor key it was
sobriety against revels-revels of wine. If
mirthfulness will destroy the monkish sobrie-
ty of the present day, then throw wide open
the doors of the soul, and drive sobriety
to the coverts of despair. The surest road to
levity is unwise parental checks. Happiness
is wholesome and medicinal, and children
reared to mirthfulness are less liable to temp
tation. A faculty shut up is like closed
room it grows mildewed and miasmatic. 1t
is one of the avocations of mirthfulness to
keep the soul open TO Gods sunlight. There
is danger in all methods, but there is nothing
SO good for the young as cheerful occupation,
and the utmost liberty possible. All wrongs
are to be checked, yet even these restraints Of
wrong should be restrained. Life and buoy
ancy are less dangerous when not confined
among bones and sepulchral dust.
The root of ascetism is the belief that joy is
pernicious and that pleasures are temptations.
Conscientious men easily become ascetic and
our fathers retained asceiism in its most cruel
form-the mental. They were through gen
erations the renowned minority. The corrup-
tions of courts impelled them to the belief that
refinement was against truth, and they re-
nounced BOTH The infamous Court of Charles
the Second made them sick Of mirthfulness,
and they declared it to be baptized in sim
Tney made it so vile to be witty, that an ear
nest and pure minded man shrunk from it ike
the leprosy. We regard the result and revere
their motives. 1t was better to be unright in
their day, than to be right and fall into the op-
posite error. 1t said our Saviour often wept,
but never smiled What authority Is there
for this legend of dark superstition lie be-
lieved the Saviour often smiled himself, and
was the cause of smiles and happiness in 9TH
ers. He found evidence of both in the histo-
rv of Christ. Laughter is not the effect Of
the highest wit, as tears are not the effect of
the highest grief.
A man should be something else than a
-L:-aI and even were he onlv cuttinr in