New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-09-22

ANU
It is very singular to observe how almost every Of
foft made ~ man tends, ethe directly Or indirectly
to securing for himself amnlerasnt, in some shape
Or another.
The xeteral sidea conveyed " the word is not IL
eperis, one. bt contracted thereffom and confined
within artificial limits. 70 the majority Of men it
srnies lie broad laugh Of robust cachnation conse
c1ent upon well told story, well pointed joke or
some iaughterprovoking incident. There is species
Of amusement ii This style Of thing, but is more
properly described - mirth Or hnm0ur They, to be,
sirs, cannot exist without amusement, but amuse-
fnsrss ~ b fully and truly experienced without
them. As every word in every language has some
shsdecf meaning peculiarly belonging to ITSELF this
one is distinguished from its pseudosynonymes by .
milder and more softened sense Of the same sensa-
ton Of which they treaty. feeling that has no
outward expression no visible result.
Amusement may be derived from watching the
growth Of bud, che falling Of water, the curious
colofs Of an autumn leaf changing with the chansin
months. It may be derived from tracing the con-
Meeting links between our language and another;
from into the philosophy Of the refracton Of
light from disentegrating the hardest rock, and solv
ing the sphynx question Of its composition. In all
these things there is no food for mirh or laughter
for humor. II is downright hard labor and drudgery
the very antipodes Of amusement if the amusing
object and result is suhstracted from the TOLL and the
labor is made TO stand by itself. As Dr.. johnson
well and critically remarks, there is in amusement
something less lively than diversion and something
less important than pleasure. Trifles light as air
may divert The result Of great BATTLE or the CON
duct Of great argument, may please. Neither, how
ever can be properly said to amlse. =
It ID this quality Of amusement--this holiday state
Of the mind-that we are all assidulously seeking,
though BY different means and through different
channels. Cicero found it In the composition of his
Heatises concerning old age and friendship, when re-
eved from the tolls of the bar and the anxietes OF
State. Cowper derived it from watching the gambols
of pet rabbits and from the composition of humorous
tales. Pitt, the elder, in the perusal Of history
Walpole in painting and in collecting curious min
erals Washington In agriculture, and Webster in
farming and trout fishing. The differing diosyncra
cies OF different mems min DIS make to them different
things and different occupations productive of differ
ent results 9si54,iiq lls - .s
Webster and Clay derived their amusement from
farming, but the farmer takes his from study ltera
tnre Or other change. The stone cutter finds his in
absolute rest, activity foreign to that which
is his legitimate occupation while the geologst is
never more amused than in watching the phenomana
attendant upon the stone cutters labor The student
may amuse himself with reading and writing, which
is hard labor to the uncultered Hersche relaxed his
mind listening to the violin, and Descartes his by
studying, almost deeply as Sir William Jones, the
curious literature of the orient.
al This faculty and facility for finding rest even in
what--under o'ner circumstance ianof, ana ea-
tracing from sources that are palniul 70 otnefs
one OF the compensanons that nave peen kindiy
vouchsaed 70 make me more pleasant ana iaoor less
oppressive. were otner"lse' no great Tune "ouio
be needed for the soul 70 wear OUT tne oreatn-tne
sword the sheath ana ite wouis pc as iol OF cares
troubles sorrows ana sadness, as tne Vaiey Oh tne
Shadow through winch poor figfim passed ieafIuily