The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1860-05-16

wisdom. For this notions prevalence
we have partly to thank those dear old
Puritan grim wigs of blessed m ,morv.-
They indeed had small cause for merri-
ment in this world; their cast-ironness of
nature was, in their circumstances, desir-
able. But my dear Sir, or Madam, why
should you, surrounded with all physical
comforts, take the matter 60 gravely p
Bearing in mind that we are weak and
evil--and looking as sour as veriuice, docs
not strengthen or sanctify us-we should
be awed and humbIed; but again, bear
ing in mind that, although we are weak
and evil, there are ways provided, we
should be right wisely glad. Surely our
religion has its bright as we'll as its dark
side; more pity that any good men
should wrong themselves and prejudice
others against cause they would recon-
mend, by acting the part of those fools
of whom Fuller speaks, 'who to persuade
men that angels lodged in their hearts,
hung devil for syn in their faces
who seem to walk the heavenly road, as
i. were backward, their eyes and imagin-
ations forever turned on the other place.
Such should remember that worthy Mr..
Perkins mentioned by The same author,
who would pronounce the word damn
with such an emphasis as left doleful
echo in his auditors ears for a good while
AFTER vet mark; 'on the least acquain-
lance he was merry and very familiar.'-
Clergyman in the pulpit-out Of it, so far
as my small but valued acquaintance ex-
tends in that direction, they are as hilari-
Gus class of men as any othe"-are ex-
pected always to be grave; do not com
prohend why. The solennity of most of
the topics on which they treat demands,
of course, solemnity of manner; still.
-'quan0ran rtlentem deere veIum-
Quid vetat :?
The d. DIS ID ght sometimes be Jlandi
Doctores without Decorating their office;
they would rather strengthen their prop
er Influence by occasionally given crusta-
la Of humoy an wit to their hearers
Wit and humor have been the most 20
tent arms directed against Christianity by
it's comparatively weak assaiIan!s; why
not direct them in return against the adj
We say? AS has been sad, the devil
ought not to have al the best tunes.-
! Little sins will fr before ridicue the strut
defiance to grave denunc:ation; stern re
proof, TOO diSprorortioncd 10 the offence,
! overshoots It's mark, where TIE lighter
shaft of satire strikes home. Butt wan
der from my province. The conscienti-
Gus clergyman exposed, in his unrcstiDg,
laborious profession, to lie most unrea-
sonatle criticism from an audience differ
| ing in It's wants, tastes, judgements, has
enough already to find faut with hin.
Morose noodles are fond of quoting in
n snar!ing way, Goldsmith's line in the
deserted Village" thai, following the des-
cription Of the ale-house, reads:
Where the loud laugh be>peaks the vacant
| mad
They give itan application that the good
natured man never dreamed of, aud
would not thank h IN for suggesting
Surprising what they would imply were
true. that laughter does Gotoken an hab-
ituaIlv vacant mind. The entire empti-
ness were better than the perennial dole
fulness of the Miss IS and Messrs. Wicl :
hams. which indicates a stock of harmful
rubbish in the head, whence exha!e bad
humors that smother and begloom intel
lect and scnsibilities; wherein are gener-
ated crotehets, maggots, whims, conceits,
all peevish, carking, baleful. Nothing is
more beneficial to the mentai powers than
to grant them an occasional vacation, re-
lax the oyer-tension, restore the elasticity
and reinvigorate them for new exertion;
and nothing SO well brings about all these
desirable ends as good thorough-going
laugh. 1t reaches to all parts, body, soul,
and intellect. Firstly, promotes diges-
ton, and, as q consequence, internal
peace. 1t is Bacon, l think, who says
that, rebellions of the stomach are the
worst in their kind. This organ, by the
way, has more to do with the morals Of
half the world than their consciences, as
| intend show ng in future essay. To
return to the laugh. What Burton says
of the effects of sleep may be said of it
for it does, as it were, 'moysten and fat
ten the body; ne instances the Soou case
in which dormico awaken from their
long Information; adduce the waists of
most merry men. Then it shakes out
the wrinkles from the heart, leaving no
crannies for corroding anxiety and mall
ice and all Observation-Disclosures to cling in;
blue devils scamper away before it; it dis
pels the fog that hangs over the intel
iect, as Jove's thunder purities the atrnos-
phere, leaving perception aud judgement
clear. In fine, as one says who speaks
with authority, having laughed much
himself and been the cause of much
laughter in others, who bearing his many
trials not patiently but iestingly snapped
his fugers at what others would have
groaned over; as Hood says, 1T expands
the chest, enlarges the heart, quickens
the circulation, and 'like trlmpet makes
the spirits dance"
There are sort of men, whose visages
Do cream and mantle, like standing pond
And do wilful stiffness entertain,