Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-11-17
MiGfellanGprs.
CONCERNING LAUGHTER.

There are times says the London Saturday
Rerieto, when the body Graves for laughter
as it does for food This is the laughter
which on some occasion or other, has betray
ed us all into scandalous, unreasonable, re-
morseless gayety. After long absence from
cheerful thoughts there are few occasions
so sad and solemn, as to render this lmpor-
tune revolt impossible, unless where grief
absorbs the whole soul, and lowers the sys-
tenn to a uniformity of sadness. In fact, no
solemnity can be safe from incongrulties,
such occasions are not seldom the especial
scene Of these exposures-of explosions OF
a wild, perverse hilarity, taking the culprit
at unawares; and this even while he Is aghast
at fragrant insensibility to the demand Of the
hour. This is the laughter ascribed TO Sa-
tanic influence. The nerves cannot forego
the wanted stimulus, and are Indignantly on
the watch, as it were, to betray the higher
faculties into this unseemly indulgence. Thus
John and Charles Wesley, In the early days
of their public career, set forth one partlcu-
lar day to sing hymns together IN the fields
but on uplifting the first ataye, one OF them
was suddenly stuck with a sense of some
thing ludicrous in their errand, and the 9th
er caught the infection and both fell into
convulsions of laughter, renewed on every
attempt to carry out their first design, till
they were fain to give up and own them
selves for that time conquered by the devil.
There is story of Dr. johnson much to
the same purpose. Naturally melancholy,
he was yet a great laughter, and thus was
an especial victim to the possession we
speak of, for no one laughs in depression
who has not learnt to laugh in mirth. He
was dining with his friend Chambers in the
Temple and at first betrayed SO much phys
ical suffering and mental detection that his
companion would not help boring him with
remedies. By degrees he rallied, and with
| the rally came the need of a general re-ae-
ton. At this point Chambers happened to
| say that a common friend had been with him
that morning making his will. Johnson
| or rather his nervous system seized upon
this as the required subject He raised a
| ludicrous picture of the Stestator" going
about boasting of the fact Of his will-mak-
ing to anybody that would listen, down to
the inn-keeper of the road.
Roaring with laughter, he trusted that
| Chambers had had the conscience not to de-
scribe the testator as of strong mind, hoped
there was legacy to himself and concluded
with saying that he would have the will SET
to verse and ballad made out of it. Mr..
! Chambers, not at all relishing this pleasan-
| try, got rid of his guest as soon as he could.
But not SO did johnson get rid of his merrl-
merit; he rolled In conyulsions till got out
of Temple Gate, and then, supporting him:
self against post sent forth peals as loud
as, in the silence of the night, to be heard
from Temple Bar to Fleet Ditch. We hear
of stomach coughs; this was stomach, ol
ganglionic, laugh
The timed laughter of children has
often some such source as this, though the
sprite that possesses them has rarely the
gnome like essence. A healthy boy, after
| a certain amount of constraint, is sometime:
as little responsible for his laughter as by
pochondriac Mrs Beecher Stowe, in de-
scribing, and even defending, Puritanica
strictness of Sabbath observance, recalls the
long family expositions and sermons which
alternated in her youth with prolix meeting
services, at all of which the younger mem
bers of the household were required to as
sist in profound stiffness of attention. OI
one of these occasions. on hot summer at
ternoon, needless grasshopper of enorm
Gus dimensions leapt on the sleeve OF one o.
the boys. The tempting diversion was not
to be resisted; he silly secured the animal
and imprisoned hind leg between his firm
ly compressed lips
/ One by one the youthful congregation be
came alive to the awkwark eontcrtlons anC
struggles of the long legged captive the!
knew that to laugh was to be logged, bu
after so many sermons the need was mner
alive, and they laughed, and were LOGGED
accordingly. Different from all these type
is the grand frank laugh that finds ITS phcl