The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-11-29
Wednesday Morning, Nov. 20, 1865.
Concerning Laughter.

There are times NIlen Uile Doay GRAVES ioA
laughter asst does for food. This is the laugh
ter which on some occasion or other, mas De
trayeG rs all into scandalous, unreasonable,
,remorseiui gaiety After long abstinence
from cheerful thought, there are teW occasions
so sad and solemn as to render tins importune
revolt impossible, unless where grlef aDsorpS
the whole soul, and lowers the system 10
uniformity Of sadness. In fact, as no soleInnl-
ty can be safe from incongruides, such occa-
sions are not seldom the especiai scene vi
these expostres-of EXPLOSIONS OF Wno, per.
verse hilarity taking the culprit at unaWares'
and this even while he isaghast at ms iiagrant
insensibiity to the demand oi the houf. ms
is the laughter SO often ascrlDed 10 satanic III
tiuence. Inc nerves cannot forego the want
ed stimulus, ana are mallgnahtiy on tne Wapch,
as it were, TO betray the hi9her tacqlties lnt9
TINS unseenly nutliSelce. mus ooiii anu
Charles wesley, IN the carry Gays OF tiief pup
hc career, set iorth one particular Gay 10 sing
hymns together In the neldS; put, on upiiitilS
the nrst stave, one OF them was suouehiy
struck with senes OF something ludicrous Ia
their errand, the othef cauSht the Ilectlol'
and both iel INTO eonVlllslons OF iaughtef, re-
newed ON every attempt TO carry out tnelr l Iilst
deslgn, tiil taey MeIe lal W CIV up ''tlu ~ ~
themselves u ior siiae 'iiiio 'oi4usae" ~ 'Ao
Devn. ,,..l.,....lt,
Ahere 10 d seoLy ., VI. ooinsoii ihucu W olio
same purpose. NatufSuly nle-ancholy, ne was
yet a great iauSner, anu, mus was an especai
victim 10 the possession we speak OF, for no
one laugiis III depression VINO mas not learned
70 iausn III mlitn. ne was dihihg with ms
nlehd Champers ID the Iemple, ana at llrst
betrayed SO much physical suffering and men
TAI delection that ms companion could not
neip DoflnS MIN With remedles. by degrees
he ralned, and with the rally came the need OF
ageneral reaction. AT this point Chambers
happened to say that q common friend had
been with him that morning making his will.
JoLnson-or rather his nervous sysfem-seiz-
ed upon this as the required subject. He rails
ed ludicrous picture OF the "teStatcT going
about boasting the TACT OF his wl-making
to anybody that would listen, down to the inn
keeper ON the road. i4'es 'e
Roaring with laughter, he trusted that
Chambers had had the conscience not to de-
scribe the testator as of sound mind, hop
ed there was legacy to himself, and conclud-
ed with saying that he would have the will to
set to verse and ballad made out of it. Mr..
Chambers, not at all relishing this pleasantly,
got rid ofhis guest as soon as he could. But
not SO did johnson get rid OF his merTiment;
he rolled in conyalsions till he got out of the
Temple Gate, and then, supporting himself
against post, sent forth peais so loud as, in
the silence OF the night, to be heard from Tenn
pie Bar TO Fleet Ditch. We hear of stomach
coughs; this was stomach, or gangiionic
laugh.
Ine mls-tImed laughter OF children has Of
ten some such source as this, though the sprite
that possesses them has rarely the gnome-like
essence A healthy boy, alter certain length
OF constraint, is sometimes as little RESPONSE
bic Tor his laughter as the hypochondrlac-
Mrs. Beecher Stowe, in describing, and even
defending, q Purltanlcal strictness OF Sabbath
observance, recalls the long family eXposltions
and sermons which a4ternated ip her youth
with prolIx meeting services, at all OF which
the younger members of the household were
required to assist in profound stiffness of at
tentlon. On one OF these occasions, on hot
summer afternoon, a needless grasshopper OF
enormous dimensions leapt on the sleeve Of
one OF the boys. Ihe tempting diversion was
not to be resisted; he silly secured the animal,
and imprisoned hind leg between his firm
Iy compressed lips.
one ny one, the yoqthtui congregation be-
came awe 10 the awkward contortions and
1utlie struggles OF the lonS-leS9ed captive;
they knew That TO laugh was to be logged, but
ai1er SO many sermons the need was Impera-
tpe, ana tney laushed, and were logged ac-
coTdingiy. ai,,aa le.
= :. DInerenI rom all these types is the grand
irank laugh that lindS us place IN history and
lgpy' lpiograpny' anu Oelongs 70 master minds. 70
.leai ti,,aaa anu parry .ee.g ay lase, m SURFING
41,sd any noq,rS u Ssei ~ goo9-
1" -; 80 y 10 'ot0 .ott .s i"usi