The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1867-07-17
G o N T RI B u TORIAL.
LANCASTER, JULY II. 1867.
Laughter

Laughter
Is excited bv various causes II may be
the result Of JOY, producing in the sosI a
happy sensation; it NAV be An expression
OF scorn, OF triumph, OF ridicule, Of sym
patty bit laughter, real. JOYOUS laugh.
ter, ike mos, other things natural, i, CO..
iog out Of fashion. In its place is suhsti.
tuted the gigg'a, the simper, the gurge,
or an exclamation accompanied with a
scream, which IS sechoed bv all sympsthetic
fashionable present. We havs noticed
from our point OF observation, that in this,
as in most other things, "womau rules"
"A loud peal Of laughter from pair Of
manly lungs in her presence is consider
ed rude, horrid, uuhearable; that man is
at once pronounced a novice in society,
Ignorant Of the rules Of etiqnett, and no,
fitted to dwell among civilized people.
We sympathise with such, who have
made themselves Objects Of female cr,i
cism. and we.no~ propose to take up the
cudgeis in their defence
To enumera,e the different species Of
laughter, originating with the sex, would
exhaust our vocabulary, since Webster
nor his predecessors have been eunal TO
the task. The "gieg1e." which we pro
pose first to consider. is the initiative taxi
en- bv fashionable Young misses On enter
Ing society. in reply.to every question. ia
a yes sir" or "no-sir"--and then
"gigeie"-theu have YOU read such a
book sir r-its verv amns,np "a oioole"
or i's quite romantic, tgiggle) or strange.
wonderful. incredible, at the end Of e.ch
expression there heing gieele. which is
truly distressing 10 the Ii.tner. who ia Of
ten compelled to appear highly entertain.
ed, while he is undergoing mar'vrdnm -
The Young lady comes off, however. with
flying cn'ors, in her Own opinion, having
a. she thinks completely dumfnnuded the
silent and wondering mar with the ex.
tent Of her Information.
The "simper" properly hplouCs TO sen
timental sses Of eighteen or rine,een-
who have read BuIl~er, Scott and .he
"ia,est novel" and have memoriaed a few
passages from tom Moore," Byron and
Shakespeare these are better versed and
provided ynn are "Joh" YOU NAV .nc
ceed in "kiIiing nn hour or two" while
she is dealing out her snperfrial. You
have only To exert Yourself Tor the occa
sion, and with few howerv phrases to
draw her ont, Won may li.,en, for OF thi.
she is shure to be fond "Simre-" when.
ever she does, wheu er there i. any THING
witty said or not; IL you don't, vou're
brute and haven't true poli,ene.s. None
OF your "guffaws". none Of your real
good 'anghs, for if you do. you're
goner"
Young ladies Of twenty FIVE and there
about, and little over, generally fall into
the "gnrsle aud the scream laugh" as
they advance in life; and these being
mostly left to themselves on public occa
sions, unless entertained nv some par,icu
lar friend, are very often -pitefuI and
make sport OF Younger females prac,cing
what they have long since relir onished.
The "guraIe and the scream" laugh ia
more to attract attention than anv thing
else. A man often supporting that he hs.
found among such . throng Of arifciaIs
true natural. approache. to find that the
object Of attraction is ouly an an,iauated
reflection Of reality.
Oh, fashion how long wilt ,hon con-
tinue to abuse our patience How long
wilt thou be an iron rod in the hands of
the Devil to chas,ise rs Already thv
numbers are. legion. and thv viceroy an
angel Of death thy subjects Try slaves,
who worship thee in blindness.
Thy tears,O Mature! should fall "A
the rain Of the Heavens, for thy law. are
violated and con;emLed. and the echo Of
thy waing and weeping should thrill
the :ouls Of the devoiees Of Folly a,
the cry OF a mother for her frat born.