, 1869-05-09
AMERICAN WIT.

4. and cares Of lie to Esde awaT, eualtes- u t.
.asfI ~ our r4easures az1d Joys forcTer ,S:huS1s
re journey ae1tgt
AMERICAN WIT.
~,.,1, M % Is a ve,E tsHcu!t :7st,- a lase E-stisa
70 Mass Nc pseulsa,,'es Of Amercan humor m4
~ t1ss "a ean ee sud 10 them No one can put Into
more shaa Al! qaansty q explanafio1..
On: o. :af*ffsiefe; II IT, ,a rss5 .pt sse
3as1s;:a mean; sess shaE h ssy q e1e Ss
lsstn Sta' ~ ssnss from asc m,nut- study of The
nu9er M y .ateay been ternal cpan ". .As;smu4
tsYs Ms 81 a.r y. pfnnsHs poNa:ns r;r tae Ler
1toua perlo<sasoces, have mpIe titr:r sure,rns.
on ths. SIDE Of the 4Atanttc. Al rule m,,Ssnu "a
mose dnne,1f tnan tos one nasson to laugh at he
used so1a1gh III the tears saa io~n aas espsee
at tae s1Rhs Of TWO slaaess 1st1inS: our
Elsiy naSh' oe 70 pFoet OF Of 6ns mss ill., sE ~
Of lis oa1tldshpes4 Eng,isamen arl vance, ny
however SO far Of ono ta1ntly as to ); psaaAt esch
menuopad contsiu very sznall ioksa; bu: EasisS
railroad travellers certainly buy All ruesle Hve;
another saee.< oi he sane genius Nna "a saefes =
tose We .oa5 appreciate 4 sufficiently 10 see bow
-ALA4+AtA%o~
placed ou.Sd< OUT sphere Of criticism md yer +:
+ unlike sao9sa to suggest the neeeszs OF some
The Use Of big wor,ls, either scr1oa.3@ or a
more oF less consciously absurd piece Ct c1tsava~
g2noe, 'a not the really Characteristic part Of
q producing comic enect which may he cousid-
efed IS the inverse Of each other. An anzurt
BE- equally edeesise Wien Fsis:aa reiis BaraoioS
that bis faae u N everlasting bondre ught that
ne hss saved alm thousand naEks IN inks ana{
4 weI-known American example IA the assertion
of the Mississippi csptstn. thss bis boat could
1instraie the second We migbt quote the american
Eho hsd MANAGED t2 quote something u ns na~
passed some risin' ground Tie phllosaphy ot
second Is eaynmoner among the genuine American
hunortsfA When Artem1s Ward describes biz
coattshtp, he begins q Informing t,s beloved MS
Was putty nne-' He soes on: Il w:sh thar Vas
windAn 70 my sonl. 70 tass you could see some or
Ill de cornbeei and ttInips IN he nelgh6orhood-
ycsoovtus and the c1itier atnt ctIcumsrArce.'
70 ali which me ta4t replies, atset sony aosc
a1Oquen6e on the approved models, 9Du say
mean gctttn hl,ched. I'm ia:' This u,sy be saksa
IS a. q 11s nasSfs q ne ,s ~
shrsxf common sense against the bomhast Nh: Il
Il 10 prevalent, but which does not quite sEccs-sd
uatorals acute has sat down to hear orators apoat
nonsense, he Is sometimes suInclentiy aHsI 70 &C
cept II Tor Renulnene feels that be Is nos entitled
70 be critic, but hts native sense enables him to
have occasional 8l!mpses Of 4ts ahsuruitJ, and he
expresses himself In rather carse but very terse,
condemnation
Artemus Ward waA on the whole, the hcss
specimen OF the last crop Of humostssa. He, It "a
true, owed something 70 his system Of spelling.
very much mn ID wiling .heucsith.' OF II pus-
ring Roakin for joking. Hn hutnor has. how
essl, the genuine Isnkee cal. although + does
staple Of most OF his initstoss aud rtva.a We
Iotmons ~ examples Of hk style Ia passing
through Serada be rec1arks; Shooting iAn's II
popnlas Ia Nevada a. \ once VISA Afew yeass ssaoe
they used to have "lea1 nl2n for hee2kfAst,'.
Ia playful CalfoFnEa phrase} "evezy morning.
4 reformed desperate told ue that he supposed
he his sns 5sa q ee T. ss ',osf .9
mani man nov hsinr kllied . nsn teF oysf ~
added, desi,ng 4 RESONANT blow on tne bar THIS
wnoss psasce; rs ,9 t., cal Tor naao. aaa .n
ing AZ last, On a refusal OF some stranger.
he drew his revolver and exclaimed, Good
to Carson : win Thlch pathetic wortis. 1cs :of
aorrow rathes than OF anger he rrei and killed
hts man The citizens however, thought this 4
rides- Tlis Is the kind OF story which tue nalTa-
TOT tells With inperturabe gravity Of eouhtenanoe
soodsS se ase eao ye9 as1
ness. In hls imaginary visit to Brigham To1ne.
hes = eiRsty IL : gH eises Mister Warl | se,iiniy AN
m.nled. How do yon like # AZ far Is sou ha,e
genuine American humor, "There Ia The one D.
laaras,De The dltnculs, Of Joining ne Sortn and
: bridge to the inieInI regions, on which hIs
friend remarked that he had 7some doubts about
the abutInent on the other side
with witty Jokes and repafees, Allowing that even
amid The somhre Surroundings OF the Judgment
seat cur American lawJets DO not suffer 'ne'r hu~
Rufus Choase, the mort brilliant man IA many
respects that eysr adorned ne Profession. oi.ea
Me once co1upimented Chief Justice Shaw, q
oss " he ta asess man hare sas esa sSs9
70 To- commence n T s,s afgnnen: Sin Coming into sas
ssn @ oes .csn e oSs
IDOL knew teat you ART ugly, but feel that Ioo
o. smother occasion, when he as1ea witness
what his occupation whs, the sancttmorious !ntvid
uai answered: !" an . minister Of the Gospel. s'r
"Qf what denomination, su +
"The Baptist"
"Itrust then, =" replied NJ, Cnoate. "taa, yos
are n G!rpt1. but not s,st-ed candle.
The course of which hs stated very bsosd leza
~ n laJtug doNn tic rule, and to cite the book
ard pagt which contained his precedent Ar.
Writ In his Impressive style, turned upon hts
questionef, and answered IN this gorgeous man-
"sfr. 8n not bound to probe my way among
[ the ru4nA OF anttqulty-to stumble over obsolete
! fp1fe fdAcf 1RftFf
principle THssen In living letter. In the heart OF
Judge Hscon, OF the Supreme Court of New
York, = gentleman Of fue literary sstaiamenta, b.
SIDES being an excellent lawyer, often impauyEs
One day, during the rin of ! caase, Nj. Gum
| was witness on the stand, aud ~ he nssitsted Z
good deal. and seemed unwilling. after persissent
questioning, to tell what he knew, the Judge sald
| TO him, "come, Nj. Gum. don't hing fire." After
the e1amlnatou tad closed. the bar was Tulscd
BY 5eSse Bss9n ., ,aan se
bench ID nonr after The slue lor dinner, by long
sos aus Il Il she &.
must conclude your argument az once, OF shall
% %adIo1,n for dinTsr; yoa 1nov tha, | dine at
11sned 70 The dlgnltarJ on the bench. and re-
piled: ''four Honor most s;r1kngty illustrates
that deep INSIGHT Into human nature which shaka-
| peare tC1,bet O. displayed when he said
ludsc would hang The guiltlesa+
1
| There L. one more Charac.eTtsdc Of American
! nnnor which We must notice In concluding OIL
br!ef arscle-the familiar use Of ScE1ptursl an.
EuaRr, though the prsctice IN general IA 70 be
deprecated, yet IN certain cases It Is perfectly
oi1ea up Scripture and common tie more fre-
Many Of the stories which seem rlsky TO N would
be impressive 10 the original speatefA The eccen-
| tic 1vtvslist Lorenzo Dow, once preached 4
| ner1oon On The text from St Paul, IS can do all
th!uGA'' "So. Paul, he ssid, lyon are wrpuz
for once. III bet yon i've doilaEa you canr " and
be Laid do1n nve do1lsr bill on The dest- He
continued % rad, "thruugn Jesus Christ our
Lord; All. Paul. he said, 'th1tg = very
| different thing; the bets or
How Webster nnd Chontc ~ Raises
8he Wind.s7
| TIE Intimacy OF Webster and Choate is well
, known. Ttefe ean scarcely be doubt that they
| loved each other While the former Wal Secretary
Of state the latter wns In the Senate from As4As-
| chuseasA Az some point during this period.
ChoAte s reported to have found himself short ol
money, AMI beipg away from home, In q strait Ia
Know koK 10 reNese himself. he Bas in ha aeas
| In the old Senate Chamber, with contracted brow
| plowtnG VITA both OF his hands those long black
locks OF hA. e his habit WAC. in vain effort u
conIure up some way OF meeting hts epgagementz
when an ideA struck him. - I will 70 70 Webstef =
he eaid to himself; md ee1zng his hat he made hi.
WAY rapki1! 10 Fourteenth Nreet The great NM
WAS at home, and received him With unusr1l
cordially. But EhAs Is the matter with you
| Choats - be asked THE latter b1d on that NQ-hE