The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1869-06-18

Tragedy and Comedy may be
typi6ed by shape, as we'll IS by ac-
tions and by countenances. In the
drama of life fat men range them
selves on the side of the comic,
thin men on the side of the tragic.
A fat man is tho embodiment of an
joke. He expresses
helpless merriment. His chuckles
are more provocative of laughter
than the aptest hilarity Of the thin
man. His very rage is burlesque
of the passion of anger. Those
with an eye to the comic cannot
long be in the presence of the fat
man without understanding how per-
versely Nature goes to work when
she is resolved to raise the contin-
uous laugh. There is hardly sit
uation in life which does not con-
front the fat man like an cxigency,
to deal with which, without cover
ing himself with ridiculc, it is ncc-
essary for him to practice the most
painful caution. We have seen
what it is to watch Pickwick, who
was fat man, chasing his hat. We
know what it is to watch fat man
pursue an omnibus, and maintain
his balance when the vehicle starts
off, whilst gazing with passionate
comicalness around for a seat To
laugh at misfortune is but ignoble
merriment yot had the boys who
shouted at Elisha for his bald head,
grinned at him only for his fatness,
we should have held the manner in
which Heaven avenged the ridicule
of the prophet to have been merci-
lessly severe. Fat men are excel
lent companions. Nature makes
them amusing without compelling
them to bring their mental powers
into play. They have no need to
talk. 1t is sufficient for them to
moYo, and chucklc, or drop somc-
thing which must be- picked up.
To be sure, all fatncss does not
come from over-fseding, though a
good deal of it does. Men whose
scnsuality has layered their bodies
with fat deserve to be laughed at.
1t is the penalty they should be
made to pay for their gluttony. And
We suspect their fellow-men under
stand this right Of retribution ; for
it is certain that there is seldom
any compunction in the laugh raised
at fat man. Men who have small
appctitcs and arc yet fat, who would
give their fortunes to be thin, but
who arc branded with obesity, are
to be pitied, if you like yet since
they share in the infirmity of those
others whose in6rmity you cannot
but laugh at as the fruit Of gluttony.
they must suffer from the resem.
blance, by the same law that makes
. man stunned whose father was
hanged, or that causes every man
to appear deceitful in the eyes of a
woman who has been wronged by
one man. Though fatness is thing
to which a sense of mcrriment al
ways attaches itself, it is curious
to note that. as a rule, fat men oc-
cupy positions whose dignity one
would think is of too precarious a
kind to suffer even the contingency
Of + laugh But give US to do with
fat men. In business matters they
are far more trustworthy than thin.
Recognising their physical indigni.
ties. it is possible that by integrity
aud the exercise of honor they hope
to attach to themselves the dignity
Of virtue and Of character to bal
ance their stomachiclfailings. Tits
not often that we find men submit
ting cheerfully to the misfortunes
which they themselves have accu-
Imulated /; and yet it is'not unlikely
that the cause of tho fat mans per-
sistent cheerfulness is tho knowl-
edge that he is the provoker of his
own ridicule. and had best therefore
meet the derision of the world with
serenity. Certain it is that of cve-
~ hundred fat men. ninety at least
will be the first to laugh with you
at their fatness. Let q fat man
bundle into an omnibus or railway
car violently painting. and he will
not hesitate to apologize for his
snorting respiration by significantly
patting his stomach, as much as to
say, This is because I am . fat
man sir. Let q fat man run
against you, or raise the table and
break few glasses in rising from
his chair, or fearfully squeeze you
in q crowd, or catch hold Of you to
support himself in going down stairs.
and if he does not actually tell you
SO in words. his apologetic fat face
is laughably significant Of the as
surance that all Of this would not
have happened had he not been fat.
Fat men are not ashamed Of their
fatness ; but they are certainly not
proud of it. The enormous popu-
larity of Bunting and his remedy
Was significant enough of the sense
Of oppression and desire Of release
that haunted and permeated
fat society. But had Banting's 8
receipt proved successful. we con-
fess We should have been very sorry.
Considering what little humor there
really exists in life for the masses,
We should certainly deplore the loss
of . cause Of merriment which oil
men can enjoy. The people must