The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1872-11-06
Practical Joking.

The poet Cowper. although consid-
cred by robust young men in full
health a. rather ~milk-and-water
+ parsonage, had some ideas, the gen.
eral adoption Of which would carry
out the famous motto, Let Us have
peace He hated rudeness and
rough play, and deprecated the laying
aside of the forms Of politeness, even
among intimate friends. While the
affecting of oyerpOwering etiquette Is
undoubtedly absurd and ridiculous
the neglect Of true courtesy Is. on the
other hand, intolerabie Taking
liberties" IS always an unpleasant,
and not unfrequently proves a dan
gerous proceeding. The rude joker
cannot be sure that his victim is in
the humor for fun. But often q prac-
tical humorist neither knows nor cares
how his pranks viii be received. but
rather hopes that the Indignation Of
the person chosen IS the butt viii add
point to the jest Such practical jck-
ing, SAYS the Philadelphia Ledger, is
the cause in some cases Of the es-
arrangement Of friends, and in others
OF blows, and even Of assaults with
murderous weapons A recent case
now awaits judicial action in this
city. One lad in a shoe factory
dropped a handful Of leather chips
down the back Of another. Words
followed, and quarrel resulted, in
which the knife" was used Serious
injury is the consequence of this
coke" to say nothing Of probable
Imprisonment for assault TO Kill. =
Even death and punishment for mur-
der NAV follow it.
There is an old story Of a German
princes amusement which the reader
NAV have seen. 1t can he repeated.
however, as a sample Joke Of the
right kind. The prince, a lad, walk
ing with his tutor, saw a barefooted
old man working in a field To save
leather he had left his shoes under
bush. The lad said it would be good
fun to hide the lab0rer's shoes and
wait and see his anger and perplexi-
~. The tutor suggested that it
would be a better joke to put a dol
lar in the toe of each. The prince
fell in with the hint, and the two hid
themselves and watched the event.
It is unnecessary to say that the
pleased aStonishmcnt Of the poor old .
peasant made fun" indeed II was
fun all around Whereas the victim
ordinarily lacks appreciation Of a
trick, the old man, in this case. to use
a common expression. had no difficult
" in seeing where the laugh came
in
1t is sometimes the case that an
or broken down. or imbecile
person, becomes the constant object of
the rude and unfeeling jokes and per-
secutions Of the boys and young men
of a neighborhood. What NAV be
the consequence Of such unkindness
is shown in a recent ease given in the
ledger a halrwitted man in Lon
don actually committed suicide to es-
cape his tormentors. The remorse
which every one of these BOYS must
feel whenever he thinks Of his share
in producing such a consequence, is a
sad set-off against any rude laugh
which rude fun NAV have given
him. =
These remarks may seem to many
persons mere truisms. And others
nay think the subject below the ,
lalue of notice Bat all eiviliza- ;
ion is compromise, in which polite
people sacrifice their own selfshness ,
o the happiness of the persons around .
hem. The foundation Of this COM ,
'romise is courtesy the true courtesy
nay exist between people in every ;
possible situation in life. To violate ,
his courtesy, or in any way, and !
specially for a joke, TO disturb the :
elf-resPect of others, is a dangerous
liberty. The laugh which follows the /,
'erpetration Of a prank adds ''insult !
o injury" No matter how good a =
rick may be, no one likes TO be the .
ubjeet of it; and to be laughed at is :
o most people a modification worse !
han pain. 1t is pleasant 10 notice ?
hat the authorities in colleges and i
cminaries have rigidly set their au- .
hority against the custom of "haz- .
lg," cruel and sometimes rulianly :
Fay of tormenting new comers in =
olleges, which was once almost uni :
ersally practieed The extent to ;.
Thich this reprehensible course has ;,
cen carried constituted it an evil of
uch magnitude that the intervention :,
authority to suppress it became an :,
bsolute necessity. BOYS will be +
oys," says the old proverb But n