Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-09-16

ure; the highest pleasure reaches the edge Of
pain.
1t is impossible to discriminate between the
wit that produces only pleasure of thought, and
that which produces pleasure of laughter. A
very simple incident narrated strikes the palpi-
Eating nerve of laughter, to the surprise OF every
one. Some things end their power by once tell
ing. Others are never-iailing. Even 10 think
Of them sets one off, We wake up nights, and
happening TO think of a good thing, bring
down censure on our head for untimely ont
bursts of laughter, "wheu all honest and sober
people should be asleepp'
One peculiarly Of laughter is that il RACES
iearully when You feel in your soul that it is
wicked. II is Gin meeting" that the danger is
the most alarming. Oh, there are some things
that one should never think Of in church. Re
sistance would be vain. All that conld be done
would be to stuff ones mouth with a handker-
chief, and smother all sounds.
No man can explain TO another why he laughs.
There is nothing more absurd than to ask man
what there is funny in a story. Stories, like
percussion bombs, must explode when they
strike or they are good for nothing Stories that
don't go off are poor stock.
There is one story which we never think of
without a ripple, and never tell without a rush
of laughter. Indeed, we are shaking now; but
very likely our readers will see nothing in il. A
good deacon had the bad habit of making very
long family prayers. His wife was hard of hear
ing. One morning, for some reason, he prayed
short, and then went TO the barn TO milk. On
returning he found his wife still kneeling, with
closed eyes He stepped up behind her and
shouted "Amenp wheTeat she very quietly rose
and went about her work. You don't laugh.
Well, the spark is there, but your powder is moi
good.
AGE OF MEN-Professor Faraday adopts
Flourins' physiological theory that the ace of
man is one hundred years. The duration of
life he believes to be measured by the time OF
growth; when once the bones and epiphyses are
united the body grows no more, and it is AZ
twenty years this union is effected in man. In
the camel it takes place at eight; in the horse ut
five; in the lion at four; in the dog at
two; in the rabbit at one. The natural
termination of life is five removes from
years in growing lives five times twenty
wears, that is to say, one hundred years; the
camel is eight years in growing, lives five times
eight years; that is to say, forty years; the
horse is five years in growing and lives twenty
i've years, and so with other animals. The
man who does not die of sickness lives every
where from eighty TO a hundred years. Provi-
dence has given him a century of life, but he
does not attain it because he nheritS disease eats
| unwholesome food gives license to passions, and
permits vexaton to disturb his healthye quipoise;
| he does not die, he killed himself The pro-
| fessor divides life into two equal halves growth
and decline, and these halves into infancy
| youth, virility and age. Infancy extends to the
twentieth year; youth to the filteth because it
is during this period that the tissues become
firm; virihty from fifty to seventy-fve, during
which the organism remains complete; and at
seventy-ive old age commences to last Il longer
or shorter time, as the diminuton OF reserved
forces is FASTENED or retarded.