The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1873-11-05
NIT AND HUMOR.

Writers have in vain tried to mark definite
ly the distinction between wit and humor.---
All attempts, however, seem to result in the
fact that while the former embraces and over
shadows the latter humor can manage to at
tain separate existence from wit, while wit,
in order to its completeness, must embrace
humor, and the paradox consists in the fact
that wit is considered the superior and more
intellectual of the two which may arise from
the fact that it requires certain degree of
culture for its full appreciation, while humor
is only a magnetic power. that moves masses
of people by some inherent quality of its own.
Thus Randolph was witty when he said in the
Senate, SIS 1t not a shame, Mr. President
that the noble bulldogs Of the administration
should be wasting their precious time in wor-
rying the rats Of the opposition ?" But he
condescended to humor when, after the up
roar which his speech had occasioned and the
calls to order were not sustained by the Pres
ident, Mr.. Randolph apologized by saying,
!" Rats did ! say, Mr. Speaker, mice, mice -
Foote was humorous when he returned farce
which had been submitted to him for an opin-
ion of its merits saying /" Depend upon 1t, sir,
this is not thing to be laughed at" Sher-
idan was humorous when, his guests wishing
to adjourn because the Waterman was calling
past o'clock, he said, g Yon don't mind
that fellow, do you lie changes his story
every halt hour" There was wit in the re-
ply Of the waiter at u tavern, who asked q
guest to repeat his ORDER as lie had not un-
derstood 1t. 81 ordered hook, sir--hic, h9c,
hoc." The waiter left, and did not return I'M
til summoned again by the bell. Did l not
order some hocks Why is it not brought -
" Because" said the witty g0rcoa, "you af-
terward declined ~ voltaire was witty when
he described taking medicine as quitting
drugs of which We know little into bodies of
which we know less" Colcridge was both
witty and humorous when he described a Ger
tain makers porter by the assertion that
"dregs from the bottom half way up and
froth from the top half way down constituted
Perkins entire" Again, Charles Lambs
tipsy delight when the Cumberland stamp
distributor said that Shakespeare was very
clever man, the delight whiclihc displayed by
lighting bed-candle, dancing around him
and calling out, "Allow me to have look at
that gentleman's organs" while Wordsworth,
in utter horror, tried to restrain him by reit-
Grating, I" Charles, my dear Charles WAS
pure humor.
But there was good wit and humor in the
oft-told story of the same gentleman's ready
answer to the Highgate omnibus condu1 tor
who put his head in to ask "All full inside, -
when Lamb, half asleep in the corner, replied /:
I" really can't say for the other ladies and
gentlemen but that last piece Of pudding at
Mrs. Gilmans did the business for me In
faci, wit and lumor are SO nearly allied and
so completely interblended that it is very diff
ficut to convey the distinction except by IL
lustration. witty companion may not al
ways be n pleasant one, for his surprises may
either weary or offend, but a humorous friend
is generally an agreeable one, for he rarely
offends, wounds or fatigues his companion
! After all, may not wit be the product mainly
of the brain, and humor mainly Of the heart,
the former enabled towork without the heart,
! and the latter dependent more upon that Or
gan than upon the brain for it's effectiveness
Certainly there Is little humor without good
nature, while wit can exist without scintilla
of IL. 81 ~ tss 800