The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1873-03-26
The Distinction Between Wit and
Numor.

The distinction between wit and hu
NOR may be said to consist in this, that
the characteristic of the latter is ma
tnre, and of the former art Wit isl
more allied to intellect, and humor to
Humor is Il higher, finer
and more genial thing than vii. 1t isl
a combination of the Imaginable with
tenderness, sympathy and warm-l,eart
etlness. Pure wit is often i'll natnrei,
aud has sting: hut wit, sweetened by
a kind, loving expression. becomes lu
NOR. Wit is nsnaity brief, sharp, cpl
grammatic and incisive, the fewer
words the better: but hunor, consist
ing more in the manner, is ,iitinSe, and
words ere not spared in it. Carly le
saws, "The essence ut hnm"r is sensi
hiiity, warm. tender ftIlnw-freling
with all forms Of existence ); and adds,
OF Jean Paul's humnr, that sin Rich
tel's smile itself tonchin. rathos may
lie lid too deep for tears" Wit may
be considered as the distinctive feature
.of the French genins, and hnmor OF
HE English; but to show how difficult
it is to carry these distinctions ont fair
~, we may note that ENGLAND has pro-
slncpd Il Batter, Que of she greatest OF
wits. and France a MOliere, one OF the
greatest of hnmmists. Fun inclndes
all those things that occasion laughter
which are not included in the two for
iner divisions. Bnifnonerv and mimi
cry come under this beading. and ii
has been observed that the author Of Il
comedy is Il wit, the comic actor hui
mnrisr, and the clown q bntfonn. Old
.jests were usually tricks, aud in coarse
times we find that little distinction is
made between jnyonsness and Il mali
ciuGs delight il the mi>fn,tnnts OF 9TH
ers. Civilization di>ronntrnances prac-
teal jokes, and refinement is required
| to keep laughter within hounds. A.
he world grows older Inn becomes less
boisterous. and wit gaIns in point, ST.
| that we cnnuot agree with Corne ,iu>
ODnwd when he SAYS 1.-THE day o.
witty people is gnae Ivy. If there II.
men clever enough nowadays t" say
smart things. they are too clever II
say them. The world we We in pre-
fe,s placility to hriliiancyf and a maj
like Curran in our prrsentE'av societ,
wou'd be as hnwtlc"me as a pyrotech
nist with Il pocket full of squihbs." =
This is only Il repetition of an old com
plant, and it's incnrreets es> rs provet
when we tiud the same thing said ont
hundred Years ago. In mannscrip
comedy, '.In Fore" Ivy Lady Hons
Tore, who died near the end of the las
centurv, one of the characters oh
serves: "Wit is nowadays oHt of fash
ion, people are well bred and talk mp
on level one does not at prrs"n
find wit bnt in some Oh cnmeay." |
spite of Mr., Lever ana Lady Honstont
) we believe that civilized society Is spe
cially suited for the display of refine
wit. Under such conditions satire
sure to flourish, for the pen takes tn
place of the word, and We know il ca
I slav an enemy as surely as steel. Th
l notion owes it's origin in pant to an el
: ror i'll mental perspective, by which "
bring he wit of all ages tn Que focn
'fancying what was really far apart
: have been close together, and tht
comparing things which possess /
proper elements of comparison, al
h placing as it we're in Opposition to eas
o other the accumulated broad and we!
d s,o,ied tapestry of the past with II
a flerting moments Of our day, which Il
e INIT it's still accommodating fringe.
IS Charles Lamb viii not aliow.any gre
= antiquity for wit, and arostrophizi,
% candle light, says: "Thls is our pee
j. liar and household ,lauet; wanting
re what savage, nnsocial nights must "
,p ancestors have spent, winter'ng
| caves, and unillnmined Businesses
10 They must have laid about and grni
ID bled at one an",her in the dark. VIII
,e repartee could have passed, when y
ID mnst have felt ahont for il smile. IA
10 handled IA uei.hhmr's cheek t" he sn
~ he understood il Jokes came in wi
T. candies" - British QUARTERLY.
y. ~ There are hnSii ess men and W
IS men who Ma fortunes simply by
ne witty. Their wares or Their servie
d are no better probably than tie sto
-, in tr,fa of their rrnSty npivhhorS.