The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1873-11-13
LAUGHING
M mrNur WARD nKEcuER.

People who do not know bow to laugh
are much 10 be pitied. Not everyone
who laughs knows bow TO laugh Ia the
+ highest sense. Au irradating smile il
hne; small sougb, that glances upon
7 the face Ike meteor, come and gone in
the same instant, Is better than nothing
Bnt laughing, like poetry, music, iuven-
/ ton, oragory, is given in its higher forms
/ TO but few,
. We have a relative, lady, who is gift
! IN a high degree with the genius of laugh
/ ing. One should see her when an exquis-
[ lie story lights up the inner soul. Only
the other night three Of us sat together.
/ One told an aneedote, that started Au-
other, till like pigeons in a wood, they
poured ont IN hocks, Soon all were In
/ psroxysms There was no boisterous
roaring. Each one performed with re-
fnement, but all were clean gone. The
eldest has a continuous roll that goes on
without check ill the breath is gone, aud
the lungs fairly run down; bat gathering
a long breath, he dashes down the same
long roll again. But soon the muscles
ache with hand abdominaIIy placed, and
weaving from side to side, his eyes
streaming with tears, he at length gains
enough control to escape from that eddy
which had been whirlug him helplessly
around.
Another one laughs by series of short
explosive fusiades, recurring rapidly and
continuing IN what seems likely to be an
endless series. But the lady aforesaid
begins in gentle way, as If controlling
every movement.
So have seen gay rider, ambling at
first, then moving of at a trot, breaking
into galop, and then carried off at Il
dashing speed in real run away. 1t
does ones heart good like medicine to
see the charming performance--so hear
ty, SO natural, so gently furious, so pos
sessed with a demon of laughter that
will not be cast out. You shall see
the beginning of the laugh carried well
along till the excess of it seems to disturb
her modesty. She covers her face with
newspaper, and some would think that
she was resting. But lookl No sound.
Only ielly-like trembling of the whole
bodyl On--on--till in desperation she
runs from the room. All, there Is good,
honest heartness in such an experience,
and an over-plus of pleasure; the high
est pleasure reaches the edge of pain.
1t is impossible to discriminate between
the wit that produces only pleasure of
thought, and that which produces pleas
ure OF laughter. A very simple incident
narrated strikes the palpitaling nerve of
laughter, to the surprise of everyone.
Some things end their power by once tel
ling. Others are never-failng. Even TO
think of them sets one off. We wake up
nights and, happening to think Of good
thing, bring down censure on our head
for untimely out-burst of laughter, when
all honest and sober people should be
asleep!
One popularity Of laughter is that il
RACES fearfully when you feel in your
soul that ii is wicked. 1t is in meeting
that the danger is the most alarming.
Oh, there are some things that one should
never think of in church, Remittance
would be vain. All that could be done
would be to stuff ones mouth with
handkerchief, and smother all sounds.
No man can explain to another why he
laughs. There is nothing more absurd
to ask man what there is funny in
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, aud never tell
without rush of laughter. Indeed we
are shaking now; but very likely our
readers will see nothing in it. Agood man
had the bad habit Of making very long
family prayers. His wife was hard Of
hearing. One morning for some reason,
he prayed short, aud then went to the
barn to milk. On returning, he found
his wife still kneeling, with closed eyes.
lie stepped up behind her and shouted,
Amen! whereat she very quietly rose
and went about her work. You don't
laugh2 Well, the spark is there, but
your powder Is not good.