, 1873-01-19

'Aat AAo 1AAAo41t a1u s4~AEAAAA4b sakrl5t n
he Dunciad, the Il little wasp Of Twicsenh,n,
7engefu1 and venomous though he wasL d;a
nora to provoke a feeling OF revolt and eon.
Tempt against the vices OF his time than al tha
dictates Of morality, o7 tho denunciations Of thu
pulpit How many matchmaking moths.
hare paused as they hava followed the riser,-
bic el;i3o;;== I: Hcearths ''Narriase J.,
Mode7" And how many o would ass -:...- =...,..-
man in our own day, tickled with vanity md
inclined to vulgar ostcntation, has been i'm.
pelled, by the kcon irony OF Thackeray, to ayo;a
the s'sor1ows Of geatility," aud, by living ipsid,
OF his income, to keep out Of the t.Book a,
Snobs!"
The yeoman service which that prince OF vita
Sydney Smith, did to Catholic Emancipation, h,
his "Le.ters to Peter Plymiey," is familiar r.
ALL By what syllogisms in Barbara Or cslareu,
could he have 80 clTcctualiy annihilated tho in.
auenco OF Pcrcival and Canning, as by declaring
OF tho latter that "whon he IL iocular. he i
strong when he is serious, he is like sa,npsan
in Wigs" and by holding up the former tn
ridiculo as the protector Of 8" the great plan ot
conquest and constipation, ,"-as tho Statesman
" in whoae mind w2s first engcndered tbs ide,
OF destroying the pride and plasters Of Franco.
and "who would bring the French to reasou
by keeping them without rhuba.b, ard exhibit
to mankind the awful spectacle Of nation
deprived Of neutral ealts7' It was b.,
yesterday that duelling was prevalent
throughout the civilized world. In win
the pulpit thundrcd, and tho prsas
denounced the practice Christian men still con.
tinued to expose their lives for tho merest t1ias,
to tho accident Of 3 lucky shot It wss only
when the code Of honor" WIS made tho butt Of
ridicu1e, and 30 became contemplate in the ore.
Of those who were its 6lavea, and WHO we're moia
sensitive to sarcaem than to logic, that thsy
ceased to make their bodies targets for the bul-
let's Of any bully or bragSars who chose to con-
slider himself aggrieyod, or whom q craven fear
Of public opinion impelled to send Challenge
But re need not cross the Atlantic for i1iust.ar
tions. Who Ing forgotten the powerful aid
rendered to tho North in our 1ats civil
war bT "Petroleum Y. Nasby," Of the icon.
federate Cross-Roads-" Though he assumed
the cap and bells, Rabelais WAS not mere terribly
n earnest. As one of his admirers has well sid,
whenever his loud and often boisterous laugh
WAS heard, there Was suro to bo q funera process
sion in some dark corner Of the land. Like the
grave-digger in " Hamlet, he made fun, but hs
kept digging graves all the while- His nbset.
ling irony cheercd the patriots Is well - COZ
founded tho Copperheads and the Rebels P1eal'
dent Lincoln found relief from the wearing tu1,
ieties Of Office in reading the letters Of thi4
Toledo blado. Grant declared that he ssco1dnt
get through q Sunday without one;' md
Secretary Boutwell, publicly attributed the o7e1.
throw Of the Rebels to three great forces
Army and Navy, the Republican Party, and Ito
Letters OF Petroleum 7. Naaby.
What WAS tho secret OF Dr.. Motifs power ors
| bad msu,--what, but his contagious, resnilt.5
| huuor -He would d1sperso any mob sooner
than the Mayor with his drilled police. Ia
would meet them armed with clubs. looking
lean, hungry, and defiant In tive minutes thsy
would be seen dropping their sludgeoas, and
dispensing in roars Of laughter.
Then let 11s laugh. It is the cheapest lu1uz5
man enjoys, and, Us Charles Lamb says, Us
,.,rth a hundred groans in any etate Of hs
market" 1t stirs up tho blood, e1-
pands the chest, electriilos the nerses,
| clears away the cobwebs Of the brain, and
gives tho whole system shock to which ths
Toltaic nile is as nothing. Nay its delicious Il
cheny converts even tears into TIE quintessenca
| of meuiment, and makes wrinkles Themselves
expressive OF youth and frolic. Aner!ca2s.
| esneciaIly, need ro laugh, and to hugh cite!
The demand for humor is great among us; ma
the supply is not equal to The demand Most q
ma ara oyer-worked, and the excess Of WORK sen-
dere imperative tho need Of Increased pn1 .
balance it. Nature prompts the oset-*o1a
m.n to seek IN atmosphere Of mirth as sfuIy II
she sends the deer to tile salt-lck. Wealth. r
popuitv. worldly wisdom, and popular informs
ton abound among us; hut our soclal saaa
lacks the oil OF Joy; and hence TO need 70 Gu
ti7ato good lunor, as DeQuincey comicalgineu
Gates murder, as 'one Of tho fine arts"
We are aware that there are some oEflso sa'
eminently respectable people who are hEefse
morriment and to tho PLEASANTLY that prosoAs'
II. Bnt what world this. would be ~lsaoa
laughter! To what dreary complexion aao'4
we ali come, were all fun and cachnna''on q
nunced from orr solemn and scientific plsns.
Care would soon oyerwhelm us, the hears "olt
corrode, life would be Ill relievo, and no W.
the River OF Life would be like the Lake Oh ~
Dismal Swamp We should beean our osss
d sigh, and end them with groan; "hle ta11.' Va
erous faces, and words to tho tune o' . ::
Dead March in SAUL" would make W !. :.
; wfo1o iuterlude Of existence. Hume
h;.torian. in examining Fronch nanna1'
containing accounts Of eome private olsoa.s m
meats Of King Edward II. of Englana' le,I ~.
nmonr others one article OF cro"n Pas1
somebody for making the Eing lsu9h. ~.
His ssaiesty h.yo made wiser lnVee'nea
Even that grimmest and most saturnlne Of w
Dean Swift, calls laughter "tho most innoea
Of diuretics." Let us, then, indulge freeg :,
; the nationality Of laughter. In the words o. =
witty Maginn, let our Christmas laugh eehou
saint Valentines day; our Laugh Of Saint ". ',
entiue till the LIST OF April; our Ata Il
humor till May-day, and our May mer1'meu. ~ =
Midsummer. And go let US go on, from hoI.. ~.
to holiday, philosophers in 1aughte1' ~ -. p, ;,
till, at the expiration OF our century, We W. ~
l death Of old Democritus; cheerful hopelur :,
. contented; surrounded BY many = nsoa,
without an enemy; and remembered pn.ars ,i.s
because We have never, either IN me o. us-s .s.s
. given pain for moment to any beng <n'''-
The St. Louis Board OF Trade has fosFnssa I:as
petition to Congress, asking an approptlsstt
:, 100000 for tho improvement OF fha h''''' =
Of Galena River, in the State Of llho"s. :,
REASONS urged in this memorial sre' 1ass ats+.,
q .t.. =; 40 riror ia ~ low that the pacAsa