, 1873-02-09

v,s calculated. He Was the politcst, best-bred,
most tnsinuating man about the Court; and yet
IA vas continually ontnanked and outmn-
nuuyred by Sir Robert Walpole, Who had the
hesrtiest laugh in tho Kint dom, and by the Duke
n Newcastle, who had the worst manners iu the
eorld. The oyer-sober Christian wil hardly bo
uroud OF Chesterfield as al allT.
The truth is, tho best r.ea have been TIC fond
est Of innocent ni-th. It has been truly said
that the clergy, es body, are among the moHt
humorous Of men. We're their quips, and
pranks, and m;rth-proyeking iests collected into
volume, they would make one OF the most
amusing books in literature. Old Dr., Emmons,
Of Franklin, Mass, said rs pungent things at
liable as in tie pulpit. His wit w2s as sharp as
his logic. A young preechor. occupied his pulpit
ono day, and ut dinner angled for u compliment.
II hope did not woary sou by the length Of
nv sermon, Doctor:" sNo, nor By it's bre=dth,
either." II am af.1id," said another young
Clergyman, ~ did not get fairly into my sub
iect, in my sermon to-day" "Well, young
uan, do you know the reason why? It was
because your subject never got into you"
LYMAN Bccchc1 WIS full to bursting with
hu1aor. Some friends wished him to prosecute
.1ibcller. II once threw @ folio Of divinity at
.skunk. got G rev suit Of clothing, and Ind
to pay for the robinding of the volume" Spur
geon is notad for the keenuesa and caasticity OF
bis wit, and during his graves. Ber1nons tho
hearers face often rclaxcs into a smiie- When
well-known bore 8ent word to him that " a
servant OF the Lord wished to eco him, ,-e'Teu
him" WIS the reply, 't that am engaged with
bis Master" In preaching to a company ct
butchers, he opened with the hymn,
Not NIL the blood Of beasis
Oa Jewish affairs slain, ETC.
Then told that twins we're born to him, he
.1iei ont:
Not nore than others deserve,
But God has given more.
Some years ago clergyman near Boston asked
mother, who was noted for his proli1ity, to
p1e.ch for him. ~ cannot" WAS the reply,
"for an busy writing sermon On the Golden
Calf" ' That's just the thing" was the re-
foinder sscome and give us forequartor Of
It."
The fact thai so many men who have been
51imful and running over with wit and hurnor
hive been among the e;mp1est and Hndeat-
hearted,-na among the devoutcst Of men,
conyinces us that it is the harshness Of an ir1a-
igious temper, masking itself as religious zeal,
that scowls On all manifestations Of 1nirth- Il
Ia the Church Of to-day there are many con-
scientous persons who
In 1rioso trils aud graces
Never stray,
But gravtssinao. solemn bases
Hem Gw.y,"
Hvas not so with Latimer, Bishop Earle, Fuller,
Fenelon, and many others whom nc could name.
in The. .olden time. Then, ready wit and a talent
fo1 clever answers wee deemed not unsuitable
sooompaniments to devout soul completely
resigned to the Will OF heaven. Some Of the
eh.rp sayings Of Thomas Aquinas are to be
found among tho plcasantTies Of Joe Miller.
Where is the writer whose pungent witicisns
ottener provoke laugh than do those Of DR..
South, ct the English Church What hunorist
ever shook the world with more inoxtinguiah-
able laughter than the gloomy and mortified
Pascal 2, Though le belonged to the sour sect
OF the JanEenstB, the "Old Light" seceders
Of the Romish Church, yet his Provincial Letters
is the wittiest book that France cnn boast. Ono
ofthe most illustrious divines whom that Church
has produced thus speaks Of jocular discourse
In treatise whose express object is to inculcato
holiness: "As for jesting words
which are spoken by one to another with
modest and innocent mirth, they belong to
the virtues called Eutrapheta by the Greeks.
which, VIC mag call good conversation, by which
We take an honest end pleasant recreation upon
such frivolous occasions IS human imperfec-
tons do oifer only we must take heed Of pass-
ing from this honest mirth to ecofdng, for mock
Ing causeth laughter in sco-n and contempt Of
our reighbor, but mirth aud drollery provoke
laughter by an innocent liberty, confidence, and
familiar freedom, joined to the witness OF some
conceit." So talks one Of the old, medieval
writer's Of tho Church and Jet IN opinion pre-
walls that they were a set Of grabbed, morose,
sseetic religionists, who we're shocked at every
burst OF laughter, aud looked upon jest with
ho-ror! Why, they we're the re7y incarnation Of
mirth, compared with some OF the gloomy, long
faced prietists Of the present day!.
A correspondent, in o recent issue Of TIE
TRIBUNE, suggested that letter-bo1es should DO
placed in the st7eet-cats, as well as on the lamp
posts at street-corners, The suggestion strikes
Ms as very sensible one, as it involves no e1trs
expense and would add greatly to tho rapidity
Of forwarding Matchmaker, There is probably
cot : business man in tho city who is not en-
trusted with letters, two or three times = week,
to be mailed, and who does not carry them about
In his pocket for two days to d week before
ha mails them, much to the disgust
~ A4A L. II