New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-02-08

mortified he had no faith In another life And here
is another When certain duke came 10 Dpnuon
70 negotiate "A peace. Charles Townsend being
asked II the French Government had sent The prenina
res OF treaty answered that he did not know, nut theS
had sent the outline Of an Ambassador
Among the announcements In a French paper, no
tced once that "a young man about 10 marry wants 10
meet a tnan OF experience who will dssuade him. Aura
ham lincoln once concluded not TO think of marrying,
because he said, never be satisfied with any one
who will be bockhead enough to have me" -,
III is said be impossible to discriminate between the
wit that produces pleasure Of thought and that which
produces pleasure Of laughter II does not seem To me
so hopeless TASK 10 discriminate uetNo.n 'u ,, ~
when reflection predOminates and the act oil VIII APP
breaches statement OF truth, so that the surprise uos
not borrow any tnge from any human sentiment, the
pleasure will be inordnate and If we produce snie ~
all, II will be where the German constructed te iuea
OF the camel-n the depths of his consciousness Wh6h
for instance Mr.. Lowell. the American poet whose re-
pity II is my left 20 me his govt ana nothing
in the cellar to keep IL up with A"teloW leeIlhg
makes woDdrOus kind ;" 1t is 80 human 10 Aure ou
THE SOBER AFTRR-THoUeBr
II does not follow that the wit that produces laughter
can be analysed without mental process hut that Is an
afterthougbt and laughter anticipates IT, as when Mark
Twain writing upon Benjamin Franklin sayf, he was
twins, having been born simultaneously in two houses
in Boston" Let us analyze IT, Mark TYalp assumes
that both houses, since people insist upon b0'u az
have been the spots of his BIRTH apdit So the births
both houses must have been simultaneous. But sun tho
two Frankins were hot identical, ana OF SOuISo or
must have been twins At least that the best you can
DO with the historical material laughterl ,.-., i,s
II wit unmasks moral feeling IL performs 49,. t
nOhlest function, and mparts very rare pleasure 70
mind Abraham Lincoln was the man 10 do that thing
as when for instance out in Illinois, defending fug
tive slave, be said Gentlemen, IL Is very singular I'm.
the courts OF this State Will hold that man never OsS
his right 20 his property that has been stolen from h
but that he Instantly loses the right TO hlmseI nc
is stolen" 1t has sometimes seemed 10 me una,
mis- accidental congruity Of wit is sometimes enhanced
by drOn incompetence of understanding, as SHOWN ID
the behavior OF the who hears it, For instances on
very hot day sydney smith answered the complaint OF
lady about weather by saying, Yes, hot lnueeu.
For my part wish could take of my flesh ana SIT IN
nv bones" That is something more than ludicrOus
extravaganza. The wit extends to the congIulty OF
is inst one electric instant when tins seemed
not only possible, but rather desirable But ~ rs h
HANGED 70 us when remember the puzzled oOk vi Io
lady VINO only saw indecacy In that when Was ue
cate TO pitch of ghastlines II Is strppeu Or '
matter TO the very last rag OF That thne-prudey %
Charles Lamb said when gentleman remarked tna t Nv
was matter Of fact man For my part am mater
of lie man" The effect Of the surprise was increased ny
seeing Of the hearers put on the proper shocAeu
fhHs think you will notice that the raery OF Fal.
stan owes half It's excellence Dame Qugleys constant
misnterpreaon, for this reflects back upon ~ le Only
wit which did not have before Ihus lhS RIn q, VhS
Of Hamlet, after killing POOnius, in replying 10 the
King The old man has gone 10 supper Inc couruers
know he is killed, but they cannot take tne Poit vi
Hamlet's answers. In play OF Douglass Jerrold an
old sailor, trying TO snatch kiss from maid received
"A box the ear "There," said he that is my nck;
always wrecked the coral reets ana gOOd as IL IS
the joke greatly enhanced when we learn thst te
manager when the play read to him IN the green
could not the pun and insisted upon Jerrou
striking it out. ,. 49,,
may become OF wit itself. There must ALMOST
be a complete Inconsistencies OF the preparation y!
bull" Sydney smith says that our pleasure ARISING
from bull proceeds from our surprise AZ Su ut
discovering things to be dissmiar which we had thOugn
to ice similar. gentleman, in speaking OF noDeman'
lamented very much that he mad no children a mtui-
cal gentleman said that 10 have no children ~as
perhaps "A great misfortune. but he had remarkea
that il was hereditary some families think ihat
The palm for tins involuntary wit must be gwen 10 lna
old lady in NewBedford who heard OF the cheaphtss on
the manufacture OF oils and the great increase ~
use of them which threatened 10 drive sperm on OUT Oh
the market Dear me-" she cried' the poor "naieS
what will they do" -, ~,
When wit creates temporary excitement nc snVVh
suddenly open to an escape from the drudgery OF our
daily struggles We ind a way to elude, for moment
our tasks aud ind a smile. It is mOnentaIy pegule
1nrnt and we are cheated into u belief, for moment
that there is not care the world Its tonic created
for US and saves US from despair.