Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1873-03-06
g @aiseeIIaneous.
Laughing.
BY HENRY WARD BEECHER

4
| People who do not know how to laugb
are muchSs..'lcHlacrai. Not evsry on.
who laughs knows how to laugh in the
highest sense. An irradiating smile i.
hhe; small sough, that glances upon
the lace like meteor, come and gone in
the same instant, is better than nothing
But laughing, like poetry, music. inven.
ton, oratory, is given in its higbes
forms to but few.
We have a relative, a lady. who i,
gifted in high degree with the genius
OF laughing. One should see her when
an exquisite story lights up the inner
soul.-Only the other night three of II.
sat together. One told an anecdote tba,
started another, till like pigeons in a
wood, they poured out in focks. Soon
| Oil were in paroxysms. There was no
ooisterous rooring. Each one perform
ell with refinement, but all were "clean
gone" The eldest has a continuops
ron that goes on without check till the
breath Is gone, and the lungs fairly run
Gown; but gathering a long breath, he
dashes down the same long roll again.
But soon the muscles ache; with hands
aodominally placed, and weaving from
side to side, his eyes streaming wit h
tears, he 1t length gains enough control
to escape from that eddy which had been
wh'riIng him helplessly around.
Another one laughs BY series of
snort explosive. fusillades. recu rrinp
rapidly and continuing in what seems
hkely TO be an endless scri es. But the
lady aforesaid begins in gentle way, as
II controlling every movement. SO have
seen "A gay rider, amblng at first. then
moving OIL at trot, breaking into =.
gallop, and then carried oil at a da shino
speed IN IL real runaway. II does one :
heart good like u medicine to see and
near snch charming performance-so
hcartN, 30 natural. So gently furious. so
possessed with demon of laughter that
VIII not be cast out. You shall see the
beginning Of the laugh carried we'll along
w tile excess Of II seems to disturb her
lnode-tv She covers her face with n
newspaper, and some would think that
Iy11," vas resting. But look. No sound -.
body" 'G(.Y-E5., .->...l4e..
runs from the room. All, there is good
honest hcartiness in such an experience,
anu all oyerplus of pleasure; the high
est pleasure reaches the edge OF pain.
IL j. impossible to discriminate be-
tween the wit that produces only pleas
ure OF thought, and that which produces
pleasure OF laughter. \ very simple
incident narrated strikes the palpitating
nerve OF laughter, to the surprise of every
one.->olnc things end their power by
once telling. Others are never falling.
Even 10 think of them sets one off. We
wake up nights, and happening TO think
OF good thing, bring down censure on
our heads for untimely outDursts OF
laughter, "when all honest and sober
people should be asleep"
One peculiarly Of laughter i, that it
RACES icarfully when YOU feel in your
soul that it j. wicked. II j. ..in meet
ing that the danger is the most alarm
ing. On, there are some things That one
should never think OF in church. Re
sistance would be vain All that could
| be done would be to stuff ones noutl
with Il handkerchief, and smotL,. all
| sounds.
No man can explain to another whv
he laughs. There is nothing more
absurd than to ask man what there is
! funny in story. Stories, like percus
sion bombs, must explode when they
strike, or they are for nothing. Storie.
that don't go off are poor stock.
There is one story which we never
think of without a smile and never tel
without rush OF laughter. Indeed, we
are shaking now; but very likely oul
readers will see nothing in ii. A good
deacon had the bad habit of making very
long family prayers. His wife was hare
OF hearing One morning, for some
reason, he prayed short. and then went
to the barn to milk. On returning, h,
found his wife still kneeing, with closed
eyes. He stepped up behind her, ant
shouted "Amen!" whereat she yer,
quietly rose and went about her work
You don't laugh. Well the spark i
there, but your powder is not good.