New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-13
CHEERFULNEsS AND MIRTH.
LECTURE BY JAMES T. FIELDS DEFORE THE YOUNG

MEMS HEBREW ASSOCIATION.
The last lecture Of the course before the
Young Mems Hebrew Association was delivered last
evening by James T. Fields the subject Of cheerful
ness The lecturer did not think that Vie most enthns
astc American would claim that national besetting
sin was chcerfune. We took IN Frossars phrase. o'T
pleasures sadly True there abundance Of fun, con-
eeits and exaggeratons in the newspapers. Artemus
Ward and Mark Twain were American but even In Dan
bury the people tragicl aud .lcspondept az In
Boston, When the brokers wore black satin waktcoaee
Wast seemed like procession of undertakers solemny
performing their own obseques. IL tho people
had in early days formed themselves into
a national joint stock company for the pro-
lection of gloomy they could scarcely have
succeeded betterOD lecturer had told him that from an
audience he had ELECTED only two rst-class smiles lie
had heard of parhouer who M his church because too
cheerful views from the pulpit aud OF
lady who liked in which the burden no hope
never a without Its thorn; scarcely better was
than either was the phrase expeci nothing in this world
If you would not be disappointed" Rather with Kings
"ne soynept in expectation and perhaps tho double
happiness Of expectation and frlition. lie who raised
and up with the bridge Of laughter. In many country
the idea Of amnselent was scarcely understood
lures procure hearse, and employed clergyman
to deliver six lectures On mumMes but the CLERGY
places 10 was large public school with the sad faces
Of the teachers No wonder that SO many pupils ded
young. Dreary teachers made dreary scholars
The Thy gcnc properties Of cheerfulness had been IRE
quentiy urged, but we were behindhand In snnlng:
sculptor had told him that he could find no model Tor
cheerlness among bis cOuntrymen Fresh air ana sun
light popular Judging from the best rooms IN
our When went out to tea 1t seemed often 10
be considered disreputable 10 be happy He, the leo
added dish 70 the tables Oktn's wit and meriiment
made his visitors forget that there only two dishes
on his table-boilcd and baked potatoes In his expert
ence with the artists at Rome, they often substituted
song for Omelet OF "a glec for goose employment
and activity were the promotes OF cheeriulnehs
We could take lesson in this from the un-
restrained antics Of children. Laughing Is catch
ing, and good hum0r contagious. Riches were
not essential TO cheerfulness. The most cheerful
man he had met was Swiss peasant, climbing to MS
home, where q wife, children and six loaves OF
bread awaiting him. The lecturer here spoke OF
various classes Of enemies to cheerunessthc cold an
lies the morbid relatives and friends who have tho
power saying Just the wrong thing the friend who
will speak his mind and the people who build themselves
dreary Simon styites's tewer from which To despise
carried cbeerfulness and energy wherever they went
lie would have the old forget their dancing. He
glad to see flowers in buttOn-hOles He woud have
brighter coOrs in dresses and brighter tllts In our
architecture. There use In borrowing tro'hlc
The two things to about were what can be
cured and what can't be cured. lie would like to see
gloomy pictures excluded from art collections He would
certainly bar them from houses. AFTER tribute TO
the great WRITER'S the apostles OF good hunor, and esc
ciay TO Sir Walter Scott Charles Dickens, and Washing
ton Irving he closed by reting LongclIow last poeIn