Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1879-10-22
JESTING IN THE FAMIL Y.

Said young lady to us the other
day: 81 really long for sympathiz-
ing, appreciative word in our family
There are so many of us, that we
ought to be very happy We are very
merry at our table, but there are q
good many heartaches too. We have
fallen into such habit of criticising
and making sport of each other, that
if something is not done soon to stop
it | am afraid it will destroy the har-
mony of the family. As for me, they
make fun of everything l do or say,
and make remarks about my personal
appearance that are very annoying
They do this because they say | am
so easily teased. l often resolve that
/ will shut my mouth and say nothing
to any one Even father and mother
are not exempt Their little peculiari-
ties are made the subject of jest and
remark. / am sure" she continued,
wearily, "I don't know where it is all
going to end, for we are all, not only
sensitive, but high spirited"
Now, we regret to say that this is
not an uncommon case. Much of the
sweetness and charm of the home
relationship is lost by the growing
prevalence of spirit of banter and of
practical joking
Young people especially are apt to
fall into this very dangerous habit, not
from any intention to be unkind, but
because they think it smart and witty
Sometimes the simplest remark will
be greeted with shouts of laughter, the
cause of merriment not being apparent
to the poor victim, and for that matter
to no one else, the fun consisting in
the spectacle of the confusion which
this unkindness creates. We have
known member of family to under
take to relate some incident, which, if
he were allowed to proceed, would not
only amuse, but instruct the little
group around the tea-table; but he
would be interrupted at every sentence
by some-friv question or inappro-
pirate remark, and this would be con-
tinued until the whole thing was
turned into ridicule, and the narrator
hurt and offended, refused to proceed.
We can all readily understand the
feelings which would obtain in the
mind of sensitive person after several
such trials.
The certain tendency of such joking
will be not only to put stop to all
serious, sensible conversation, but to
create reserve which may come to be
a complete deadlock to all demonstra-
tions of love and affection in the family,
for no one is willing to unvail their
real feelings and sentiments if they
are sure each word is to be criticised,
and every show Of feeling ridiculed.
If one cannot find sympathy and appre-
citation in the bosom of ones family,
where are we to look for it?
Now, we would not say a word
against a cheerful, lively atmosphere
in the home On the contrary, we
would encourage everything which
will give real happiness.
We would be in favor of the largest
liberty in the way of fun and merry
making, provided that it be proper and
kind that it can be nothing which
can call a blush of shame or annoy
ance to the cheek of any member of
the family
"Twitting on facts" may be i'm
mensely diverting to all, but those at
whose expense the laugh is raised,
even though they may put on bold
front and laugh with the rest, yet the
pointed shaft rankles sore beneath the
surface. No one likes to be the butt
of jest, or to have his weak points
brought into undue prominence though
it be "all done in fun"
Even the most incorrigible and
determined jester is not pleased if the
tables be turned on him. How quickly
he will flush up and get angry.
Real, true wit is born in one just as
are music and art. There are but few
comparatively who are endowed with
this gift, while there are hosts of imi-
tators aspiring to be thought witty, in
whom the spirit of humor is utterly
lacking. Though they try hard to do
or say something which will create
laugh, their jokes have not the ring of
metal, because of the leanness of their
and their want of origi-
nality, and these are they who set up
the personal failings of others as tar
gets for their poor shots A real wag
has infinite stores of ready wit, droll
fancies come thick and fast, and he is
never obliged to resort to unkind allu-
sions. Everything turns to sunshine
wherever he goes, and clouds do not
follow his repartees.
We may have said something of all
this before, but when we see the happi-
ness of the family in danger, when
such sorrowful plants are poured into
our ear, we must speak our mind, even
at the risk of repeating.
Why not, then, resolve that we will
all put away from us this joking at
each others expense. Depend upon it,
its place will be more satisfactorily filed
if we take hold of it in the right way,
and we shall all come to acknowledge
that we are better and happier without
is than with it-Intelligencer.
-"The snake stories that are going
about are all too thin. Why just look