New-York tribune., 1879-03-31
TRAGEDY AND COMEDY.

T5s Per n p. Frothinqhan at me Masonic Temple
"Traoedv and Comedy" was the subject OF
Mr. Frothiugham's discourse yesterday morning iio
took no text but introduced the sorvces D. Ioaus
from the works OF q HindoO writer lie sa4d Ill Suo'
stance ,
All human life falls into two dvisons-the trai Ic a
the comic The day is divided between laughter ana
tears victory and defeat joy and sorrow; one OF o
other viii prcdominae IN al experiences. We are now
apnroachin the end as u seems TO me- OF INC
period Comedy has reiEEed supreme lor soH' '0'i'
mast To laugh 10 be amused, has been the great
Men have not shed TO have the earnest Ieae5 VI '1o
prescDted TO them. Even tragedy has been maze 10
have its comedy side not have comic helihohs
How many ureacers we have who think they nave not
done their whole duty they have not eNcited Iher
hearers TO laughter turning the awful Tragedy o. me
into an idle show FOR TO auSh A. We scr iAo" J'
and laugh In a court where minister is on VIZ" lo'
cco,t II NV belief that the comic period l. nearly
at an end Men cannot be dccorously entertained uless
their reason and Judgment heartily approve II
there is any art that oug to be kept pure ana coHeb
and refined it ia this art Of entertaining nahAlhu ana
srDdmg IL away refreshed and purified.
What the reason for this rage for the comcf Lie
is NOT So hard as il was former tines thcrclS 10 c'
that is not happier than two or three cch.sS eo @ % m
The poorer classes ther, Is more leisure more
SION more eocia feeling; there Is more munger 4o p'
ter things and greater amy 10 Cg,@n rcI,a was ali
was o time when the he OF ih' NoI AiuEt Ia ,r 80
tragedy. Life is not harder than u u',4 10 tc i
o. or hp
life Is hardest They who augh an the t@e @ tro ,,
who wish to laugh more. The lglt, the llNiI, Ihv
cc!tcd and the vain are are they VINO run "i'g5
ana the broader il is the better lleY me It, low, "
la yc hoavv burden. bear stay at home labt uoNH
booi or consult frIeHd uley DO not EeU away 'ioi
Themselves. e., ., oi1 th,clocv
The ancient rel zion nothing hut Dl.tcr ttaE'.E
Lille was struggle against inherent H,5Iaff.'; tI
future period oi uuce! a.niy win LeaH ~ oll lI
elect and Lc for tn" uUci'ct lc'@nh i"' W. ' -
il impossible 20 laugh man could not 5ar s'tu,ms @
on the brink % an eternity which might .. ono ol @ u
.pp,s hlp torment Now tins Is gone. How many ueu
be- icyc they are totally d'ppfcu tudt iA' Nul' on
world the power OF daIhEes' hai ue!tu ems % L.
batI0ul NuU can count on AoHi IIi-'i> ,l' @ H.
Won meet WHO believe nus so i1at lHry Eve III , tii
Tn,v may believe ID on Sunday, may fet" 1t HVm 'uvi
rraIsr-b0os; hut 10 ls Nos to tucm VIA uulh' nc
odr.iai n has passed away SO thoroughly ina pe9pt
have swung 10 the opposite eXtren1' i1,'ean .,,n VI
Mon laugh ~ they laugh in The mad-f"2s- :;
fir, is "a y,;cill Of Laughter The maGncs, OF mcl'u-
caov has passed away and given place 10 lhe htucs7
when o the two IA nohlor the traeic or trc comic
Al Tie hisIpr sentiments tuft1Cc, Ar4o- dtN"i ioh'
I,'er. 4, ;.lv There is an CugIuOU- difference ne
tween rat wnjcn is highest an that wlich j. ovett 10
o, i, lItEaaUu.ty. aEl that which b IsIr -auict
nv neSs This bcicl Us not the result oI Puritan
ism; IL runs back INTO the a-c,. SopIUcle5' ', ~ ~ -
shakespeare, tried 90 portray the cid-dFoI OF dH ,'
rise prrr 10 fate, 70 struggle ag3us- poNcriui adN '-
sarcs Gut never be bratea lhlt ls tHe sloy 0i tNt
life tina; deserves iO be called -thr story th'l VIZ
he told when all other stories are forgotten. IHc tragedy
OF life consists not I'm Oddly horrors, II1ulc wars,
sweeping coufl gHti0ns, nor IN earthquakes WCh an
IFS ifsH when expectation is dcf.arcd and plans are
bt ked; when men and women begin to nud ont tnat
gry believed when they that aIt their best efforts
are coming 10 uaucht and the golden future grow
more and more distant; when man lays Gown ms
we9pOus and asks "AferGll, what Il it worihP Ihere
j, tragedy All ana women really lIy in some wa
living and in the cuuscolNNts5 OI uttcf HoIecas
failure Is tragedy without lis comedy