, 1880-04-19
Funny Men.

Inc man VINO pIOicocco W W "A- uS
ng is usually such bore that we over
look his wit when he has any. Small
iokers, like great takers, are more
plague than pleasure. They worry us
when we want rest, and are SO afraid OF
our missing their point that they ex-
tinguish any possible amusement by
over stating, if not by explaining it.
For company, the sprightly man is bet
ter than the witty man, and the spright-
ly woman better than either; but who
ever heard of a funny woman? Yet,
on the average, women greatly exceed
men both in liveliness and IN wit. A
good Joker should have short memo
ry, both lest he should remember and
repeat the jokes of others, and lest he
should be troubled by remembering
them when he repeats his own. Ii he
has constantly to- think whether he said
this or that in the same company before,
lie will lose all the freshness which is
an important element in his success.
1t is no doubt mistake consciously to
repeat, but when i. is done unconscious
ly it is of very little consequence, so
long as the repetition is merely verbal.
The best fun does not bear repetition or
description, but vanishes when written
down. All Sydney Smiths recorded
Jokes would not account for the great
reputation he had as wit but it was
we'll said of him, as of many another
funny man of slighter pretensions, that
after you have been in his company
you remember not SO much the witty
things he said, as the amount OF laugh
ing you yourself have undergone. 1t
is here that the distinction comes which
must be drawn between good things and
fun. A good thing is by no means al
ways funny when it is funny 1t is
often ill-natured toward somebody
present, and to have laugh at it may
disturb enjoyment in its favor. The
alderman complained to Coleridge that
in consequence of the poets Joking he
had swallowed magnificent piece OF
fat without tasting it. We confess the
deepest sympathy with that alderman.
Could we but learn his name, it would
be enshriued in the tablets OF our
memory. He was not stupid he could
see point-only too we'll, indeed, for
his own comfort. He had come to eat,
not to laugh, and he wished to be al
lowed to choose his own time for either
pursuit.
To be funny without ill-nature is not
a common gift. 1t is but too easy to
see aud remark the weaknesses Of other
people. Many funny men have no
friends because every one is afraid of
them. 1t is their misfortune to say
biting things, to wound the suscepti-
bilities of unoffending neig ghbors and
to give nicknames which stick. 10 be
able to suppress joke is, in some
cases, much better than to be able to
make one. If man is able to hold his
tongue rather than wound, the chances
are he can command his wit aud be as
funny as he plesses when occasion de-
mands. Such person is invaluable at
dull party or when others are melan-
choly or tired. He is able to relieve
anxiety, to comfort sorrow, to brighten
the wettest of days and be cheerful un
der the most cherries circumstances.
If he knew how to temper his wit, he
may be benefcent visitor everywhere.
He must have sympathy for the sorrow
full, and be able to enter into the views
of people who differ widely from him
self, not only in opinion and natural
gifts, but in attainments and in expe-
perience. He will often find comedy
and tragedy as closely allied as they are
in Shakespeare, who we'll knew, as in
deed every true artist must know, how
inseparable they are.-London Saturday
ReUiee.