The Fremont County record. [volume] (Canon City, Colo.) 1877-18??, 1883-04-07
THE LUDICROUS.
Its Philosophy, as Taught by
Human Nature.
An Entertaining and Humorous Lecture
by DR.. D. A. Moore.
The Eccentrieities and Oddities of
Our Race.

Moore, chancellor of the Denver university,
delivered at the Methodist Episcopal
| church of this city a most entertaining
and humorous lecture on "The Philosophy
of the Ludicroue; or, 1t Is Better TO Laugh
than Be Sighing," to a fair and appreciative
audience.
At 8 o'clock this talented divine and
most successful educator, took a seat behind
the pulpit. when Rev. N. A. Chamberlain
invoked the divine blessing, and introduced
the speaker to the audience. We have
space for only brief sketch Of the lecture,
to which nothing but full, verbatim re-
port can do anything like justice. Its
merit, diction and manner of delivery
should be seen and heard to be appreciated.
DIR. Moore opened with the apology that
If anything in the lecture should SAVIOR too
much of levity for the sacred place in which
it was delivered, the friends who invited
him here, and chose both the subject and
place, would be responsible. However,
there was nothing in the moral of the
thought to lie presented that would do
harm, but rather add to the xest of life.
There is a unanimity in all writings
extant on mental science in the division OF
human nature into three great features
Intelligence. sensibility and will-the know
ing. feeling and executive powers of the
mind. The idea of the ludicrous is found
in all the higher ranks OF the animal king
dom, and man is not the only creature
| who laughs and cries. The humorous and
grave are closely allied. There was moth
ing more humorous than Burns Tam
o'Shantcr," yet it pointed grave moral.
But the idea of universal conception Of
| true humor is much confused. Some seize
upon an expression of wit at once; Others
not until they have pondcred over it, and
| others still not at all. Incongruities arc
always followed by the ludicrous, no mat
| ter how solemn or awe-inspiring the oc-
casion. To illustrate this, the speaker re-
verted to Governor John Griner's pompous
entry into Santa Fe, New Mexico. While
| that proud dignitary was riding down the
plaza, seated upor. the back of a royalty
caparisoned broncho, the object of mute
awe and admiration from the assembled
Mexicans, the sudden "buckingn of the
animal, and the dumping of the COVER
nor in the dust, were incongruities in the
otherwise solemn and imposing procession,
aud excited the irrcprcssible risibilities OF
tic asseanbled thousands. As unotacr IL
! 1ustration Of this samc fact, DR.. Moore re
lated an experience of his boyhood, way
back in Ohio. His Uncle Dennis came down
TO Sunday creek on a visit. The Moore
residence was primitive one, at the foot
of q hill. on the outskirts of a village, and
was provided with one spare room, to which
| the guest WAS assigned. In lieu of ward
| robes, in those days his mothers clean,
! starched calico gowns were hung, with
| other articles of male wearing apparel. up
on nails, driven into a clcat, which adorned
the walls of hall beneath the guests
chamber. In the dead of night the dread
| alarm of fire was given, and Uncle Dennis,
who had never before witnessed con-
| fiagration larger than that ofa log heap or
haystack, startled from his slumbers by the
glare of a whole village on fire, the forked
tongues of flame crowning the brow of the
distant hill, and licking the very heavens
| in their awful fury. rushed from his couch,
scixing from one Of the nails in the hall q
garment which proved to be, instead of his
coat, one of the speakers mothers calico
dresses, and hastencd to the scene of the
confiagration, frantically endeavoring to
don the GOAT which he had never be-
fore found so difficult TO put on, all the
while yelling fret" at the top of his
voice, the starchcd skirt of the calico way
ing in the breeze.
Wit is frequently found in nature so plen-
tifully that it bubbles up spontaneously
upon every occasion. An illustration OF
this was the reply of Charles Lamb to the
fond mother who brought to him her
child, with the solicitous remark: Mr..
Lamb, how do you like babies ~ and re-
ceived the bluff Boiled, Madamr When
wit innocently bursts forth in an incon-
gruous form it is called bulls and for
| this class of humor the Irish race is noted
The doctor told number of anecdotes to
| show the lack, in many minds, of quick
conception, and how wit, at once appreci-
| ated by one, loses its force and point by
| repetition. A devout, aged minister was
| taken on n deer hunt by an old, expert
cnced hunter, and placed on stand,
while the hunter went of to drive n deer
past him. When left alone the ministers
thoughts reverted to his home; the solemn
| silence of the forest begat fear; his mind
dwolt upon the possibility of being attacked,
and dcvourcd by some wild beast, with
| no one near to hear his cries for aid. In
the midst of these reveries a rustling
sound fell upon his ear; monster ol
some kind was approaching. Horror
seized upon the poor man, and as huge
buck came bounding toward him through
the thick undcrgrowth, he fell in swoon
| The hunter appeared, Just US he was strug-
Cling to his feet and, having heard no shot,
angrily inquired ii he did not "sce il p
After repeating the question a number o
times the frightened divine stammercd ont
See what ~ Why, the dcers" asked
the hunter. "No;" exclaimed tho pool
fellow; "but saw the devil rushing 70,
me, with split-bottom chair, turned legs
| sticking out bchindp A listener to the
narration of this story, among number oi
ministers, sat in dumb silence for some
time after its completion, and the conver-
sation had turned upon other subjects,
when he suddenly sprang from his scat
and pranccd around the loom in par
cxyam Of laughter. He had just seen
the joke, At crossroads three finger boards
bore directions and distances to several
places, and underneath appeared a placard,
bearing tho words. II ron cannot read,
| inquire ~ tho blacksmith shop A
party Of gentlemen read the above, and
laughed at the incongruity of the last
sentence, when one, who seemed TO moAt en-
| Joy the ludicrous in it, exclaimed: What
| if the blacksmith wasn't at homcs" The
ability to produce the ludicrous Is exceed
inriy varied. The ahlest writer's bcet un-
dcrstand human nature, and only true hu-
NOR will bear repetition. Shakespeare and
Bacon are more to ua to-day than to those
m whom thsy wrote Tho truest wits ass