The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-21
About Laughter.

A laugh may cover all manner o
sentiments-ioy, scorn or anger; it MAJ
be the most musical or most discordanT
of sounds, the most delightful or tn
most horrible which can fall upon oulI
ears. Contrast the happy laughter 0
merry children with the gibbering or,
of the maniac or the hoarse laugh of Al
defiant criminal, the musical ripple of
cultivated mirth with the roar of 4 tipsy
crowd at fair.
A really musical laugh is perhaps
rarer than really musical voice. The
giggle, the Singer, the half-choked
laugh are common enough; but how
seldom do we hear that melodious
sound, the laugh in its perfection. Il
should not be shrill, nor too loud, nor
too long. 1t should not bear any double
meaning, any hidden sarcasm in its
mirth. 1t should not be so boisterous
as to exhaust the laughter and deafen
the listeners.
Peg Wellington is said to have been
celebrated for the music of Der
laughter on the stage-a most dlf-
cult accomplishment, for nothing, (Sx-
cept, perhaps, sneeze) is harderADl
counterfeit than laugh. There ~
many varieties of laughs. There is tie
musical, cultivated and extremely rYe
one, pleasant to listen to as a chino Df
bells. There is the glad, if somewN lt
shrill, merriment of children, the b b
piness of which condones its noise.
There is the loud guIl'aw of the Yull
gar, and the laughter which appzSsss
likely to tear the iaugfsr n pie1sy
causing him to wipe his eyes after the
explosion is over. There is the hugh
of embarrassment, when shy person
at loss what to say next, remarks to
he, )" as Artemus Ward describes it.
There is the schoolgirls giggl; and
schoolboy's Singer, as he reflects on
some recently-perpetrated, but sill re-
collected, piece of mischief. There is
the chuckle of the successful msn.
All these laughs bear some family
resemblance to each other; thy all, in
their degree, express sensition OF
pleasure. There are darker descriptions
of laughter. There are laughs more
cutting than the bitterest speeches,
more alarming than the cruelest
threats. Satirical laughter the most
offensive. A laugh can convey con-
tempt which words would fail to ex-
press.
Is any one proof against being an
noyed by ridicule? Even a dog is
sensible when he is laughed at, and
resents the impertinence. Some ami
mails are indeed quite as sensitive to
derisiOn as human beings. The laugh
ter of the underbred, which finds open
amusement in the minor troubles OF
their neighbors-say the ridcule Law
ished on sea-sick arrivals at a pier, OF
on hapless foreigners in an alteration
with cabman, or an old gentleman
who falls down q slide-also ranks
among "laughs offensive"
Then there is the laugh OF incredu-
lily. When Tom goes to his rich old
uncle, full of glowing descriptions of
the PROJECTIONS of the lady to whom he
is engaged, or of the appointment
which he expects to obtain, does the old
gentleman damp his nephew lrdor by
long harangue? No. he only gives a
dry laugh; and Toms hopes of check
fall rapidly.
Too rare laughers are as unpopular
as too ready ones. A teller of good
stories never forgives the man ~.
does not laugh at his jokes. M;@S
persons have made their fortunes byI
laughing at judicious moments; ap-
plauding some poor Jest, or becoming
convulsed with mirth at dull pun. ToI
be duly appreciative of his patrons
wit was an important part Of the duty
of hanger-on. With what ready
laughter are schoolmaster's with
cisms received by his class
There is story of dramatic au-
thor, whose play had been accepted,
being requested to make sundry altera-
tons to suit the taste of the actors.
Among other changes, the manager
suggested that ga laugh" should be in
troduced at the conclusion of q speech
of an outgoing performer; sit would
give him better exit" The author
pleaded that to admit this change
would spoil the whole dialogue, but the
manager was urgent still "Think it
over, and do what you can, BIS
position in the theater demands itn'
When laughs are thus priced it is not
wonderful that persons who rarely use
their risible muscles are unpopular
Pull Mall Gazette.