The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-10-18
A SENSE or auMoR.
[London staadard.l

~ 0SN0S " 88V1OR.
 [London Standard.l
 What dull reading are the works of an author who cannot comprehend joke. There are writers like Sir Thomas Browne, whose witty fancy enlivens the driest subjects, and there are others who hold pen of lead in treating of the most interesting matters The elder his- torians mostly possessed keen sense of humor the pages of Froissart and De Comines are most amusing reading. How drily does the latter remark upon the peculiarly in the wars of England which recent events seem to show is un- fortunately not obsolete in these days. & The English are ,he brayest nation in the world in the field, but in matters of policy their enemies easily outwit then, and wha at they gain in battle they lose al the council thus was King Ed ward bubbled and outwitsed." How quaint, too. is his de ,cription of the soli- tary parliament Louis xt. summoned during his re,gn, when he called 1t to- gesher to please the people, but took care only to summon such persons as would not oppose his designs.
 What a contrast is presented by the pages Of Burnes, who might almost stand as the type of man devoid Of the power of .ppreciating the humorous side of any thing. Those readers of the good bishop ponderous history" who possess an edition with Swift's notes" added, ded, may, however, find much amuse- ment in their perusal of the work. The wicked wit of the tory Dean plays around the prosy text of the whig writer, and is as cruel as MT. burchells muttered Fudge in destroying the effect of the solemn narration. When, for example. in his preface, Barnet indulges in long peroration about the sacred duty of an historian to tell the truth, and in an ex- cess of consciousness, bids his reader take even his own carefully prepared history with a grain of allowance Swift notes. "I will take hts warning.' Again, when Burnet is describing the ex- treme length of the service of the Scotch church, remember on this Fast Day six sermons were preached without in- termission. was there myself, and was a little weary of so tedious service, Swift has the cruelty to add, Burnet, at this tune, was eight years old z But still more like Mr. Burchell is the cur; Sad trash" "Dark nonsense" which Swift appends to some of the most solemn of the historian. Yet witty as was the great dean himself, his sense of the ridiculous was of different de scEiption to the genial humor of Chaucer or Shakespeare. They laughed at the absurdities of their fellows but their laughter was of the kindly, good-natured in which even its object him. | self might have joined. The bitter sati- rical vii of Pope and Smith is of widely | different character from the genial mirth | which diveTts without wounding. It is the crowning quality of many Of our greatest humorists that they are humor- ous without being malicious, that their wit is thoroughly free from i'll nature, that l they acknowledge all the good in human ity while laughing at it's little weaknesses | That some of their works are tinged with | the coarseness of their age it is impossible | to deny 1t was the fashion of their era | to be more outspoken than in these days; and yet, considering some Of our modern | literature, it is difficult to see that the | older writers are worse offenders than | many of our modem brethren, who have | not the same genius to redeem their l pages.
 The sense of humor is gift which can not be acquired; 1t must be innate. There | still exist persons who will seebly ask to have some good joke explained to | them" These uniortunstes are blind in | a mental sense. and can only be resigned to their in6rmity. The sense of humor is lacking ip them, as the ear for music pr the eye to appreciate picture is lack ing in others. To try to cultivate this missing power is as hopeless as were the efforts of the German baron (meutio0ed by Wahab, or one of his correspoDdenss) to cultivAse spsightlinesA This wealthy reuton, being refused by an English adv on the ground that he was mot lively enough" annoyed his neighbors in ,ke rooms below by spending hours leap ng solemnly over his table On beng asked the reason for this strange conduct, ae gravely replied, "yapprends d'ere s a piuAble sight to behold a person actually devoid of sense ofhumor grop- ng dimly after the point of joke. lis he old story of the Scotch judge, who, nearing a joke one day in court, sim mered" the subject in his mind till the morrow, when the point of the jest sud 3enly broke upon him, and he cried, "l aae ye noo." Some persons never attain o even this tardy enlightenment, and will Teeze 9 good story-tcller by solemnly lsking. "Was that a joke P Equally ievoid of true sense of humor are the persons who perpetraie foolish hoaxes md utter poor jokes. Practical jokes, so some generations back, are he most idiotic of all jests. What wit is here in being a greater falsehood teller han your neighbors suspect you ts boz
 "SOME PUMPKINS"
 Peck's Sum-
 Talk about the enterprise and cute ae<s 0f Amerirau nevrsnaDeY Duhlsx hseS r 1