Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-18
The Sixth Sense.
London Standard.


the sense of humor has rightly been
described as the sixth sense. Life is
a jest"-to most of us dubious one
but. oh! 'the humor of it." He who
discovers not where the laugh comes in,
is as much to be- pltied as an unhappy
wight in a garde of fragrant flowers
with cold IN his head. Il is q sad
fact that there are as many who may
be lileAed to such an afflicted being.
The sense of humor, like many other
good things, is the possession of the
minority. Yet there is no faculty the
ordinary mortal prides himself so
much upon as his sense of humer.
The possession of the five other senses
he is conscious does not atone for the
absence of the sixth. If he is blind.
he does not blink the fact, and wears
spectacles - blue ones if necessary.
If he is deaf, he presents an ear
trumpet to his friends without the
slightest compunctlon, but if he
feels that the laughter of life is to him
but dumb show he is desperately care
full to conceal his infirmity. To this
end ne laughs Justify and uproriously
often when the true humorists are
glum and silent He will 60 through
mysteries over the modern farcical
comedy. The idea that a drunken
husband hood winking by series of
ingenious lies, the wife he has deceiv-
ed is rapturouslv funny to the moral
cripple with only five senses. With
the morbid self-consciousness of many
sufferers under physical or moral de
feet he strives to conceal his iafirmity
by airing It on every possible occasion.
He continually butIonholes his friends
with SONS duced good Story" which
It need hardly be said turns out in re
cital to be more ''duced" than good "
The primary oject, howevr, is gained.
The world never discovers that its
boisterous humorist is only playing a
part. On the contrary, with its usual
gullibilty, it laughs and applauds and
votes the ''duced good story teller" and
internally amusing fellow" 1t is
easy, but needlessly cruel to "show
up the INTERNALLY amusing fellow" "
He can be ''foored" in a thrice by a
volume of Happy Thoughts" OF
"Allce in Wonderland" without re.
cours5 to the heavier tones of Thacke-
ray or Dickens. But, alter all, the
imposition Is harmless one. If he
bores the minority, he pIeases the ma
jorlty. and the best thing the humor-
Gus minority can do, if it cannot
laugh with him, is to laugh at him.
The infuence of this sense on
the enjoyment Of life is immense.
Even poverty is enriched when its
humor is discovered. The sense oi
humor not Only supplies what has
been called ne wine of life," but is
also responsible for much of it's mar
mony, to use the word in its widest
ssnse.
As in marriage, SO in friendship and
the other relations of life. The sense
of humor kaits diverse natures to
gether which otherwise would remain
as far asunder as the poles. There is
one more advantage, If such it can be
called, attendant upon the possession
and cultivation of the sixth sense.
True sense of humor is always accom-
panied by an equal perception OF
pathos. 1t is needless to multiply in
stances of this truth. With little Paul
Dombey and Col. Newcome staria G
US ia the face, so to speak, such pro
ceeding would be slight on the mem
ory of the two greatest humorists OF
modern days.