The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1889-04-05

Vhcir Old Morning. and The Wide pis~
tiHstion Between Them.

tsuStfon UcsNsfn Ihetn-
Laughter may bc either gcnist or
malignant. but II Is allied ratAor to
egotism and contempt than 10 aifcc.
tlon ana dcvotedncss. the chisf source
Of the ludicrous being the degradation !
u some person or thing which we
have been accustomed 20 as~ocint. with |
power. dlgnNy ~ gravity. parodies
are ludicrous Danici O'Ccnncl. |
wishing n iiaicule ik~cc obnoxious
Colonies, ~rotc the following:
Three Ccirrcs. IA three 4 slant counties born |
Lincoln, ATmaeh ana Sii.sv did adorn.
The nrstr. matchless In flience surpassed.
The ncr IN blrotry. N beth The last.
The torto nature corit no further ro
To hvgrs the third She shaved the other two
When we find tn laughter shading
into .nalignity VI have wit. Whcr
Wv ind the laurt:cr kindly we have
hwrsor. Sydncr Smiths remark toa
cG.4mittcc on !. wooden pavement
WIS humorous I'VE have only 90
Ny our heads NJ getner and the tlnng
4 DONE Kls 'Dean Swift WAS witty
when some me remarked 70 him
''sDo you knQ~. sir. that ] have SCI up
for a wit?' md he replied. Then.
Young man.'take my advice ;crd sit
down acaiA The altri.istic tenn
peramcn; ~clincs 70 humor. the ego
tistic 10 ws< There is little hu'aor in
Swift. HciTn or Voitaire.
The old meaning Of wi; was slower
ness or Intelligence. Tho derivation Of
wit being from the Anglo->aron verb
witan. tt.lnow We have q survival
~ thisnfiginal meaning II the col,
l,quia phrases. .'lIc has lost his
wits. H. is at his wits ord" We
nov associate wit. not with wisdom
but wit mirth. 1t has become 50 far de
graded that paronoinasia i considered
spccies OF wit While 'npthing can
be n,cre tedious than the inycterssc
punsbr. good pun has rs relish.
Mn Grotc once appeared AT soiree
WIN queer kind Of ttruan on her
head Look az that said sydney
Smit that's tho Origin Of the 'sofd
grat sque" Daniel Purcell. asksd I'd
make pun impro1nrtn asked: ''On
VIM subject" .Oh. my subject
th. King '.Ah. hut ahc King l. nc
SUBJECT. was the rrousd reply.
Islr old meaning 81 hunhor was d
hnr lnlesS cccentricity. liz IL modern
Ng iiica,ion. humor l. j combination
a. he laughable wlth an element Of
tcr lerncsS. sympathy o. affection
As allylc says: -Hinnorlsta sympa.
tn with the searry side 81 things. "
am. Thackeray: -'lIumut II d com.
pond Of wit and lore
~ to the distinction bcsv cen wit
aua humor. we find stat vi Is sting
ing. humor kindly shat wi. is con-
sertratcd and brief ''Brerity Is the
ssul Of Wit while whole volume
may be humorous. nccorcing to sgd
rcy Smith. wit discovers raj relations
that are not apparent. and iumor adj
ni:s apparent relations aEat arc not
nal.
According to Imxlitt "Hsmor is ia,
ikelf wit i the exposing Of IL by com
~ ling or coniras ting |; with some
thing else IIu1aor Isl. as 4 we're. the
growth OF nature and accident: wit il
sb product OF art and fancy" Per-
iH,s the distinsfion has been cx-
pressed most clearls- BY Webster: 'Wi
de..otcs the power 81 sei1iig on some
thought or occurrence. SD BY a sud
der turn. presenting IL rudcr aspects
WI oily new and unexpected appar.
ent natural and admissible. il moi
pcs 'cctly just. and bearing On the sub
scc or the pa ties concerned with O
Imaginable kccnncs- and ltof &C. Ac-
eording to this The follos ing story
would be witty: a mute who had
lsuc he'd at funeral was urbraidcd BY
hsr.nastcr .Yor rascal. you. have
bser raising your wages for these two
yeRs past on condition that you
sesoni1 appear more sorrowfll. and the
hgk.r wages you recaivc Ia happier
yausook.
'Bnmor" says Webster. consists
primarily in taking up the F.culiari-
tie+ 8 humorist tar eccentric per-
sosl) enl drawing then out. rs addison
did ths Sc Of Sir Roger de Covorly. so
that We enjoy hearty. goodraturcd
laugh at the unconscious development
he mak4N Of his whims ard oddities.
From ILL., original sense 'shc term has
bccr wit ned 70 embrace other sc urccs
Of kindly mirth Of the aesac general
characte, Don Quixo,e = numerous
when hers'avcly remarks 10 h. fol-
lowcr- n he reason. Sanrho. why
thou feelssf that pain oil down thy
back T. tina the stick which gave il
thee uas . .cngth to that extent NV
Home Joirps.
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c4xrx.s~o ctoroe - Q..~