St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1893-08-10
THE LAUGHTER PLANT.

Some short time ago it was report
od that a celebrated actress of New
Work had suddenly interpolated
hurst of ringing laughter, and great
~ scandalized the audience. On en-
Gr;rv il was found that she had
swallowed decoction ofthe laugh
ter nlant," which had been admins
tered by a stage rival. This para
Graph greatly interested many peo-
1le who were anxious to know what
the daughter plant" is, where it can
be procured, what is it's scientific
name, and other details. At this
point gentleman who has carefully
cultivated Greek roots comes to the
rescue and points out that the plant
was known to Homer. Like his de-
scripton OF the herb Molly, however,
his account leaves much to be de-
sired.
We know though-or ought to
know-that when Ulysses, king of
Ithaca started for rhe Trojan war
he left behind him his wife Penelope
and his son Telemachus. When peace
had been signed Ulysses did not re-
appear, and a number of citizens of
Ithaca and elsewhere turned up at
the palace and endeavoured to per-
suade Penelope that it was duty
she owed to society not to remain
widow. In order to facilitate her
choice they invited themselves to stay
at her residence and eat up all the
beef, mutton, pork. and cheese; for
ulysses had been running pig farm
and a model dairy at his country
house.
Telemachus naturally objected to
this, and made row about it; but
they explained matters to him.
"Very WE'LL" said Telemachus, Il
will 90 and find out whether papa is
dead, and, if he is, recommend man.
ma to take her pick out Of you"
So the virtuous young man packed
new chiffon, a clean collar, and a
toothbrush in a Gladstone bag, and
set off, accompanied by Mentor.
They went first to visit Nestor, a
cheerful and "chippy" Centenarian,
who having seen three generations
ofmen" had absorbed good deal of
varied and useful information in the
process, you go and call on Meme
iaus, my boy" said the patriarch.
He is the man to give you the in
formaton.' The next day he lent
them a cab, and sent his boy Pisis-
tratus to show them the way. They
arrived at the palace of Menelaus,
who offered them most Hospitality
"a sausage and mashed-just whilst
dinner was getting ready" and ask
ed who they were and what they had
come for. After they had had snack,
Helen-now Mrs. Menelaus-came
into the room, and Telemachus po-
litely offered her a three-legged stool
for chairs were unknown in Greece,
and then began his recital.
On learning that he had before him
the son of Ulysses, Menelaus began
to cry like child, and every one else
idiotically joined him. Pisistratus
was the only one who kept his head,
and he Senslbly remarked that din
ner was coming and weeping was
bad for the appetite, besides which
there was the inconvenience of tears
dropping into the soup tureen. you
are quite right" said Menelaus.
We will eat first and cry after
wards
Then, according to Homer, hap
py thought came to Helen. She
threw into a bowl of wine some of
that plant which is an enemy to
grief, care and sorrow. This plant
had been given to her by Mrs. Thon,
lady friend living at Alexandria, to
whom she had paid visit on her
way back from Troy with Menelaus.
If YOU drink of the wine in which
this plant is infused" she said, lit
will be impossible for you to drop
tear all the rest Of the day, even if
YOU lost all your relatives and new
silk umbrella at once, or the bank
broke, or any other calamity hap.
pened to you. Egypt produces many
plants which have peculiar proper
ties; some of them healthtul, some OF
them very dangerous"
1t is needless to dilate on the story
and tell how it all came to pass ex-
actly as Helen had predicted. What
concerns us more intimately is that
some scientific gentleman should tell
us what this plant was, and how
soon appreciable quantities of the
tncture or infusion could be put
upon the market. We want that
plant badly and we want it right
now."- [Galignani's Messenger.