The herald., 1895-11-17
lE}O0l<S any,. 17!ittn'ssE!:'TH|E]M
n y 80, M1Q MAKE V x9c>'
EDITED BY HNocn KNIGHT
i THE PLAGUE OF JocULARlTY-In

THE PLAGUE OF JOCULARlTY-In
the North American Review for the cur
rent month the late Professor Boyesen
which he invelghs earnestly against the
POPULARITY of Americans. He points out
what to him 10 an almost total lack of
reverence in our literature and conversa-
tion. So far a. our literature is concerned
he declares that humor is tho only prod
uct we export. Not long ago the Queen Of
Italy is reported to have ASKED an Ameri-
can: "Have you any famous authors be-
sides Mark Twain and Bret Harte?" Pro-
fessor Boyeten was of the opinion that
these two are very much the best known
ones abroad. At any rate our really seri-
Gus literature is not much in demand
there, according to him. who goes on
from this to osberve: II believe the de-
cay of eIoquence here since the days of
Clay and Webster 10 largely due to inca
pacity to be serious about serious things"
He says this plague of POPULARITY abounds
everywhere, and with persons Of all ages.
OF thirty young men in Columbia univer-
sity whom he asked to write odt for him
some account of their lives. seventeen OF
the responses were more or less humorous
ana whimsical in tone.
Of the whole national tendency to jocu-
larity he writes in a spirit OF Impotence.
Such stories as we constantly tell would
not be laughed at abroad, and many of
them, like the jokes about 81. Peter, for
instance, would be deemed blasphemous
in good Enlish society. One of the must
dreadful remarks lie ever heard is quoted
in full. Being lntiOduced to very aged
and particularly pompous clergyman. the
keeping on living in the hope that there
msy be vacancy in the TrinityP' Tour
Rueneff, however, took different view OF
American bumor, he says, and thought
tho funniest thing he ever heard was the
declaration OF the man who was saved
from starvation by eating bis boots, that
the holes taste0 the best.
Now, however much we may object to
the criticism in tile paper, We must con
cede that Professor Boyesen was q GOOD
friend OF America and one of the best be-
loved OF our literary workers. When he
says that there is very little OF real con-
versat:on. that every body goes into com.
pany stocked with stories ana iok On. he
tells US soemthing that is not without
point, and We had better give little heed
TO II. Here is fine sentence, say what
we will about the authors conclusion !:
Inc IdulaH oerenlty OF soul. the bright
clarity of thought, the genial tolerance
of views opposed to your own, which are
the essential conditions of that happy ex-
change of winged felicities which call
conversations. are, indeed, not unknown
either in Boston. Washington or New
York, but they are so rare as to justify
tine assertion that the social man, in his
higher evolution, Is yet practically un.
known in the United States
This is a trifie hard upon us but 1t is
not withou: an underlying element of
justicr, and W. shall do we'll to give it
hospitable hearing. The reason be gives
tor this lack of fine culture IN our social
lie is the mad lush Of this tnat has
made US look upon the surface and given
US too little of that refinement of thought
ana the Praces of life that only como with
time and leisure. No one can question
the at least partial truth of this explana
tion. As the cast has looked upon the