St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-12-26
PEOPLEMU BE AMUSED
This Holds - Good Of waohine.
ton a. Axy Other piace.


Especial Washington Lsttee.l
The poet told the truth although
there will always Be some doubt con-
eerning the authorship Of the lines.
The words have . jingle Of merriment.
wine and wassail, and indicate that
they were written by q man; and by
Just such . man - Col. John A. Joyce.
But Ella Wheeler Wilcox claims their
authorship:
Laugh, and the world laughs with you.
Weep. and you weep alone.
This grand old earth must borrow IT. mirth.
II has troubles enough Of its own"
Phillip Phillips, the celebrated singer
Of sacred music. used to sing verse
containing the words: Though you
may forget the singer. you will not for
get the song" and 20 T. makes no diff
ference from whose pen the lines came,
end Il would make NO difference II we
never heard Of the controversy concern
ing authorship-the words contain q
truth which IL universal.
The moralists and theorists of all ages
have discussed the best modes Of living.
There are asceties to-day who believe
In the repression Of mirth, even in chill
aren. There II priestly class who live
in aeclusion. and. meeting each other.
always make the cheerful allusion:
brother, we must all die" There are
others who look upon the world through
glasses Of different color, and who be-
lievs in extracting al the pleasure pos
aible out Of this neeting existence.
Some Of them are the careless ex-
tremists who clink their bumpers and
aing: "Eat. drink and be merry" But
there are still others who attain happy
medium between extreme rscklessness
and extreme ssceticism. and they are in
the majority.
People In the national capital who
live in the ease and luxury Of comfort
able incomes, the families Of statesmen
and Of the higher salaried government
employees. the foreign ambassadors and
ministers. and the wealthy visitors who
make this winter resort, are ali in Pur-
suit Of pleasure. The majority of them
are reasonable In their quest Of enjoy
ment. In the hotels where families Of
congressmen spend the winter there
are little card parties given BY the
ladies. whereby long evenings are pleas
antly passed. The ladies on the first
Aoor Of the hotel 60 visiting the ladies
ON the fifth foor. and the ladies on the
second floor visit the ladies on the ninth
hoor; and thus visits are exchanged in
the hotels just - calls are made at
home from house to house.
Then there are other card parties In
which gentlemea alone participate, and
sometimes large sums Of money change
hands- It IL proper to say. however.
that gambling for money 10 growing
less and less among gentlemen every
year. In my brief experience in the ma
tional capital it has been . pleasure to
notice the fact that gentlemen are doing
less gambling. and that the habit u be-
coming reprehensible. Forty or nfty
years ago drinking was NOT regarded
a. . grave fault, but the Temperance
spirit has grown during that time 20
that drinking 10 now regarded as q
vice. Healthy public sentiment II thus
driving out the evil spirit Of gambling.
The most popular pleasure here II the
theater. and many box parties are given
during the season. Washington il q
small city compared with our CONNER
cial marts. and % we do not have the
best plays long continued. The star
performers and their companies seldom
stay in Warrington more than week.
This II really fortunate for the theater
gocrs, because there n Q constant varie-
ty Of entertainment.
The ticket sellers ut large theaters are
peculiar people. They are not auto
cratic here - they become in the great
er cities. Once upon . time there was
ticket seller at the old Ford's theater
who forgot or did not realize that this
II . singular city. and that . senator,
cabinet official. or some
members Of the family ~ . public fune-
tionary may appear at the window; and