The record-union., 1897-11-16
A SENSE OF HUMOR.

O6uO6 VI tIOUVitg
Give me- said I, before everything
4 sense of humor''
ITO him that hath?" inquired Ara
bella.
Wei, said 1, modestly, II hope l
have But l would desire even more. =
She smiled
You may smile, young lady"
I'm not smiling
Look in the glass;
Il don't want to grow vain"
''Then look"
Evidently there is some joke in your
remark. if l could see it. But you
KNOW have no sense of humor.
Then you should cultivate it. 1t is
q remedy for half the ills of life, and
When you are my age you will reallze
IT.
When 1 am my grandmother" / am
thirty-three and she is twenty.
You wouldn't make that remark IL
You had any sense of humor," / retort-
ed crustily
But 1 haven't, and l don't see that l
should be any the better if I had
Il admit it is difficult to imagine any
Improvement in you
Is that humor, or sarcasm?"
Sober truth You can't improve
on china blue eyes, golden hair, and
Oh, we'll, her,
Il won't talk nonsense. 1 want to
know the difference between humor and
sarcasm
"Oh, well! Humor is-er-well. it's
err
Ignorance of itself?" Arabella has
plenty of humor, you know.
"Humor is kindly appreciation of
foibles and incongruities. And
Il don't appreciate the kindness How
can you feel kind to people when you re
making fun of them to yourself?"
Il don't see any difficulty Why, !
had an example this morning." I
laughed at the thought. I've half a
mind to tell YOU
''Oh, do," Arabella is as curious IS a
woman.
1T was rather confidential, you see =
knew that would excite her interest.
But you might trust me- You
may nave noticed that the more at
tfactlVe a woman is the more she em-
phaslzes the first person singular. Ar
abella almost puts it in capitals
In strict confidence"
''YeS-of course
Well, nice young fellow, whom Won
know, came to me this morning, and -
Who was it ?''
THAT isn't material"
Oh but it is, though! Very material y
But, my dear Arabella!"
IF you will not trust me we are on
terms In
she was in short frocks.
1T really isn't relevant to the point
of humor.''
I don't care anything about the
point of humor."
''Oh, well, if you don't want me to tell
you"
But l do. There's good-Tom.'
1T was Ted Naughton."
''Oh, how interesting. 1 like Ted
awfully; don't you?"
'Yes-Oh, yes. certainly 7 do but
l don't see why Arabella should.
Now, tell me- She clasned her
hands round her knees and cooked her
pretty head expectantly on one side.
We'll. said l, laughing, Poor Ted
is in love-
With whom?"
Is that your sense of humor?" She
looked at me as if L had made a plum
pudding without plums
L don't see that it matters"
Not matterl You don't care who it
Isl"
Why should I, so long as he's salts
fed?"
'Well!' Words seemed to fail her,
which is rare with Arabella
Anyhow, she seemed to be the usual
kind. There never was any one like her,
according to the love-lorn Ted She was
beautiful. amiable, accomplished. gentle,
saintly-in short, perfect. They all are
in these cases. you know"
so they should be-to the lover"
"Of course they should" Why, it's
just what / think of Arabella!
Where is the humor?"
I'm coming to it, Poor Ted. it seems,
is very diffident in the face Of such Won
drous charms. He is burning to avow
his passion to the young lady, but he
doesn't know how to proceed So he
came to ask my advice
What do you know about it?" Ara
bella sat bolt upright, and put the ques-
tion like a sword thrust
Nothing-except vague general
idea. But he evidently thought L did -
l had a little experience. but, of course,
/ wasn't going to tell her.
Did you give him the benefit of your
vague general idea?"
'Oh, yes. poor beggar, Indeed, put
it into concrete form for him. 1t was
very funny"
You are so humorous, you see.'
Somehow Arabella seemed a bit cross
Please go on
I'VE went through quite a little re-
hearsal l assure you. They were TO be-
gin with the weather, OF course. Ha
ha,"
Very humorous, certainly"
Then he was to make some remarks
about the weather. not mattering where
she was. OF course, she would blush
and look down." Arabella laughed
Il don't suppose she would
she ought to. according to the laws
of the game Then he was to take hold
OF her hand and ask If she would make
life all fair weather for him-and so
on And then?
.Oi he'd be able TO go on from there