, 1898-10-29
ABOUT LAUGHTER.

1t is not to a Oonnty-Courl thnt one would
usually looks for flowers of wisdom or ilIu-
limitations Of soci olOgy, and yet at South.
wNrk, on Monday last II Shrewdly sensible
remark was made by a Judge, and a merry
truth spoken by q muSlc-hall comedian.
The natIre Of the case need not detain at
ten'Fo / Mas an ordinary one concerned
with agents and engagements. But in the
course of 1t 4 professional witness had
occasion to say that the principal part of
his and his hr'ther's performance was "doing
gags to make the people laugh" At this
his Honour remarked that to make people
laugh is q very important thing in this
world. The witness, thus iudiclaIlv en-.
oouraged, went on sagely to observe: CAT
one time VT did all sentimental singing. but
we fouRd there was no money in it. The
money is ia the laughing business. Our
entertainment is IL specific cure for sad
heart and m9lAnchoIia.' A burst Of approv.
ngInughter NJ this piece of experience was
allowed to echo round the court, which was
thus. provided with two axiomg-one from
the Bench on the Importance of making
people laugh, a Il the other from the stage
itself thai nothing pays 80 we'll as laughter
OF course, both B1noh and Stage mean to
sneak of reas enable, healthy, and innocent
laughter, aud not msro foolish ~giggling, or
the outlaws Of the coarse aud indecent So
Interpreted, We are inclined to regard both
apothogmS rs entirely true and Wise. Good
hearty laughter, which belongs to man alons
among all the animals, is IL wholesome. in
vigoratiug, and happy faculty. it will set
the dull blood running, and the bodily
machinery at work again, almost like @ week.
at the seaside. Nobody has ever been able
precisely 10 define the cause and character
oP that Joyous little shock, wIich-on the
hearing Of a really good lhiu, - or he
seeing of a truly absurd situation, or the
uttelanco of sonfa qutint quip or witty word
starts the nerve of merriment of. and
shows US al tighter holding both his SIDES"
The source of this delightful con7ulsion Of
the senses is that delicate and rare Gift of
humour, the po4sessor of which is almost
always-and deserveily-popular. He who
hath rome Of it, if such hapless ones there
be, is deeply to be commiserated, and truly
we do often see ali otherwise able nature
utterly destitute Of the one SENSE which
redeoms the heaviness of existence and keeps
u man from the peril of exOggerat;ng his
own Importance CT that Of others. We quite
agree with the Southwark Judge that It il
n m1mentous duty to provide good laughter
for mAhkIud. WB rrJOlce to hear from
professional sources that nothing pays com
mercially better than good honest laughter.
The best sort should have in it'as much fun
and frolic as possible, but no malice or
bitterness. All but indignant minds prefer
that bright and lambent wit of which was
said thai cit ne'er carried a heart-stain away
on its blade Would that we had more OF
this glad and wholesome ingredient in our
current Iiten'ure, in our politics. in our
stage plays, and even in our .rmons! The
strange fact is that Gle healtiest laughter
and the %sincerest tears live very near eacl,
other, and have common human sources.
Meantime We. shalt lie glad to hear more
upon this rich topic from the Court at
Southwark Gin its next commodity" of
mornIising, and warmly commend to general
meditation that profoundly true remark of
els Honour that it is a serious and i'm
portant matter, MS cell as desirable, to.
make people laugt-Ddiy Telegraph.