The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1898-06-28
InANIMATE THINGS.
Some One Has Theory That They
Have an Unpleasant Sense
of Humor.

We have a., read and talked about
the total iepravity of inanimate things,
but the sense of humor in inanimaie
things has not been written of as Il
ought to be. There can be little doubt
that inanimate things, especially II they
are small and elusive, possess strong
sense OF bumor. For instance, man
had in his desk one of those curving
things with handle, in which sheets
of blotting paper are held. 1t was con-
yen:ent, as long as it could be prevented
from getting showed under on his desk
One day the man missed this pad when
he was writing, and wanted it. He had
a cleared space occupying the center OF
his desk, and al around this space was
a litter OF papers, letters and things
Naturally he supposed that the pad had
got under these things. He searched
amongst the papers, but took care not
t. get any of them upon the cleared
space in the center. He searched over
the whole lot, and it occurred to him
that this was a good time 10 put his
desk in order. lie cleared up and sorted
out all the things, and put them in
pigeonhoies or within bands, and made
his desk spick ard span. but no trace
Of the pad could be discovered. lie was
discouraged, and, as it was near lunch
/ time, he locked up his desk end went
out TO lunch. When he came back he
opened the desk, and there exactly in
the middle of the desk, on the very spot
which dis paper had occupied when be
was writing. was that pad, simply g.ar-
ing at him. 1t seemed TO wear an ex-
preston that was positively malicious.
The man was forced 10 conclude that
the pad had strong sense Of humor.
with tendency to practical joking. and
that il had concealed itself in some
corner OF the desk while he was search
ing, and while he was gone had whipped
itself out into the most conspicuous
spot on the desk, as a way OF laughing
at him. OF course it wasn't possible
that he could have absent-mindedly dis
lodged it while ne was looking over the
papers and gone of and left it there.
Lately the same man had slender
little pencil. about two inches ,ong. 1t
was a very amiabie little pencil, of pleas
ant manners and suave movements. and
the man used to hold it between his
forefnger and mis- middle finger and d.
! rect it with his thumb, while he was
scrawling memoranda or doing other
things which required a pencil. Ia
kept il in waistcoat pocket. One das
this pencil turned up missing He want
! ed it. and wanted no other pencil III
= searched all his pockets several tiInei
over, and looked al over his desk ans
/ shelves, and even searched the floor
: No trace of it. He sat down to writ
with long, uncolgenial pencil. /
= seemed to balk and mock him, and h
said to himself. 20, Lord, wish tina
little pencil would appearl" and at tina
very moment 1t dropped upon his pape
i. as if from the sky, but really from owe
his right ear, where it had humorous
!, concealed itself. Though of course til
= humor came in the temperance rattle
= than the disappearance, articles with
out a grain of humor in them may cor
ceal themselves behind ones car, espt
ciaily il the ear offers ample opportur
ity for such coIcealment; but 10 fl
ont just at the psychological moment
= that takes real humor.-Boston Tran
N script