The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-09-19
THE SERIOUS SIDE or HUm0R.
Laughter and Health shake Hands Over
the Dinurr IubIc.

Laughter and Health shake Hands Over
the Dinner Table.
The following is paper real before
| the Cosmopolitan Literary Club. OF
| Southern Pines. BY Dr. Edwin Gladmon.
formerly Of Washington. as reported in
the Charlotte IN. c. Observer;
\ politician once began an address by
| saying: 'FellOw-citizens. II Is my bust
| ness 10 talk Yes" cried one IL his
| listeners. and your place OF business has
| not been closed these twenty yedi I've
I knowed ye."
| Now. it is not my business to talk. nor
| 20 write, and il is with some jliidenes
| that at the request OF your programme
committee, l submit these views on The
| Serious Side Of HumOr."
/ HumOr may be defined as that faculty
| CT the mind which takes CosnI29nce Of
| the absurd or inCongTUOUS in persons
and things and their relations with each
| other.
| Its serious side take to mean its pTac-
| teal side, or the value that attaches 10
IT as means OF benefit and Improvement:
even in some cases a means Of cure
Humor being an attribute of the mind.
| its full discussion would involve an ansly-
| sis OF the far-reaching effects OF the
| mind on the body. This, however. IS be
| ing.
| In ancient times the word ''humOr'' was
| applied TO a fluid secretion OF The body.
/ -Four varieties were supposed 10 exist.
/ and the way in which these different
| forms We're combined determined tie
] temper OF the mind, hence the present
/ use OF the words, good and bad humor
! as applied TO a persons disposition.
This theory, now obsolete. nevertheless
! contained a germ of the truth, only they
| had the cart before the horse. the result
| where the cause should be.
| This old theory thus modernized and
] revised, that the state Of the Taind de-
| termined the kind of humOr. takes Its
| place among the accepted trulsms IN the
| science OF to-day. True, even in us Old
/ literal sense as bodily secretion.
Prof. Gates, of Washington. ID. g., az
| firms that he can determine the DISPOSE
! ton of a person by an examination OF the
| perspiration; contact with selenic acid
/ giving a variety OF cclors; in criminals
/ pink and in melancholy and insanity blue
\ lady was 50 impressed by his dis
! coyeries that she donated several thou
/ sand dollars for the building OF laD-
| oratOry in which he is now prosecuting
| his studies.
Recognizing humor. then. as one of the
! benei1cent attributes OF the mind, We can
! appreciate how limitless is its capabilty
/ for good.
This force of the mind over the body
| Milton voiced years ago, when he SAID:
! The mind is in its place. and In Itself
! Can make keaEen Of hell, a hell % heaven.
The growing appreciation of this truth
/ IS a happy augury for the century now
/ daWning and as people realize that good
I humor is precedent TO and necessary To
good health, the possibilities Of the human
/ race is vastly increased. Few besides ply
I Gia nd
| benefits that accrue to the sick from con-
! tact with good humOred. cheerful attend
ants.
Examples of this might be multiplied
! almost indefinitely.
| hearty laugh Is worth a barrel OF
! medicine and a dry joke more precious
| than costly elXirS. From Hippocrates
J down, mirth and laughter have held high
/ place as therapeutic agents. IL has been
/ recommended in many diseases. An 1t
allan physician recently even claimed
/ laughter to be a valuable eXpectorant He
/ declares a good laugh ''rids the bronchial
/ tubes Of phlegm and produces state OF
! physical and moral well-beng."
/ Some of the popular comedies OF to-day
/ do more real good than Shakespeare
! tragedies, IN spite OF tfe latter's grand
] imagery and magnificent dictlon. can
I not prevent DesdemOnd from being
/ smothered night after night. but can de-
! cline 10 see II. / am degenerate enough TO
prefer a minstrel show to "Virginius,"
! the midst of a performance of The Two
Orphans Indignantly demanded the re-
| turn of his money saying with tears
| streaming down his face: ''Be jabers, is
/ this what you call divarshunY'
1 There is always hope for the sinner who
/ has in his soul the element of humOr, out
without 1t he is fit for treasons. strate-
gems, and spells.
promising field for missionary work
is among those people who. like Sydney
! Smiths Scotchman, can only get Joke in
! their heads by the aid Of an anger and
bit.
Humor keeps the soul awake We may
( imagine the surprise of the soul of some
! old Sir Crusty over whom humOT has sud-
denly waved its wand, as it comes forth
} from its sleep like a dormant animal
reused by the thunders of spring.
/ HumOr is an open sesame TO all circles
| and all classes of society. 1t is the uni
versal password of mankind. Its due
! guard is the word ''resorlus." because that
; is the name of the muscle by which We
: laugh.
Laugh and the world laughs with you.
! Weep ana you weep alone
Bgt has trouble enough Of its own.
! HumOF does not mean buffoonery nor
| coarse Taillery; neither does 1t mean wit,
reyer. HumOr resembles mercy. 1T
. cOmeth like the gentle rain from heaven
! upon the place beneath, II Is twice blest;
/ II blesseS him that gives and him that
taFes." Humor begets cheerfulness and
cheerfulness is next TO Goodness.
/ The Christian with sOmber mein and
melancholy yisage has failed 70 grasp the
/ first principles OF Christianity.
\ PERSONS age Is not measured by the
/ almanac, as Holmes says: Better be
seventy years young than forty years
( old"
! Humor is a mental dynamite that often
breaks through the crust OF opposition or
: OF reserve In order that argument and
iogic may follow.
Laugh and grow fat HumOr oils the
machinery of digestion HumOr and health
clasp hands across the dinner table.
RUmOr Is the mOuthDiece of nature.
Nature Is typifed In child and a child is
nearly always smiling 4 child laughs as
a bird sings, just for the very Joy OF Nv
ing. Even when come tears they mingle
. with smiles; the storm clouds are pierced
b. the rays OF daughters sun, ard through
falling tears, like glistening dewdrOps, W.
see that most beautiful Of all rainbows-
| the glorious rainbow OF the soul
| Humors guide Is the golden rule Smile
| unto others as you would have them
smile unto you.
HumOr never wastes a shot cheerful
! word is never lost. Somewhere, some
time. somehow comes it, reward.
! HumOr IS not an exotic plant. II ~
| fers ITS service as freely ~ the peasant
I as the king. Even physical inI!rm'ties DO
| not limit IL, and the NOSE hopelcssly a.
| tictod may battle IN its refulgent rays.
HumOr IS the infallible eKGr"iseF u bite
! DE- sils. They are east out and consigned
/ TO the Dit OF oblivion.
| HuInOF's ways are ways Of pleasaHtues5
| and oil its paths are peace The seeds 81
7 envy and discOrd cannot thrive in hu-
/ mOr'g soil
HEmcT is the great peacenaker OF the
world. In It's presence wrath dies and re-
! sentiment fades away.
| HumJr IL the fouut from which flows
the waters % eternal youth Nor il Il
I ever far away. Like the aEipwrcCkti
crew drifting for days. driven ~ thirst
TO dip their buckets IN the brine they
found fresh water all around.
Hum0r Is an ideaiist and 81 iie1ls are
/ always high To smooth the annkiei
brow Of worry. lift man from the slough
Of MS own respondent thoughts. force
him out OF the rut. make him b. born
/ again.
Humor is Impromptu. therefore natural.
/ therefore winsOme.