Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-10-29
THE IDLER HAS sonE COMMENTS
ON THIS GOOD QUALITY.
The THEORY AND PRACTICE.
They DO Not Always Harmouixe--Ef-
fects of Laughter Described-Pessi-
mistic and Unpatriotic Comments
on Misfit Heroes and Rest.

the sum 1t cost. man drawing $1,000
year, with good health. sound teeth.
personal pulchritude. and no wife and
children can derive material benefit from
the volume. provided OF course. he has no
outstanding obligations and Is not in
politics Cheerfulness Is like prosperity:
It's one OF the best things you can have.
and when 1t hits you all in lump YOU
stop worrying as to what sort of tomb
stone would suit your style OF beauty,
and laugh continuously at your own
jokes. No one should be without cheer
fuiness.
The author of this work, in his prefa-
tory note, says: Us 1t not an absolute
necessity 10 get rid OF all irritants, OF
everything which worries and frets. and
which brings discord into SO many lives;
Cheerfulness has a wonderful lubrlcating
power. Ii lengthens the life OF human
machinery, as lubricants lengIhen the He
OF inert machinery. Lies delicate bear
fngs should not be carelessly ground
away for mere lack Of oil"
in other words. the author would Keep
US well creased. From his statements
gather that grease and happiness are
synonymous terms. This idea IS splendid
4
drink whale-OiI like water, and consider
that they are having a Christmas dinner
when they run afoul a box OF tallow
candles In the Arctic regions l imagine
they eat mutton-suet with tho same
aviditv that We devour bonbons, and
doubt not that the children lick the axle
grease off every vehicle which comes
their way.
As further illustrative Of the happiness
afforded by grease, l present the case OF
John -. Rockefellow, president OF the
standard OH Trust, who has so much
money that he occasionally makes dona-
/ lions to colleges. The interest oil mo
bonds accumulates I'm great hunks while
/ he sleeps. -
Therefore Intricate and be cheerful II
YOUR note is TO fall due tomorrow. let
/ the other fellow worry while you MI tns
! clreumanibient ether with your morse
/ laugh. and smoke cigars bought on creoll.
/ Chirp. chuckle, and twltter all the day, ana
I keep merry, even If you have 70 tickle
yourself with straw. The man VINO
holds your note?-weh, he can DO the
/ same thing. too, II he likes. though your
l contract does not require you 20 woIry
/ about the cheerfulness Of other people
/ He must furnish his own grease.
Tho author says that the power OF
Laughter is designed to serve wise pur-
nose in our economy. Like money, health
gelf-satlsfaction, single blesseGness' ap-
petite, hattery and power, II pree1S
cheerfulness. While none OF these essen
/ tails grows on trees or can DE plcheu ~
ON the streets. we must have them Win
orr them we cannot be cheerful. we
should have Jokes lying around loose ia
every part of the house, so that we may
! cochinnate at all times. witness the Ioi-
! lo,vtne which. with the aid OF al uh-
| abridged dictionary, will show the ilnlor-
ranos OF exercising our IisiDllues'
"r auehter begins I'm the lungs anu olo
-h-oqro setting the liver. stomach, aha
/ other internal organs into quIch' Jely
/ lute vibration, which gives pheasant
| .onsarion and exercise, almost equal 10
maj Of horseback riding. During alBes-
| ton the movements OF the stomach are
.Irnllar IN churnlng. Every time you taHe
/ a nm breath. or when you cacnlhhdls
veu the diaphragm descends ana gives
the stomach an extra squeeze ana eH1Av'
lar Frequent laughing sets inc slo'llaoh
to eanoing, hurrying up the dlges'i'o ~
cess. The heart beats raster, anu Senr'
the blood bounding through the pouy.
Now. what can you say AGAINST '"a.
r,ors, mirth than Joe MilleTs 1est-booa
Iroaeina what a beautiful-not to say az
fectionate-scene there IS when your ul@
nbragrn (,yhateyer that is) 'desceuu7
and ives your stomach an extra squeeH7
81 ebakes IT," And then, IielLie 10
,,o,,rsaif the hilarious spectacle preSoh..
y,bon vour stomach, stimulated by tHs
r,,,stc of your laughter, IS set dancins
ard then proceeds TO hurry up your d.
oastion HOW any man could keep soleih"
sstor such a suggestion as tAat la more
tban despite my funereai F'sase' can
vr5ersfand. AS 1 take II. you can ~
merely recalling a joke, start a sIhaH-
sIzed german, ooti!loD 'r conh1g e'h,o
IN a neighborhood where II Is most CAL
culated to DO good
II would seem, from a perusal OF nv
foregoing theories, together WIN me III
terestlng peep at our internal ma cAiu0'
that cheerfulness, when j sun ll9'+ ,,,-,
a fne quality. would be the easiest INNS
In the world 10 acquire But, alas y
~ money we al acknowledge lls
,irt,es and would Ike 10 have II, Out ].
oannot he summoned at mere thouk"'
ar procured BY reading treatlses on -
.',,t,tsct Whoever became wealthy ny
reading works on How To Get hieu'
- LINED TO build houses BY stunyinS
olsa,,s on brlckaying2 It's all very wen
10 ten MS TO be cheerful, but no" - y
~oino 10 be dOne2 That IS the iue'"OIl'
when all tho hardware hnishihSS arc
droppng of your furniture, 'nS
an vonr back shine as though
elyt.i YOUR wife has got her mind set
po''. -, narlor CARPET. the children are
y,rt,irlvine and 10 crown eyeIylhhs'
- ealory IS reduced, is that the uihs
- cbeerilv hum around like bumDiepee,
,,atbori,g honey from each ana every
sau'ero TRY IL. Take a day on, gheh
- calanaities harass you, ana 20
-, az Initiating cheerfuiness IT 20"
In lust fifteen minutes and thirty
- seconds you will find sorrow lffi-
-, ION all over like the Itch incident
- vo,r first days use OF ne" SUIT u
flannel underwear. -,,,u ,ou-
% pr'snerous people exult in telling pau
ne,s and condemned murdeieIs, aDs
ieners and social Outcasts 10 De u $50
cheer. that every cloud mas
nnine. that the darkest houF y Ju1l
core dawn. end that every oos hss
dsv and theirs viii come put uiliOi ~
nately. you cannot eat ADVICE ~
silver lining Of clouds as Soli. ,s.'
.,',,,y nor DO you care to classify your
lie e. fhe canine category, SIMPLY on the
go ~ a remote contingency, when may
rescue you from the ehaln-sang.
Gu srcouraeement is ike taking meai-
o,De yon are more than willing to aa-
vIse others TO swallow II, pe' sOu az
NOT NOT so spry on sulp,ng it down yourself l,s,d
In In short. the book from which quote
doesn't go half far enough vain inc
exception Of that Information winch az
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