The St. Johns herald., 1899-02-25
HuMoR AND KINDNESS
the Shah of Persia Unwilling to Face
 Our Stinging Wit.

the Shail of Persia Unwilling to Face
 Our Stinging Wit.
 The people of America pride them selves on being able to see the humor- ous side of life, and smile a little super ciliously at those more sober people who take themselves and their circum- stances too seriously; but like every ether good thing lively sense of hu- nor may be abused, and when 1t leads . nation to make Its guests wish them selves anywhere else rather than in America, it has certainly gone a step too far.
 It is said of the late Shah of Persia that in his desire to know more of the world he would have come to America. but he feared that the Americans would make fun of him. Possibly his staying away showed that he had al- ready gained little knowledge of the people of whom he wished to know more, for just the fate he dreaded be- fell the first and last envoy from Persia to WashingtOn-His EXcellency Hassan Ghouly Khan.
 This representative of less civilized land did not find his sojourn in Ameri- ca altogether to his liking. The Ameri- cans were amused at him, and they let him see it. In appearance he closely resembled a mulattO, and his attire was not of modest style. His ears were decorated with large earrings, and his of hO .hou His ways, too, were queer, and the newspapers found him a good subject for humorous remarks. They made fun of his name and of his oddities, and al- though he could speak but imperfect English he knew that he was being made the butt of jokes.
 At last things came to climax. At the house of a distinguished resident he was refused admittance by cOlOred servant, who took him for a Virginia negro, and this slight, coming after many other things that had tried his temper, proved too much for his equa- nimity. In rage he proceeded to the State Department to lay his grievance before Secretary Blaine.
 During my stay in your country I have been annoyed, and treated in a way that representative of Persia should not be-" he said, land the news papers cartoon me, make verses about my name, and hold me up to general rldicule."
 But you should not mind that" said MT. Blaine. Our President has to put up with cartoons, and the ridicule of the comic papers,"
 "Yes," replied the minister, "your President has to stand it, but don't. and I shall return to my government" |"
 To some souls such humor assumes another aspect. Ernest Renan, in writ ing of his sister Henrietta, tells a story of her that shows her to have been sin gularly wanting in that kind of humOr which could in any way hurt the feel ings of its subject. He says:
 'I remember that as we were going in boats to a fete in Lower Brittany our boat was preceded by another in which were some poor ladies, who, wishing to deck themselves for the occasion, had hit on rather unfortunate and tasteless arrangements, which excited the mirth of the people who were with us. The pcor ladies perceived this, and l saw my sister burst into tears. It seemed to her barbarous to make fun of good people who were trying. to forget their misfortunes in an hours gaiety. In her eyes abused persons were to he pitied, and she stood up for them against thGse who ridiculed them.'