Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-08-25
The Mission of Humor.
Extracts from a Paper in the September
Atlantic by Rev. DIR. 3. NJ. Crothera.

Extracts from a Paper in the September
Atlantic by Rev. DIR. $. NJ. Crothers.
The September number Of the Atlantic
Monthly contains an article on "The Mis-
sion of Humor' from the pen of Rev.
Samuel M. Crothers, d. d. This is the
writer's definition Of humor:
"Humor is something more than the
capacity to make or enjoy a jest. 1t is
not looking at the grotesque image in a
convex mirror. 1t is way of looking at
real things; 1t is kind Of insight into
heeting forms of truth which otherwise
might escape us altogether. Thackeray
describes humor as "a mixture of love and
wit An old English writer defines it as
quick wisdom II Is, one might say.
wisdom with hair trigger"
at is the mission of a kindly humor to
take a person full of foibles and weak
nesses and suddenly to reveal his unsus-
pected nobleness. And there is considera-
BILE room for this kind of treatment; for
there are a great many lovable people,
whose virtues are, not chronic, but spo-
radio. Their virtues grow up, one knows
not how, without visible means of sup
port in the general character, and in de-
fance of moral science; and yet it is a real
pleasure to see them"
"The contest of wits between the invent
ors of projectiles and the makers of armor
plate seemed at one time settled by Har-
vey's process for rendering the surface of
the resisting steel so hard that the missiles
hurled against 1t were shattered. The an
swer of the gunmakers was made by at
taching a tip of softer metal to the shell.
The soft tip received the first shock of the
impact, and it was found that the pene-
trating power of the shell was increased
enormously. The scientific explanation l
have forgotten. | may, however, hazard
an anthropomorphic explanation. II there
| is any human nature in the atoms of STEEL
can see great advantage in having the
softer particles 90 before the hard, to have
a momentary yielding before the inevitable
crash. When they are hurting through
the air, tense aud strained by the initial
velocity, till it seems that they must fly
apart, it is great thing TO have group
of good-humored, happy go-lucky atoms in
the front, who call out cheerily: Come
along boys! Don't take it too hard; we're
in for it, And sure enough, before they
have time to fall apart they are in. Those
whose thoughts and purposes have most
| penetrated the hard prejudices of their
time have learned this lesson.
"Your unhumorous reformer, with pain
full intensity of moral self-consciousness
cries out:
1.-THE time is out Of joint: cursed spite,
| That ever was born to set it right"
He takes himself and his cause always
| with equal seriousness, He hurls him
self against the accumulated wrongs and
the invincible ignorance OF the world, and
there is great crash; but somehow the
world seems to survive the shock better
than he does.
snow and then, however, there comes
along a reformer whose zeal is tipped with
humor. His thought penetrates where
another mans is only shattered. That is
what made Luther so effective. Hestruck
heavy blows at the idols which men
adored But he was such genial, whole.
souled iconoclast that those who were most
shocked at him could not help liking him
between times. He would give a smash
ing blow at the idol, and then a warm
hand grasp and 4 hearty God bless you
to the idolater; aud then idolater ant
iconoclast would be down on the floor to
gether, trying to see If there were any
pieces OF the Idol worth saving"
SIN the book of Proverbs Wisdom says
Il Wisdom, dwell with Prudence Blu
there is another member of the household
1t is Humor, sister of serene Wisdom anC
of the heavenly Prudence. She does no
often laugh, and when she does it is uostl,
at her sister Wisdom, who cannot long re
sist the infection. There is not one Sc
smile upon her face, as if she contemplated
an altogether amusing world. The smiles
that come and go are shy, elusive things
but they cannot remain long in hiding.
"Wisdom, from her high house, takei
wide views, and Prudence peers anxiousl,
into the future; but gentle Humor loves 4
take short views she delights in homel,
things, and continually finds surprises il
that which is most familiar. Wisdom goe
on laborious journeys, and comes hom
bringing her treasures from afar; and HUI
NOR matches them, everyone, with wha
she has found in the dooryard"