The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1902-09-09
INANIMATE THINGS.
Some One Has a Theory That They
Have an Unpleasant Sense
of IIumor.

We have all read and talked about
The total iepravity ofinanimate things,
but the sense of humor in inanimatc
things has not been written of as i
ought to be. There can be little doubt
that inanimate things, especially If they
are small and elusive, possess strong
sense of humor. For instance, man
had in his desk one of those curving
things with a handle, in which sheets
of blotting paper are held. 1t was CON
venient, 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 ii. He had
a cleared space occupying the center OF
his desk, and all 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 to put his
desk in order. He cleared up and sorted
out all the things, and put them in
pigeonholes or within bands, and made
his desk spick and span. But no trace
Of the pad could be discovered. He was
discouraged, and, as it was near lunch
time, he locked up his desk end went
out to lunch. When be came back he
upened the desk, and there exactly in
/ the middle Of the desk, on the very spot
which his paper had occupied when he
| was writing. was that pad, simply glar-
! ing at him. 1t seemed 10 wear an eX-
| preston that was positively malicious
The man was forced TO conclude that
/ the pad had a strong sense Of humor
with tendency 10 practical joking, and
that it had concealed itself in some
corner Of the desk while he was search
/ ing, and while re was gone had whipped
itself out into the most conspicuous
snot on the desk, as way of laughing
al him. Of course it wasn't possible
that he could have absent-mindedly DIS
lodged it while ne was looking over thu
papers and gone off and left it there.
Lately the same man had a slende
little pencil, about two inches long. !
was q very amiable little pencil, of pleas
aut manners anu SuuNe LlON 6l4lSntSs AN
the man used TO mold it between hi
forefnger and his middle finger and di
rect it with his thumb. while he wa
scrawling memoranda or doing othe
things which required a pencil. II
kept it in d waistcoat pocket. One da
this pencil turned up missing. He want
cd it. and wanted no other pencil II
searched al his pockets several time
over, and looked al over his desk an
shelves, and even searched the foo
No trace of it. He sat down to writ
with a long, uncongenial pencil.
seemed TO ba,k and mock him, and /
said to himself. 20, Lord, wish th:
little pencil would appear!" and at thi
, very moment it dropped upon his pap
as if from the sky. but really from ovt
his right ear, where il had humorous
concealed itself. Though Of course Il
humor came in the temperance rath
than the disappearance, articles wit
out a grain Of humor in them may co
ceal themselves behind ones car, esp
cia,ly if the ear offers ample opportu
. ity for such concealment; but to fl
out just at the psychological moment
that takes real humor.-Doston Ira
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