The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-02-01
A SENSE OF HuMoR.
II "saves the Situation" and Turns
Domestic Tragedy Into Comedy.

| ture at tension forever. The snap
| must follow, and consequently it
| should occasion no surprise that new
apostles have arisen, preaching the COS
pei of good cheer, insisting upon hap
piness as a natural element of being
and merriment as an important part
| of its expression, says writer in the
Boston Cooking School Magazine. Ac-
cording to the writer, the new gospel,
which is being more and more general
ly accepted, means social and family
regeneration. 1t stands for a more
perfect understanding between indi-
viduals, unity of purpose, a new
sympathy Of endeavor and a better
and deeper affection based upon a
clearer knowledge of one another's
traits and characteristics is. of
course, where it is taken at its best
and finest. There is another side,
which develops quite the opposite
qualities, and one of the first lessons
which one has to learn is that there is
all the difference in the world between
having fun with the members of ones
own family Or ones friends and max
ing fun of them. The one is delight
in which all share alike; the other is
cruelty which causes one pei son morti-
hcatlon and pain, while the others are
hardened ip spirit and coarsened in
mind by the very ability to enjoy the
suffering which they infict
The ability to see the humorous side
of domestic hardship and to smile
when the first impulse is to scold or
cry is one of the most fortunate pos
sessions Of a house mother and has
saved the situation for her many and
many a time. What threatened to be
tragedy, or at least melodrama, has re-
solved itself into pure comedy, and the
recital of it in the new phase in family
conclaye has been source of unalloy-
ed mirth when, had it been presented
as it first appeared, it would have cast
a pail over every spirit
A sense of humor is saving grace,
and, where one does not possess it as
natural gift, it should be carefully eul-
tfvated, and that is by no means impos-
sible. If there is one member of the
family who cannot comprehend joke
or see fhe point to a story unless dia-
gram accompanies it. by all means fur
nish the diagram. By and by it will be
no longer needed. Sometimes this I'M
appreciatiye member refuses to accept
the mental handicap and makes believe
to enjoy all the jokes, because she will
not admit that she is at all lacking In
that which the rest of the family pos
sesses to such a degree.
In one family there Is a standing joke
of such venerable age that it is entitled
to respectful consideration Ever since
the family was. 1t has been brought out
on occasion and rehearsed for the ben
eft of guests. Everybody always
laughed at it, one of the young dangh-
tiers the most heartily of an. What was
the surprise Of the family when. one
day after the guests had gone. she said,
II have heard that story of fathers for
ten years. ever since | was 4 little girl,
but never saw the point until today
There was general exclamation.
But nobody has laughed over 1t as
you hayer'
TO be sure, was the reply. Did
you think / was going to confess my
self the fool of the family p
One goes out Of a fun loving family
in better mood to meet the trouble
some side of life. The memory Of the
laughter, the gay good nature and the
cheer of the breakfast table, the genu-
inc good morning that makes all day
good. help one over many hard spot
and, while 1t does not take from the Sc
robustness of a really grave situation, It
gives one courage to meet It more
brayely and TO face 1t more steadfastly.