The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-11-11

Prof Watson Cooper spoke truly when
he said, last Saturday morning in his
lecture. that one cannot get very close
to human nature without sense or
humor "Humor," said he, lis the saw
ing grace of life"
1t is probably not the fault OF those
afflicted beings not blessed with humor
that they have it not but it certainly
is a great lack. All the greatest char
acters of history were posed of a keen
sense of humor.
Some man said he would not trust
ANYBODY who had not this saving sense.
That may be going little far, but
surely we cannot get very near 10 tne
man who is preternaturally solemn. A
sense of humor, which might be called
the ability to see a bright side TO
everything, is one of the greatest helps
which nature affords to its possessors
20 bear the ills of life. Humor some
times saves the most trying situations;
Iightens the heaviest burdens and en-
ables these fortunate persons who have
it to hold up their heads and greet the
world with a smile even when clrcum-
stances are adverse.
There is such a thing as carrying
humor too far, which is degeneracy
into buffoonery and becomes very
wearisome. The professional funny
man is a good example of this far-
fetched humor When a man gets
reputation of this kind it usually sticks
to him for life. If he tries to talk Serl-
ouSly and makes q sensible remark,
everybody shrieks from force OF habit.
John Kendrick Bangs gave an example
or this when, a year or two ago, he
tried to get away from the funny bust
ness and became editor of serious
magazine. The people wouldn't stand
it; they insisted upon laughing at him,
and he went into the humorous busl-
ness
But that is not humor, nor is it wit.
Wit often cuts and is sarcastic, but
humor is kind and gentle. 1t is that
something which distinguishes the at
fable man from the stilted man; and
it also spells tolerance. The man with
out a sense of humor is apt to be mar
row, because there is so much
closed to him. One side of life means
nothing to him. He is deaf in his mind.
Everything is tragedy to the solemn
man; while to the man with the sense
OF hurScr there is much comedy in life
which makes it more bearable.
And, oh, the awful woman who can
not recognize a joke when she meets
one. The woman who looks panied
when some one laughs. How we fly
from her! Half of the disagreement be-
tween mothers and daughters, between
ldtheIS ana SOILS, COMES from that very
thing. Young people are more apt to
see the humorous side of life; in the
very young this sometimes results in
sillinesS-a rather harmless sort of sill
illness, but a stilted mother will be
shocked that her children are frivolous,
and trouble enSueS.
Sometimes the fact that man or
woman had no sense of humQr does not
come out until they are dead and their
wills are ready. Some of the strange
documents that appear in the paper in
the shape of last testaments of the de-
ceased are good evidence of this ter
rible lack. For it is a lack.
Some one said that loneliness is not
being alone, for then ministering spir-
it's come to soothe and bless. Loneli-
ness is to endure the presence of one
who does not understand" And so it
is with humor. How many domestic