Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-23
RECEIVED DIPLOMAS
And Graduates Were Addressed By
 Prof lohn C. Scorer.

Vice President Charles s. Chapman of the department of education pre- sented diplomas to fifty-seven gradu- ates of the Crosby High school at Polls theater last night The regular program published yesterday was car ried out. including an address by Pro- lessor John G. Scorer of Philadelphia, who spoken some length and pleased everybody.
 Did you ever stop to think" he said. '.what dull time of 1t Adam must have had back there in the Gar- den of Eden? Just think of it. He couldn't go down to the corner grocery store and discuss the tariff nor add his mite toward the solution of the Rus sian internal troubles. About the only question upon which he could waste his time was that of the new woman.
 ''Humor is deformity, strictly speaking, but it is an imperfection which does no harm. It furnishes an opportunity for the mind to get rid of a surplus over and apove what it needs to get living and satisfy the animal instincts. The exponent of hu- nor is mirth, and that is divided into three forms, joke, pun and humorism.
 What is joke? It is bit of pleasantly which must have point just as dog must have tail. But it happens that some dogs have no tails and it would seem that maiis so-called jokes have no points. A humorism is a deformed truth. That is the differ ence between the two. To illustrate:
 "A girl went into dry goods store. "Is any one waiting on you said the clerk ''Yes, that's my fellow out there," replied the girl.' That IS joke "A doctor once said: My but there are some queer people in this world. A womsn came into my office the other day and she was so cross eyed that her tears ran down ner back"' That is humorism.
 "In the first place the young man and the young woman were not think ing of the same thing. A joke result ed. In the second place not one could be made to believe that the woman was really so cross-eyed that her tears ran down her back. In the first in stance the two incOngruOus ideas be- ing combined cause laughter. In the second place the whole thing was an untruth or at least deformed truth.
 God had purpose in bestowing up on us this gift of laughter. It is to De regretted that some people are too busy with other matters to properly enJoy the gift. God gave it and he meant this world to be the better for it. To be able to give little pleasure in this world is divine thing.
 We are glad that religion is keep ing pace with the times. There was a time when we were taught that when we became Christians we must give d quit claim upon this life and take a mortgage on the next. To-day 1t is quite another thing. If your religion makes you look glum all of the time there Is something the matter with 1t.
 "The mission of mirth in this world is to promote optimism. Optimism is life itself. It makes us forget the hard things in life and remember only the pleasant things. The American peo- pie are the most optimistic people Tn whole world. Without optimism we are apt to get discouraged.
 "In looking for opportunities we are too often apt to overlook them. We are apt to expect that they will come in the large form when they are just as likely to come in the small way. If we would grasp these opportunities We must prepare for them. We can best prepare for them by being cheerful 2 optomistic. Every man will succeed If he deserves to succeed.'
 The attendance was large.