New-York tribune., 1905-12-24

making too serious business of makIrg jokes
The inevitable result of overeatng and over
drinking should serve warnings against this
national inclination to turn all the affairs of this
world into a ioke If this American deluge of
levity continues before long it will be dangerous
thing for anv to make Joke IN this country,
especially in the West. There will not only be no
appreciation but there will be jokes left. The
higher the humor, the harder 1t will be to have to
go back to the old virginia. stock again 1t will be
like having to revert beer after having enjoyed
steady course of champagne for half lifetime or So
In arranging for little dinner for few friends of
friend of mine not long ago, this example was
brought up by the elderly waiter into whose hands
| committed the task of selecting the courses tie
suggested that a certain amount OF h1gh-pr1Ced VINE
could be served to guests and safely be followed by
any of inferior brands there being no danger
that any guest would lack appreciation OF the later
courses after having had sufficient quantity OF
high-priced wines to start with. At certain stage
of the proceedings his de1cacy of taste and discern
ment would depart And furthermore, the guest
need not necessarily be muddled
This is the age of disiluson. Many old idols and
innumerable ideals have been destroyed by the
relentless scapel of the scientist We are told
TODAY that life is to be made everlasting and to-
morrow we NAV be told that the end of the world
is already in sight 1t behooves us to take no
chances either way. We must neither become
surfeited reduce the visible supply
HumOr should be essence waited Dy IIle Wl1lC--
unexpected and delightful because unlocked for
We all know what forced humor is. Stories OF the
struggles of writers to manufacture their work are
never interesting to the public. 1t does no good
for the professional humOrst writer to tear his halr
and struggle for adequate expression. He must
wait patiently for the thought to come STORES
from writers like Mark Twain may mean long DAYS
and months of hard work-the hardest kind OF hard
worl-before coming to their frultlon. 1he woman
living in the sweets-shop must have particular
and peculiar sweet to tempt her Jaded appetite
True humor lasts and will doubtless outlast the
world after much of the sardonic qups of to-day
have been relegated to oblivion. The humOr OF
Dickens will live-the humOr OF the roast beef ana
plunl-puddng of Old England-wh1ch IS the Ola
England of America as wel-the home OF the fathers
That humor based upon the kindller thoughts Will
survive because of its worth 1t IS the hor that
stirs the heart to emotion pleasant to be tear
full so stirring as to be bosterous in appreciation
When we attempt the analysis of national humor
we should remember that Mark Twain has several
armies of admirers in England, just as Charles
Dickens has his armies of lovers IN America Be
sides all that good and harmless and cheerful and
hcathful, of whatever country sooner or later VIII
be waited the wings of appreciation around TINS
little globe we call the world, and every nation VIII
take to itself what it deems best
SO the real humor of the world will not be manu-
featured to ORDER or projected on the wings OF
ether 1t will watt itself into its niche and gently,
imperceptibly, spread its essence as the fragrant
ioss-sick gives its Eastern perfume IN the shawl
enshrouCied room. 1t will whisper on the Vagrant
wind without predestined destination. 1t IS a
vagrant itself, roaming the world; now and then
varying its course soothe heavily clouded brow
though of itself loves the sunshine OF happiness
gladness, youth, laughter, everything that IS good
or worth while IN lle-
If we attempt to imprison humor-dissect it.
ana1vze it. pa ard it, Toor humor will soon give up
this life. Then we Will be in sorry state indeed