The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-11
BY KATHARINE lyman.

Plumbers as G God as Other Peoples Wit.
BY KATHARINE lyman.
Ihave often been assured by Irish people
who know nothing Of England that there
IA no such thing as humor in England. That,
~ course, Ia insular prejudice, and they
who say it have no knowledge or take little
account Of the great English humorists,
for every man almost who has been pre-
srinent in English literature has been a
great humorist. 1t would indeed be a sad
literature over which the light OF humor
did not play.
What is actually true is that humor is the
brthright OF every Irishman. In England
the possession Of the gift is far rarer.
There are great tracts which it does not
illuminate at all; and there will be moro
laughter over a single Irish dinner table
than over a whole district az respectable
English folk.
1t cannot be explained as a matter Of
race. 1t would be easy to say, and it would
be true In a limited sense, that humor only
comes with a Celtic strain; but this would
not explain at all the cockney wit; for ex-
ample, which is something quite independ-
ent Of race; although In the great humor-
lists Of literature n suspects always Celtic
blood.
One has to be quite an old resident In Eng
land before one gets accustomed to ones
Jokes not being responded to, II one does
ever gel accustomed. Iasked the conductor
Of an electric train which was humping us
On the way to Hammersmith the other day
and finally flung us from our seats, II the
line was not controlled by q man named
Jerks. He only stared, and my fellow trav-
ellers looked an affronted amazement.
As we came across from Holyhead re-
Gently the Irish ticket collector on the boat
scrutinized our return tickets closely.
They're a fortnight DID, said one Of
'Bedad then they're wear1n' their ago
we'll, , he replied delightedly.
When we lunched in the train our supply
Of salt was Of the sparsest. We addressed
the English waiter.
'The tax is on sugar, not on SALT We
said.
We had to repeat the remark several times
and afterward to state plainly that we
wanted more salt. Afterward the waiter
and several of his fellows looked at us sur
reptitiously from behind barriers. We were
APPARENTLY bdhch ~ q pun vi CSSopoo
~lunatics.
In Ireland the whole world jokes and the
responsiveness is delicious. In England you
have learned a sober demeanor. As soon as
the first velvet breath Of Irish air blows on
your face you begin to rollick.
launching at a Dublin restaurant a friend
Of ours of IN impassively dry demeanor
tried a Joke on the waiter. When the bill
was brought he placed on it a bright new
farthing and vent on talking to us, appar-
emily unconscious of his mistake. The waiter
stood by patiently till there was a pause
In the conversation.
y beg your pardon; SIR he said, 'but
have you no smaller changer"
The Irshman's wit Is humor as we'll as
wit, and humor is own sister to wisdom.
No true Irishman is ever guilty Of punning,
that dreariest OF all forms Of fun.
The Irish humor is a rich humor. It is
found at it's best in the Irish-Ameican
'Mr. Dooley.' Mr.. Dooley is at least as
great a philosopher as he Is a wit, and in
both capacities I salute him as one Of the
immortals.
1t Is this quality Of humor that makes
the Irish life so gay, so varied, so bewilder-
ingly pleasant. 1t is this quality which
makes material pleasures count for very
little in the ordinary Irish life.
An Irishman will not think Of his dinner
80 long as he is hearing good stories. He
may be buttonholed in the street on his
way to dinner and forget all about the
meal. They live by enjoyment as we'll as
by food over there; and an Irishman does
not care when he dimes.
II is ubap he IL roa5u 10 II IL n Dnatfar ~
the public restaurant; when the dinner is
ready, il he is at home. l nave been asked
to dine at a Dublin house, and have arrived
at the door with the materials for the din
ner; and l have been punctual for lunch at
le), according to the card, and have been
received by half a dozen dogs who sat around
in chairs and entertained me, while a maid,
looking as though I had come with the milk
In the morning, came In to light the fire
and informed me that the mistress was
lying down with the toothaohe. The next
guest arrived at 2;45, and lunch was on the
table at 8.
What matterf One grows accustomed
to the want Of punctuality in time; and the
meal Is worth having when it comes, for it
is seasoned with gayety.
They may or may not make big fortunes
over there, but life is worth living. 1t Is
true that they are no students, no lovers Of
books in these latter days. They claim
for themselves that they are connoisseurs
Of all the arts; but 1 doubt 1t.
What do they wan with books seeing
how delightful is the page Of life? They are
not restful enough for quiet contemplation
Of the arts. Every man is his wi and his
fellows book and picture. 1t is the slower,
more oontemplative races that are, in the
right sense Of the word, amateurs Of the
arts.
They will not even write their humor
down. Ifthey did. what a library Of humor
they might makel 1t is something too
instant, too evanesoent, too much of the
time and the occasion for cold writing
down.
Everywhere men o~ongregate in Ireland
IL a centre Of wit and humor. 1t invades
the learned professions and those whom
age might have stalled to laughter. The
Four Courts Library in Dublin is one of the
places whence the good stories emanate
nv