The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1908-10-22
CULTURE OF RISIBLES.
Fault.FIndlng, Seeding and Cutting Saf
CaSm are Health.DcStrOyePs.
Heath Cultured

RAYS of irresistible attraction ra-
date from a household where the
risible muscles are kept flexible by
frequent exercise.
Ripples of laughter spread very
far. Children crowd into a merry
house, as bees to a honey-yielding
flower. There may be but a small
allowance Of sense in the easy-com-
ing laughter, but it shakes up the
diaphragm and awakes the solar
plexus, as jolly family have always
an admiring fringe of neighbor's
children who love to laugh. too"
The family of daughters have always
good health, and even when living is
plain, are plump and rosy. Among
all the aids to digestion and the SOL
emn ways of hunting health, it is
strange that some one has not made
serious attempt to bring the "Cul-
ture of the Risible" into the fore
ground and charge fee for course
of lessons.
The gift of laughter is too truly
heavenly bestowed to permit of fax
ing; yet even the sourest-stomached
dyspeptic can learn to laugh side
shaking, uproariously, and be cured
of his ills thereby.
He may not find the risible mover
in the funny paragraphs, but any one
who does not get a good laugh at
something two or three times day
ought to start out on hunt for
some jolly joker who can strike the
responsive chord that controls the
risibles.
1t takes only one at family table
to give the rest indigestion. So
many parents sin in this way of
bringing up children's faults for re-
proval when they are at the table.
Did they but know that they were
mixing poison with the food they
bid the children eat and ''stop cry
ing" Far healthier were it to for
bid the meal altogether than compel
it to be eaten with compressed spir-
its.
Fault-fnding, cutting sarcasm,
stabbing little jibes, scolding and
such like laugh-killers are also
health-destroyers. Depression i'm
mediately shuts down the flow of
digestive juices and distills bitter
ness which has to be slowly eliminat-
ed with weakened powers. Many a
devoted wife has poor health because
dish she has prepared under stress
of overtaxed strength fails to elicit
anything but cross criticism from
the husband.
To conceal a hurt spirit she will
choke down her despised and probab-
ly palatable food which wasn't cook
ed somehow differently, and the heav-
mess of heart will soon be augment
ed by a heaviness in the stomach,
and then in the head, and the days go
on with waning health, then moth
er's stomach is all out of order all
the time"
What if smiles had been the sauce
instead of fault-fnding. If there be
one more essential constituent of a
family meal than the food, it is good
nature, even good nature that shakes
out its banners into open-mouthed
laughter. Better is a dinner of
herbs where love is than a stalled OK
and hatred herewith"
The temperament which laughs
easily is born, but habit of good ma
ture may be cultivated to the point
Of seeing the fun in common things.
Humor and wit are the SUBMITS to at
tain in this culture of the risibles.
We may as we'll be explicit, for the
benefit Of the seriously solemn ones
who are so contemptuous of mind
that sees anything to laugh at in less
than double intended joke.