The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-19
SUPPRESS A
 NERVOUS LAUGH


 musical laugh Is a rare gift: A hearty one is infectious; but if you are incapable of either, suppress a laugh that means nothing.
 The woman who really laughs is q Joy 10 those around her. It may not possess pitch that delights a musf- cianly ear; 1t may have infections lit- tie notes that do not stand for har- mony; but if 1t Is real and Joyous ft VIII make all those who hear 1t smile
 The laugh that Is annoying is the one without meaning. It is q nervous ripple that Is often used as a period or an exclamation point. It is placed at the ending of every sentence and takes from the spoken word any mean ing or emphasis 1t might have.
 Many women who do 1t are not con scious of 1t. They are far from silly women. They have poise and sense. and are not as easily confused as one would judge by the futile laughter they give after their sentences.
 If this idea impresses you at all. watch your own style of talking when outside the family circle and intimate friends. You may net be given to laughter. but again you may find that you unconsciously punctuate your most commonplace sentences with q laugh that is as artificial as your back
 If you do this. stop 1t.
 Watch yourself as carefully as though the fault were serious one. After trial for week, you will 20 far. Your impulse will still be there, but your quickened perceptions will make you grapple with the impulse and throttle 1t st the first false note.
 In month you will hear yourself as others shear you. and wonder how they stood you. You will perceive fof yourself the consciousness of that ner~ vous laugh. You will begin to watch for in others. and shudder as you think how constantly you sounded just as they do.
 an inane laugh In woman. is the result of pure thoughtlessness. In youth 1t more often comes from self-conscous. ness.
 A girl is not sure of herself. she Is III at ease with young man or In q company of people who are not her age or her intimates and with every sentence she adds a giggie by way of 'iagniappe." It Is goodwill running over the measure.
 As the girl grows into a woman she keeps to her little goodwill giggie be- cause no one has shaken 1t out of her Possibly none of her kin was about her when she was doing this seif-con- scious performance.
 The penalty (which should be spank ing) has not been administered at the proper time, and the foolish little habit has become ingrained in her uatufe.
 The kind of woman she grows up @ be Is ever frequent Possibly charming in every other way. but giving the impression of lightweight" charac- ter by her conversation.
 Tt is raining at last" she will say: then add a forced smile and a cares. cendo laugh. How good of you to share your box of candy; must own up to a sweet tooth"-then a laugh. | Not one of the phrases deserves q laugh. None of the subjects she men rtions is laughing matter and when q remark is made or an act performed that deserves laughter the sound she | gives is utterly different from the | forced one.
 The remarkable sound. given to man alone, called laughter. should be used only to express mfrth. When it Is not spontaneous 1t is not laughter ant the men who write dictionaries should give 1t another name.
 Giggle Is the only substitute 60 far. but 1t does not designate that insipfdsd mirthless sound that hundred of women' permit themselves.