El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-17

ID ELIEVE as we may that many
n smiles are unbecoming to a man
and that the male of the race
may smile and smile and be a villain,
we must, if we have turned interested
" the pages of the fascinating book.
humanity, admit that there's little
harm in the man who can laugh.
Laugh, not litter. Laugh, not
strangle an anaemic chuckle far down
in his throat Laugh. not achieve q
CHASTITY contortion of the facial muscles
without any corresponding volume Of
audible mirth- No, laughs laugh
and we know it when we hear it as
we know a honest man and a tender
woman when we meet them. without
need fof definition or analysis.
At downtown restaurant, where
the city officials hived IN the municipal
buildings about City Hall park gather
for luncheon and sometimes for dinner,
1 heard two middle aged men laugh
as boys laugh when they find nav
swimming hole One was, a sandy
haired man with well cut fea-
lures and a clear. womanish skin,
and mouth which experience
had carved into lines of frmness. The
other was olive skinned. He had an
aggressive nose and a strong jaw. Each
bore the stamp in clothes and manner
of the successful man. The first would
succeed by the fineness Of his percep-
tions. the tact Of his dealings with his
fellow man The ether by his force
had doubtless overbo-ne all difficulties
and obstacles in his way. They had
finished their dinner and were loung
ing back in the after dinner stage of
content that is accompanied by the IN
hurried smoking of a good cigar. The
clocks hands travelling about its face
pointed to half past eight One Of
them reminded the other that it was
time good commuters were taking a
train out of town In some smart new
ly painted suburban home with lawn.
with trees, and with a. glimpse Of hill
or sea. impossible in town at three
times the price
The wife of each was doubtless turn
ing anxious glances up the street
where her lords figure would appear
but had not. And anxious thoughts
about the temptations of a great city
that beset the suburbanite who fingers
in a great city assailed her. What was
Tom doing? What mischief would
Harry be up TO nOw2 So they thought
and worried and manufactured wrinkles
while 1, an unseen neighbor at a table
close to that of their spouses. heard
this:
How many houses have you built
nowS for heavens sake?'from the olive
skinned man.
Three besides the home replied
the sandy haired man. Then he
laughed a real -prolonging laugh.
What's the matter?"
Nothing much Only every time I
think of 1t I have to laugh. I'm plant
ing some flower seeds in our front
yard. The other day I said to my wife,
If 1 planted these seeds the wrong way
how do you suppose the flowers would
grow? The sandy man laughed. The
olive skinned one followed him with a
deep basso.
"Of course it's ridiculous, but It kind
of bowled me over to think of those
plants growing down instead Of mp.
starting toward China. Ha, hal
He was right 1t was a ridiculous
thought. quite unworthy OF the re-
spected city official you could see he
was. But he had been all day at a
desk. He had talked with moro -han
so persons. He needec some Tightening
nonsense. and the litGe cOnceit about
the plant growing downward instead