Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-08-05

magazines appeared Q funny cartoon CO.
titled, can Unrecorded Hero" wherein
was pictured a courageous old epicure
tacklins the first oyster. Personally.
felt as II several other convivial old
knights had been slighted, and that he
who downed the 6rst soft-shelled crab
should have shared honOrs ct this
ground table,"
Furthermore, fancy penciled me
companion piece.
Out Of the shadowy jungle of the Past
came rollicking peal of merrimeut, and
there, partially screened from view.
plimpse the chief of unrecorded bene
factors-the man who first laughed.
Who was he aud what was the j"kri
How do know Perhaps he was trying
the prankish stunt Of walking GU bis
hind legs, or pelting his spouse with CO
coanuts. But he laughed the firs,
blessed whole hearted ''ha! haF' OF all
humanity. Aud in so doing he freed the
jovial lnlle god whose voice still. spreads
the contagion of happiness, and whose
wings still tickle the heart. stribgs o'
post Gritty, till man has now the enViabit
dist il, ctUn OF being "tbe laughing
animal"
Blu, how many there are who seem t.
nave forgotten their prer"gat've! H""
many vinegar. visaged people one chances
to meet in the course of day-ths
mournful Esaus that have evidently
yielded up their birthright Of Joyousnes'
for mess of grouches!
In one of the small New England
to wns there exists quite novelty. ont
man there owns graveyard, and MI
sole business in life consists IN doinf
away with dead tissues and identifying
his territory.
mention this, because think 1t Is ar
actual illustration of what each OF III
should do figuratively. Somewhere il
our mental reservation We should eacf
of us run a small cemetery and there
bury our own and other peoples mis-
takes and faults, and then set abOu
growing and grating the pleasant thing
Of life.
1t is one of the fundamentals OF sue
cessful living, and the first step on th'
road to happiness.
Consciously or unconsciously, we ar
each of US addicted to a little menta
squirting, and know Of no more pardon
able offense than that of the man whit
keeps his weather eye set for little FUN
"Mirth is Gods medicine" and a
Charles Lamb said, zone good laugh u
worth hundred groans In any state o
the market"
The world is rich In smiles. Their
ought to be enough for everybody.
Just keep a sharp watch for they bios
som in the most unlOoked-for places.
Some years ago was teaching my lit
tie daughter the Twenty. third Psalm
[ read it to her two or three times; thel
We said it over together, and when
thought she had the whole mastered,
said, Now you may say 1t alone"
With the triumphant assurance o
childhood she started, but before sh
fiui he'd 1 simply couldn't conceal m.
amusement.
The Door child had misunderstood m
reading. And when she came to til
solemn passage, Thou preparest
able before me in the presence OF m.
enemies" was given the rather un
expected version Of
"Tbou parest potatoes before me II
the presence of mine enemies"
Slowly, but surely, the American pop
| ulace are waking up to the value of tn
optimistic outlook and the tonic quail
TIES of good cheer.
1t is creeping into religion aud there !
remarkable growth in the mirth cen
tres,-theatres, vaudeville houses an'
the humorous publications.
There ia new note of buOyancy II
he present-day drama, an increasing
demand for joke. smiths, and we are fas
earning the value of the holiday
hanks be to two more Unrecorded Bene
factors-the man who first thought o
holidays aud his inimitable confrere, tn
first crude entertainer.
In his "Clerk Class" of that splendid
series of articles, 1.-The American Spend
-rs," Will Irwin draws q realistic pic
ture of Two American generations-th
household of Charles Carson, where lif
vas entirely given over to the prose O
existence, and tho home Of John Carson
his son, where up-to-date methods an
sane diversions were introduced.
In conclusion, the author says-"Not
I am drawing no m0rals-proving n
principles; record but the fact.
MANY of these new wants of tho Car
son family are legitimate from any poin
# view. They make for more INTEL
gent and more healthy race. Man
others would be hard to defend on an
grounds. Yet, before 1 finish, must Il
fairness report one thing more: OIL
Mrs. Charles Carson, her bodily ma
chinery all worn out, died when she wa
lfifty-four-an age at which Mrs. job
Carson will be campaigning with vigo
and enthusiasm for the presidency OF tn
Womsn's Club"
1t is a grave mistake to take ourselves
OF any one else for that matter, to-
seriously.
Try to season each day with littl
laughter and note the results.
1t was Lycurgus, believe, who set q
the god of laughter in Spartan eatin
halls, because he knew there was n
other spice like laughter at ones meals
the most sslutary Of all the bodily move
ments. It involves both body and SOU
A good hearty laugh stimulates tn
circulation, promotes digestion, and or
livens every vital organ. 1t 10, in short
a sort of shower bath of the spirit, In
MIGRATING the whole man, and 1t is tn
cheapest luxury at our command. More
over, cheerfulness is largely matter Q
habit, and there IL nothing know Q
that yields larger returns for the effor
involved
Oliver Wendell Holmes asserted
Every one of US has harp unde
bodice or wsistcoat, and, if 1t can onl
once get properly strung and tuned,
will respond to all outside harm0nies.
The list of unrecorded benefactOr
would be far from complete, II fsile
to include the Smiling Susans and Sum
Jims we sometimes meet In the round o
our everyday transactions. Their sur
niness will never brighten the darkene
pages of history, but 1t does creep int
our hearts aud makes this care-laden oil
world happier dwelling place.
There is one Sunny jim 10 my town
with full, round smils that none Of til
pricks of adversely have 80 far beeu abb
to puncture. One day l had the te
merity to ask him his recipe, and In hi
own quaint way he gave me his philoso
ply. thought it worthy of versifyini
and here it Is:
SUNNY JIN's MOTTO.
took my tip from Nature straight,
Ny MOTIF Is, "llang out the leaves"
II rough winds blow. no neei 70 pirate
And tell just how your p or heart grieves.