The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1915-07-08
CURED BY A LAUGH
It Was a Hearty One and Better
Than a Dose of Medicine.
A STORY ABOUT A LECTURE,
It Ought to Have Been Funny and
Seemed at the Time to Be Funny and
Yet Afterward There Was Grave
Doubt as to Whether It Was or Not.


Yet Afterward There Was Grave
Doubt as to Whether It Was or Not.
whats your book?" Squire Dumont
asked of a neighbor as they sat wait
ing their turn in the village barber
shop.
lnnocents Abroad by Mark Twain"
was the reply. II just got it out of
the library. l suppose you would cali
1t pretty light reading"
You needn't be a bit ashamed of it.
Mr.. Pinkham," said the squire. heart
lily. ITS a book that has done a lot
of good, 1t has made thousands Of peo-
pie laugh. and a good laugh is often
better than q dose of medicine"
1--WE seen that proved" said Mr..
Pinkham. "I went to hear Mark
Twain lecture once" he added. with
a reminiscent chuckle.
"You don't say sor' exclaimed the
squire. Il never had that. pleasure
myself. 1t must have been a great
treat"
Eyes, 1t was I'm great admirer
Of Mark Twain ana have been for
years l had always wanted to see and
hear him, and when saw in Port.
land paper that be was to lecture there
On certain evening 1t came over me
| that that was my time to go and hear
him.
II had just lost lawsuit, and my
n xuff n iek
sister. was pretty blue and lone
| some and felt the need of being cheer.
| ed uD.
II took the afternoon train. calculat
ing to get to my cousin Jim's in time
| for supper and then 60 to the lecture
But. as tuck would have 1t, a freight
train had been wrecked near Bruins
wick. and we never got into Portland
until s o'clock However, hurried t.
the ball and paid my way in and got .
good seat right up in front l hat
missed some OF the lecture. bnt ] was
thankful to get what was left Il
wasn't so much what he said. though
as the way he said it that tickled me
l laughed more that night than I hai
| for a year.
We'll. after the lecture was over
made my way to my cousin Jim's. Ht
has means. and they live in some style
but got cordial welcome. Clara
his wife. told me that couldn't sc.
Jim that night. He was poorly. ant
she was good deal worried about him
But while we were talking he found
out was there and sent for me t,
come to his room. | never saw an.
one more in the dumps than he was.
guess he complained steady for as mucl
as half an hour. He was very sicl
man. He didn't relish his victuals. ant
what he did eat distressed him. Nigh
after night he got hardly a wink o
sleep. and nothing interested him an.
more Moreover. what the doctor CAV
him didn't do mite Of good. 1t wa
pitiful to hear him go on Finally b.
asked me how l happened to be Il
Portland.
$50 you came up to hear Mari
Twain| says he, and his face bright
ened up. Did you like himT says be
and l said. OF course did,
Now tell me honestly says he
was that lecture as funny as you ex
pected?'
We'll says l. 1t was funny, o
course. and I guess when have ha,
chance to think it over 1t will seer
funnier But there We're parts of
that didn't seem so dreadful funny
"Then all at once Jim fell back II
his chair and began to choke. and TO
a minute was scared. AS soon as b
could speak he says: That wasn't Mar
Twain that you heard. He lectures
here last week What you heard say
he was a lecture on the poetry o
Robert Browning by Professor
forget now what Jim called his name
| thought he'd never stop.
After that Jim wanted to know ho,
the people near me took my laughin
so much at the lecture. and when RI
membered that some of 'em did scow
little he went off again.
well. naturally felt little cheaI
but afterward l wasn't sorry. Th
next morning Jim said he had had hi
first good nights rest for month. an
he really made out quite breakfas
About fortnight after that | got
letter from him saving that he wa
; feelin. quite like himself again.
Il don't know as my visit had thin
, TO do with it. but I've always felt as
{ 1t did In that case It goes to prov
what you said. squire. that goo
laugh is sometimes better than a dos
, of medicine Companion.