The star-independent. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1904-1917, 1915-04-24
CURED BY.A LAUGH
II Was a Hearty One and Better
Than a Dose Of Medicine.
A STORY ABOUT A LECTURE.

II Ought TO Have Been Funny and
Seemed at the Time to Bs Funny and
Yet Aftsrward There Was Grave,
Doubt as to Whether II Was or Not.
Whats your bookr Squire Dumont
asked of neighbor as they sat wait
Ing their turn in the village barber
shop.
"Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain"
was the reply. II just got it out of
the library. I suppose you would call
1t pretty light reading"
"iou needn't be bit ashamed of II,
Mr.. Pinkham," said the squire, heart
lily. Its book that has done a lot
of good. 1t has made thousands OF peo-
pie laugh. and good laugh Is often
better than dose Of medicine"
"Tve seen that proved" said Mr..
Pinkham. >"I went to hear Mark
Twain lecture once" he added. with
a reminiscent chuckle.
"You don't say soy' exclaimed the
squire. II never had that pleasure
myself. 1t must have been a great
treat"
eyes, 1t was. I'm a great admirer
Of Mark Twain and have been for
years. had always wanted to see and
hear him. and when l saw in a Port
land paper that he was to lecture there
on certain evening 1t came over me
that that was my time to go and hear
him.
Il had Just lost lawsuit, and my
wife was away from home with a sick
sister. l was pretty blue and lone
some and felt the need of being cheer
ed up.
"I took the afternoon train. calculat-
ing to get to my cousin Jim's In time
for supper and then go to the lecture
But, as luck would have 1t, a freight
train had been wre I'd near Bruins
wick, and We never got into Portland
until 8 o'clock. However. hurried to
the hall and paid my way IN and got a
good seat right up in trout. 1 had
missed some Of the lecture, but I 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.
I laughed more that night than l had
for year.
"Weli, after the lecture was over
made my way to my cousin Jim's. He
has means, and they live in some style,
but l got cordial welcome. Clara,
his wife, told me that l couldn't see
Jim that night. He was poorly. and
she was good deal worried about him.
But while we were talking he found
out I was there and sent for me to
come to his room. never saw any
one more in the dumps than he was. I
guess he complained steady for as much
as half an hour. He was very sick
man. He didn't relish his victuals, and
what he did eat distressed him. Night
after night he got hardly a wink Of
sleep, and nothing interested him any
more Moreover, what the doctor gave
him didn't do mite Of good. 1t was
pitiful to hear him go on. Finally he
asked me how I happened to be in
Portland.
$50 you came up to hear Mark
Twainr says he, and his face bright
ened up. Did you like himT says he,
and l said, OF course did
"'Now tell me honestly says he,
was that lecture as funny as you ex-
pectedT
"'Well,' says I, 1t was funny, Of
course, and I guess when I have had
a chance to think 1t over It will seem
funnier. But there were parts Of 1t
that didn't seem so dreadful funny
"Then all at once Jim fell back In
his chair and began to choke, and for
a minute l was scared. AS soon as he
could speak he says: That wasn't Mark
Twain that you heard. He lectured
here last week. What you heard says
he, was lecture on the poetry Of
Robert Browning by Professor l
forget now what Jim called his name.
Then he took to laughing again, and
/ thought he'd never stop.
AFTER that Jim wanted to know how
the people near me took my laughing
so much at the lecture, and when l re-
membered that some of 'em did scowl
a little he went off again.
"Well, naturally l felt little cheap.
but af.erward l wasn't sorry. The
next morning Jim said he had had his
first good nights rest for a month. and
he really made out quite a breakfast.
About a fortnight after that l got a
letter from him saying that he was
feeling quite like himself again.
II don't know as my visit had thing
to do with 1t, but I've always felt as II
it did. In that case 1t goes to prove
what you said, squire, that good
laugh is sometimes better than a dose
Of medicine. Youths Companion.