New-York tribune., 1922-01-30
R0obc By
1OO'\o Percy Hammond

Musing, In "Why Lincoln Laughed"
over the tender relationship between
Artemus Ward and the President, DR..
Russell II. Conwell suggests that it ex-
listed because both men had endured Sc
rious suffering in their boyhood through
the tragic death OF their trst loves 1t
is not generally known, Dr. Conwell
says, that one Of Wards "earliest girl
friends" Maude Myrick, was drowned
near Norway, Me-, and that, although
he never mentioned her thereafter,
save in his last hours, he wrote in an
autograph album once that the saddest
place in the world fer him was "a
bridge over the Norway brook" Dr..
Conwell concludes that this infelici-
tous accident would also account in a
large degree for Wards eccentric, in
lmltable humor." He observes that call
the great humorists from Charles Lamb
to Josh Billings were broken-h hearted
in their YOUTH
Mr.. Lardner, Mr.. Cobb, Mr Montague,
Mr.. AIDE, Mr. Marquis, Mr.. Benchley
and other facetious men Of the day may
regret the absence of agones from
their past when they read DR.. Con-
wells appreciation of Artemus Ward.
He often assumed the role of an idiot.
but at the same time made the wisest
observations and the cutcst sarcasms.
His appearance, even before he made
his mechanical nod, was greeted by
loud. hearty and prolonged laughter.
The saddest forgot his sorrow, the most
scdate gentleman began to shake and
the crusty old maid broke out into the
Ha! Ha! of girl Of sixteen We NAV
read Wards writings and feel some
thing OF his absurd humor when we re-
call his posture rs he stated solcmnlv
that his "wife's feet were so large that
her toes came around the corner two
minutes before she came along"
Dr. Conwell's charming and naive dis
course on Lincoln and his Jester is
based on an interview the author had
with the President IN 1864. AS Young
captain In the Federal army he went
TO the White House to interccdc for II
comradc condemned to be shot, and
there, after succeeding in his GRAND.
listened TO tho Prcsiden talk Of Arte-
mus Ward for hours "Hc rests me-"
Lincoln said, "more than any living
man. The book seems to explain that
Lincoln laughed only that he might not
weep and because Wards "crude
humor" was adjusted miraculously to
the tragic times. Also it suggests
gentler reflections concerning the
kelth's vaudeville habit at which wc
used to snecr in MIR. Wilson'S
anguished times.
An admirer Of John Drnkwater aud
abraham Lincoln" asked some time
ago for an explanation of J. F.. BIS
charge that the play ''insulted our
mighty dead" j. +. B. now writes that
Mr.. Drinkwater insulted General Grant
when In the interview with Lee It Ap-
pomattox he pictured the Union com
mander taking deep swigs of whisky
from black bottle, as if Grant was a
brazen boozer, which he was not, and
'nslnuating that whisky won the war"
Samuel Hopkins Adams perceives in
Mr.. Drinkwater's work a calumny even
more soaring than that which strikes
at General Grants martial habits.
When j. F. B. referred to Mr.. John
"Drinkwater's taking liberties with
American history" Mr.. Adams writes,
perhaps he had in mind an extraordi-
nary Characterization Of Secretary
Seward as inferentially possessed of
l'ttie learning or culture. Even a
cursoTy examination of Stewards writ
ings would have sufNced to exhibit r;r.