The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1922-09-10


Max Beerbohm writes: There is no
dignity in laughter; there is much of it in
smiles. Laughter is but joyous surren-
der, smiles give token of mature criticism
1t may be that in the early ages of this
world there was far more laughter than is
to be heard now, and that aeons hence
laughter will be obsolete and smiles uni
versal-every one, always, mildly, slightly
smiling"
smiles may die out. and that man. as he
grows in wisdom. will discover that the
highest state he is capable of reaching is
to become inarticulate. Meanwhile one of
those illusions among US that appears to
be universal is that humor is popular, while
the truth is that humor in itself is not
only unpopular, but is very rare, and as
genuine product is growing rarer 1t has
hitherto been assumed that a sense of
humor was one of the necessary attributes
of lofty intelligence, and no man has been
willing to admit that he did not possess
one Yet the exercise of ones sense of
humor is not only dangerous pastime.
but as we grow in sympathy and insight,
it is bound to be so recognized. And even
now it's use is unconsciously restricted
among us. In social circles the teller of
humorous stories rapidly becomes a bore.
One dose of him may be highly enjoyable,
but one is enough, and anybody who cares
to make a record of conversations that
take place everywhere among us con-
stantly will be amazed at the lack of
humor. People chatter and laugh some
what at the misfortunes of others; they
fiatter one another they discuss trivial
matters with enormous gusto, but of genu-
inc wit or humor there is scarcely a trace.
Moreover, merely to glance over the musty
collections of anecdotes and repartee of
the past which by hearsay are celebrated
is to become convinced at once of their
uniform stupidity. We can scarcely con-
ceive that the things set down as witty
could even provoke a faint smile.
We may be sure also that if there were
great demand for humor it would be sup
piled. yet books of humor are very rarely
among our best sellers. and generally
when they are it is due to other causes
than fer the humor in them OF course,
we may say in one sense that the very
nature of humor requires that it be rare.
Its principal element is surprise. and
where thing grows common it must
cease to surprise. Thus books of humor
that excite us for the moment rapidly
fade, and the poor author is literally at his
wits end to keep up the illusion.
So far as know no book of humor. pure
and simple, has ever survived its own gen.
GRAFTON. And taking our own country as
an instance, it is curious and extremely
interesting to see how our long line of
humorists. going back to Ben Franklin.
have survived only as they have been able
to create other elements than humor itself.
Perhaps | should remark right here that
I am making no attempt TO define humor
accurately. From Quintilian to Max East
man nobody has ever succeeded in doing
that "Humor," wrote Washington Irving,
''is the electric atmosphere, wit is the
flash" and perhaps that is as good an
attempt at a definition as any. Humor
must always be a by-product; when it is
all that the writer has to exhibit then the
colors are not fast. 1t is no discredit to a
humorist to say of him that he may not
have the faculty of creating character.
Work that is purely ephemeral may be in
directly of quite lasting good. But 1t is
a fact that all humorists who either can
not or do not create characters outside of
themselves adopt the expedient of falling
back. upon themselves. This habit is so
universal that few examples will indi-