Swansea and Glamorgan Herald, and South Wales Free Press. — 1862-04-23 (Swansea, West Glamorgan, Wales)

INVALIDS.—The invalid's tormentors are of various kinds. The sporting or muscular friend is a very severe trial. He fervently and solemnly believes a day's hunting to be a panacea for the cure of every human ill. He assures the invalid that he has often felt just as bad tut he does. It was nothing but a fit of the blues caused by haviog to stay moping at home in frosty weather. But a day after the hounds cured it like magic ; and if his friend will only take his advice and just try 2ze. It is vain that the poor invalid suggests that he could not ride for eight hours to save his life, and that the sight of the hounds on the other side of a bullfinch would inspire him with no other emotion than that of abject terror. MS sporting friend only leaves him with an imprecatory lamentation that there should be such wilful suicides in the world. But at least he recognises the invalid's right to kill himself, if he chooses, by valetudinarian precautions. He is a light affliction compared to the jolly friend. Jolly people are bigots and proselytists of the first water. They look upon themselves as a society for the propagation of animal spirits, and are perfectly ready to hurl any number of anathemas at the deadly heresy of depression. In this capacity of missionaries of jollity, they quite understand that "constraining" is part of a missionary's duties. Pro salute aninies, they itelist on every one else being jolly, or at least conforming outwardly to the rites and ceremonies of hilarity. Like all persecutors, they maks a great number of hypocrites; and the uproarious gaiety into which they dragoon their friends only conceals an ennui bordering on desperation. The average of mankind, at least in England, are not naturally merry ; and their tendency to that condition of mind is by no means increased when they and themselves under a kind of social conscription, and are impressed to join in dance, round game, or petit feu, whether they like it or no. But the invalid is the great sufferer under this pitiless tyranny. His jolly friend regards his hangdog expression of countenance and listless movements as a kind of social treason—a crime of idse-rire which cannot be too promptly punished. And, like all the rest of the robust world, he looks on it with utter scepticism, as the result, half of shamming, half of imagination. More and more gaiety is, in his behalf, the only cure. His view of the case is summed up in the words, "Hi only wants a little rousing." The row-dreading invalid is to be treated as they used to treat patients in hydrophobia— , made to drink, at all risks, of that which he abhors. Accordingly the jolly man forces his luckless friend into a country dance shoves him hither and thither in a game of blindman's buff, or some other genial orgy of the kind, thrusts his finger into the snapdragon, and his nose into the bullet-pudding, ends by encouraging the children to upset the flour on his head, and then, in a cheerful voice, expresses a hope that they may pass many such happy Christmases together. Ile invalid slinks away to bed with unsanetitied wishes in his heart upon the subject of that venerable festival.— , Saterrelay Review.