Laughing is strikly an amuzement, altho some folks make a bizzness ov
it. It haz bin considered an index ov karakter, and thare iz sum, so
close at reasoning, that they say, they kan tell what a man had for
dinner, by seeing him laff. I never saw two laff alike. While thare are
some, who dont make enny noise, thare are sum, who dont make ennything
but noise; and sum agin, who hav musik in their laff, and others, who
laff just az a rat duz, who haz caught a steel trap, with his tale.
Thare is no mistake in the assershun, that it is a cumfert tew hear sum
laffs, that cum rompin out ov a man's mouth, just like a distrik school
ov yung girls, let out tew play. Then agin thare iz sum laffs, that
are az kold and meaningless az a yesterday's bukwheat pancake,--that
cum out ov the mouth twisted, and gritty, az a 2 inch auger, drawed
out ov a hemlok board. One ov these kind ov laffs haz no more cumfert
in it than the--stummuk ake haz, and makes yu feel, when yu hear it,
az though yu waz being shaved bi a dull razer, without the benefit ov
soap, or klergy. Men who never laff may have good hearts, but they are
deep seated,--like sum springs, they hav their inlet and outlet from
below, and show no sparkling bubble on the brim. I don't like a gigler,
this kind ov laff iz like the dandylion, a feeble yeller, and not a bit
ov good smell about it. It iz true that enny kind ov a laff iz better
than none,--but giv me the laff that looks out ov a man's eyes fust,
to see if the coast is clear, then steals down into the dimple ov his
cheek, and rides in an eddy thare awhile, then waltzes a spell, at the
korners ov his mouth, like a thing ov life, then busts its bonds ov
buty, and fills the air for a moment with a shower ov silvery tongued
sparks,--then steals bak, with a smile, to its lair, in the harte, tew
watch agin for its prey,--this it is the kind ov laff that i luv, and
aint afrade
LXXXV.
PIONEERS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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