Walter Scott's Sundays.
As usual from Lockhart's farrage we
cannot find out a single thing we want to
know whether Scott worked, after his
week-day custom, on the Sunday morn
ing. But, I gather not; at all' events,
his cattle and his household rested
(L. iii. 108) . I imagine he walked out
into his woods or read quietly in his
study. Immediately after breakfast,
whoever was in the house, "L'adies and
gentlemen, I shall road irayers at 11,
when I expect you all to attend" (vii.
30G). Questions of college and other
externally unanimous prayers settled for
us very briefly: "If you have no faith,
have at least manners."' He read the
Church of England service, lessons aud
all, the latter, if interesting, eloquently !
(lOid). Alter the service, one of Jeremy j
lay lor s sermon s (vi lUb). Alter ser
mon, if the weather was lino, walk with
his family, dogs included, aud guests to
cold picnic (iii. 100), followed by short
extempore Biblical novelettes; for he
had his Bible, the Old Testament espec
ially, by heart, it having been his moth
erslast gift to him (vi. 174). These
lessons to his children in Bible history
were always given, whether there
-was a picnic or not. For the
rest of the afternoon he took his
ilk KM.
pleasure in the woods with Tom
Purdie, who also always appeared at his :
master s elbow on Sunday after dinner
was over and drank long life to the laird
and his lady and all the good company,
in a quaigh of whisky or a tumbler of
wine, according to his fancy (vi. 195.)
Whatever might happen o" the other
eveniags of the week, Scott always dined
at home on Sunday; and with old friends,
never, unless inevitably, receiving any
person with whom he stood on ceremony
(v. 335.) He came into the room rub
bing his hands like a boy arriving at
home for the holidays, his Peppers and
'Mustards gamboling about him, "and
oven the stately Maid a grinning and
wagging his tail with sympathy." For
the Esquebaugh of the less honored week
days, at the Sunday board he circulated
the champagne briskly during dinner,
and considered a pint of clareteach man's
share afterward (v. 330.) In the even
ing, music being to the Scottish
mind indecorous, he read aloud some
favorite author, for the amusement or
edification of his little circle. Shakes
peare it might be, or Dryden, Johnson
or Joanna Bailiie, Crabbe, or Words
worth. But in those days "Byron was
pouring out his spirit free and
full, and if a new piece from
his hand had appeared, it was sure
to be read by Scott the
Sunday evening afterwards; and that
with such delighted emphasis as showed
how completely the elder bard had
kept up his enthusiasm for poetry at
pitch of youth, and all his admiration
for genius, free, pure, and unstained by
the least drop of literary jealousy. With
il imsiiv imjurinable va-
rieties as chances in having Dandy Din-
mor or Captain Brown for guests at
Abbotsford, or Captain Maunering,
Counselor Pleydell, and Dr. Ilobertson
in Castle street, such was Scott's habit-
ual Sabbath a day, we perceive, of eat-
ing the fat, (dinner, presumably not
liein&r a work of necessity and
mArni. fl,rm nln ovpii f.linn. Saint
BXiVA. w T vuwu "wv v.v j I
f Trumbull, had thine! and
lirmrbinfc in the
manner of Mr. Southey's cataract of Le-
,lnrn"Here it comes, sparkling. A
day bestrewn with coronations and sops vice embraces the principle oi iini uy nature ana uses mem lniemgenuy, hu is
in wine, deep in libations to good hope economy ; and economy consists in almost omnipotent. Self-will is the es-
and fond memory; a day of rest to beast, spending less than one earns, aud as sence of weakness and the father of the
!,t,i m,Vft, tr man fas nlsoto sympathetic much less as is practicable, by throwing whole brood of infirmities. We have
beasts that cannot
y cludiner itself in
4liV4 Hi. V w mx-v j
he mer
rry.J and con-
rphial hour of
an orph
delisht. signuymg
peace on Tweedsiue,
and trood will to men, there or tar away
always excepting the Ironch and
i
Boney. John Buskin, in
Century.
Nineteenth
A Miner's Daring.
There are no braver men in the world
flmn nmi bn fnniid amoucr the mines of
the Comstock. Accustomed to face dau-
"ers every day of their lives, they never
shrink from the call ot duty. An m
stance of personal bravery occurred re
nMv nf. tlin Hnte A: ISorcross. wnicn is
worthy of record as showing what men
will An -nwl darn. The milllP column
?n flio Ttnrm burst, the flow of water
JL - w -j
li -is lisrmllv Dimmed at the Hale A:
Norcross, a large portion of which comes
from the well-known north drift on the
000(1 In vol nf fclm "Savage " and is
vow lint was sent thiouirh con-
fn. flm ( v s. shaft to be
raised to the Sutro tunnel level. One
An ti.to iirtu. nf wutov was nmisuallv
I I 1 L I 1 111 1.1 1 A II WA. (..WB. "--' i
strong The pumps labored assiduously
- - , ., i
to keep it down, Lmt labored in vain,
Bailing tanks wore added, and still tho
oopinnnlfitimi coll Id not be kont down,
wu flio o. son shilinn at. that shaft was
flivon fnriinilm-watei- information
,..,.o ennf fl.o "RnlP A- XnrcroKs of the
I..... .
fact, and a desire was expressed to know
"I" " -
t.lio o.anse of the increased flow. Hie
necessity of an investigation thus be
came imperative.
RiiDermtendent Ueideshenner. not
knowing what might have happened in
that coulined locality to threaten the
nf f.lio rmno nn tho nwor fovo. s.
i not. wishiiir to send men where he
1L111 ("---n -
semi men wnore ne
was
,,n,vi lin.r tn an nmsn f. snnfc for
Foreman Kellogg, who was working on
flm broken imnip column, informed him
H 11 1 . . . . - - o 1
of the situation oi anairs and asked him
A - . . ' , .
o cm with himseii ami see wnat was
wronc. Mr. Kellogg would not allow
Mr. Deidesheimer to incur the risks of
the exploration and set about preparing
tn rrn alcne. He saturated a woolen
shirt with ice-water and bound it on ana
over his head, leaving but a single eye
that if he did not return in fifteen min-
un timn n it o oolii mi 11 us. 5n nr.n .iu imc chii i.iihl meic is hod
fUnenvAnnrerl entered the drift, leav- Ano mprnliantof the thirty in that town tell."
ri.1. CJriv.onrtnndnnt, ft rcnuest wlin wnnl1 nnt. vote nPuillSt the liciUOr "You'd
trier AVlbll VL1V KJ 1' " J. I " O , 1
utes the drift should be closed behind
him to be opened no more. This could
well be done, as the Savage had bulk
headed that level, the air had been shut
out and the workings there practically
abandoned. After enduring that terrible
heat for twelve minutes Mr. Kellogg
came back and reported nothing amiss.
The extra water was but an unusually
lartre intermittent, flow from the old
north drift in Savage. When stripped
of his mufllings Mr. Kellogg found that
in some way one of his hands had be
come bared while he was in the drift,
and the back of it had been burned to a
solid blister by the dry, hot air to which
he had been exposed. Water boils on
the Comstock in 10S degrees, and he had
sustained for twelve minutes a tempera-
.,.,, miiv in (Wrees below that of boil-
jn,r Wttfcer and sutlicient to have roasted
him in a very short time.
Advice to Young Ulen.
To Hon. William E. Dodge, in his re
cent lecture on "Old New York," or
"New York as it was Fifty Years Ago,"
when he was a young man of twenty-live
years, gave thefollowing financial advice
to young men:
" A.11 voung men should aim to save
something; even at the expense of a lira.-
lted wardrobe, and many nine tilings
they thmfc necessary. i mere were none
t i. ...... It I II'AII II Lt IT T-ri- I
UlU yiJIUlU IIIUI nun;, x iwuiu sin
frnm M, first, voar when I entered a store
...ii i f aw..
vnnv when as a salesman. I received verv
large pay for those days, I never failed
to save apart, aud when 1 started in
business, those savings and my experi-
ence were an my capital. ... .. I
The advance here given, illustrated by
such an excellent example, is worm us
,,f ; pi frt ,J wi,n ri,n.
tices upon it. Almost every one who is
in working condition can make his ex-
pensos less than his income. If the lat-
terbe small, he can cut down the lormer
suusiu!meBiuaii Buipuo "j"1"'
II, on tne oiuer iianfi, nis inhume uu
lurrrA lw fmi i5i.lfA n. hlV'TR RflVlllO". with-
:f:.,ce . iu lononf
appearances. What he thus saves by
not expending it, is his camtal; and if he
.i t " 1 1 j.i.
saves sometmnir eacn vear. men wiui
each year his capital increases. This
course, pursued for thirty or forty years
will make any man moderate y rich and
some men very rich, unless the mishaps
of business shall sweep awav the accu-
m illation.
i
One ditlicultv with many young men
in the outset of life is, they do not un
derstand the art of practical economy.
They spend too much in the little foolish
and uimeccv.sary ways, and sometimes m
douotnu, n iiol immoral wayt. xnvy
wasto their earnings, and live faster and
better than they can afford to live. They
keep themselves poor forever, unless
they are radically changed. They refuse
to forego present pleasure in order to
secure a much Greater future good. The
result is that, no matter how long they
live or how much they receive, they con-
sume all they earn, and as to any accu-
initiation by saving, end each year just
where they began it. The moment their
working power ceases, then by sickness
or age, they oecome oujeets oi cuaruy.
They have nothing to fall back upon for
their own support, or that of those who
X a.
are dependent upon them.
The advice of Mr. Dodiie. reduced to
practice, would give to life a very differ-
ent show in the way ot results. ne au-
overheard imaginary wants and supply-
ing only those that are real.
If one is poor, which is the condition
in which most persons must start life,
then so much the greater the reason why
he should start with the saving principle
in the very outset. By saving ho will
learn how to save. It will become his
habit to do so, and, under ordinary cir-
rmmhinpn5 Tip ivill nnrMiimi late enough
in a series of vears to make himself com-
fortable, needing no man s charity to
smmlv a sincle want. We advise all
men to act upon this excellent theory
A Drunken Plan's Safely.
A man sent out to repair
tr ocrr
aph
wires on the 17th began by getting drunk,
He had on his climbing hooks, and
point near the crossing of the Boston and
Albany Kail way and Columbia Avenue,
he forthwith shinned up a telegraph-
pole. From this perch he beheld the
siirht. and crettinsr both less over one of
the cross-bars aud both arms around the
nole he fell asleep, meditating very
II A
7i t . ii. r .1 l .1 - .1 1...
liKeiy, upon iuu lurwuru sumw mmiu ui
our cuy wuuui mu imu ucutuij.
While thus reclining To leet irom tne
ground, he was espied by a kind-hearted
individual, who pointed out the perilous
situation of the man to a police sargent
. .. -r . - 1 ,1 l
of the Jjittn division, remariiing tnat
I . . . . 1 -I
nf t.hn sariront must get mm down, or
he would fall and kill himself. ;How
am I to get up there ?" asks the sargent.
"Can't say," replies the kind-hearted
man: ''but something ought to be done,
"The feller haiut in no danger," breaks
in a man with a red nose and a squeak
; liic vninn who has iust come up and
taken
1 . , . -m -w w .
i taiteu i uxuiuti .Ttiiv-iuii.s ovmni. .i
man on tne po;e. v uy ibii t uu:
i i t h i i ...- i. j
-. .. ,. . ,
sharply demands the
"Don't you see," r
voice, "the feller's up there so tight he
can't fall, nohow.
There appears to be one town where
absolute prohibition of liquor selling has
succeeded. It is Carrolhon, Ga., where
prohibition went into lorce live years
ago fcince men tuu joimu.h mmo -ji mu
place
has increased irom ozuu.umu to
i traflic on purely business principles.
l . . I l t i il - 1 1 I : l 1 l . - .
I .... 1 .1 L I.. I
The Educational Failure.
Mr. Richard Grant White contin
i. . ii
ues his reasoning against, tne present
public school system, and with the
skill which usually tittends him in
argument.
It has been
ioiiir dawning
on the minds of our
thoughtful men that the American
educational system is 'not precisely
what it is claimed to uc. aw. wnue
aw. v
shows how and why this is, and we
cannot add anything or appreciable
value in that direction. iut we
would like
to
sav, what wc have
thought lor
a
rood
many years, and
said at intervals, editorially and pel
serially, that we attribute the most
of the evils under which this people
sutler political, social, moral, and
intellectual to the incompetence of
i I ... ..! . I.
our educational sysiem. uu mis,
first, because the system inculcates
only platitudes and truisms instead of
principles and laws. And, second.
because its tendency is
ievelinj in
stead of elevating
training
minds to
the suppression and
sacrifice ot in
dividuality, and only to the ad vau
tairo iin(j advancement ot qualities
ivl.i(..i. ,m, rftnel.jc ftll(j not sec he
1
, ,w,
'"S .ou,.,
instead ot analysis, causation in
I'U reasoning, lo tins
tendency is to be attributed tho fact
that we have, as H product of this
system, actually no first-class men or
women in anv walks.in life: that our
,r, ,0. m:n h..ff ,inno a-nvk-
. 4 , . a .. . , ,
under the influence ot special educa
ttun -tuu smm ".n ji
puonc scnooi sysiem, auu wnicu con
sistcd in affording the student the
tools by means of which he was to
if am uis caucalion. and leavinir ine
to
the venerations now passing away
ma - our political puune aunuui aya-
tern produces proiessionai poimciaua
. . i l' i i -. : 1
insicau oi noiincai econoiniaLb,
evaders and la w-brcaUes instead of
l.nV-makers. copyists instead of oriiri-
, ,hinkoI.. As to all of this we
. . .
oiutu i it j iiiui j 'v Mt r w.v vw-
and shall be quite ready with the
proofs. In the mean tunc, wo are
irlad to see such innovations as the
Quincy (Mass.) new school system,
the improvement in boston and in
Philadelphia, and the wise icono-
clasm by which Mr. Jiichard Grant
White is preparing the scene for a
manifest change in the scheme ot
education and in the
characters
and es tab-
which are to introduce
lish it. Bra.
Human Power and
Progress.
The Greeks taught their children music
that thev might learn obedience to the
laws, for all music is the subjugation of
sounds to fixed laws. Man's self-will
makes discord. Modern civilization
seizes the same idea and illustrates the
thought that there is no such thing as
human power aside from obedience to
law. Man in himself is weak, but when
he falls into sympathy with the laws of
made great progress in the development
of the country, because we have studied
and used the laws ot nature. All our in
ventions are simple applications of nat
ural principles, for no man ever created
a principle or a force. Two classes of
men have been chiefly instrumental in
this stupendous work. The hard stu-
dent of principles, without a grain ol
"practical sense, lias discovered the
principles upon which nature worKs,
and "tho practical man has applied
these principles to practical uses. Hence
our wonderful material progress. And
the question arises, How far can we go
in the direction of development? Is
there any limit to human progress?
We answer that the scope of future
triumphs will b larger thr u that of the
past. It will be so because the laws ot
nature are all comprehensive, and no one
can for a moment believe that we have
exhausted the forces of nature. In fact,
we nave only entered upon wie outer
i T 1 1 il. -
confines of the era of development, be
cause we have only begun to discern the
elementary principles that lio at the basis
of natural law.
Our future success, however, will de
pend upon our ability to stimulate the
student element. The practical man
froflini't! nnd nninve li ii rown.rils n.4 hfi L'OfiS
along, aud he needs no special eucour
agement. But the student of laws and
I . . - 1 1
principles receives lew nonors ana less
emolument. 11 we discourage tue au-
I . r - T 1 1 .1.
sorbed student, we paralyze the germin
ative powers of progress, Without
the student, the practical man, who ap-
plies knowledge, cannot exist. Hence
the necessity of nourishing our higher
institutions of learning, for in them we
oronfp. cavofnl students of the laws of
i r i
.
niimic. jluu ihhtaoi. o -
progress. X'racucai men
must realize
Kiuu-neariea man this truth and ricniy enuow proicssur
eturns the sciueakv sln'ns and scholarships. In this way
I . . . . - -t f
alone can we make provision
for the
illimitable progress of the future, that
must be the joiut work of the student
and the practical man. fS. F. Post.
o
No Judge of "Watermelon. "I say,
Parker, can you tell the difference
between a ripe watermelon and a decayed
head of cabbage?" "Uive it up: cant
Brown laughed softly, as ne said,
be a nice man to send to buy a
watermelon, you would."
Innocent Childhood.
Childhood is the glad springtime of
life. It is there that the i eeds of future
greatness or startling mediocrity are
sown.
If a boy has marked out a glowing
future as an intellectual giant, it is dur
ing these early years of his growth that
he gets some pine knots to burn in the
evening, whereby he can read Herbert
Spencer and the Greek grammar, so that
a hen he is in good society ho can say
things that nobody can understand. This
gives him an air of mysterious greatness
which soaks into those with whom he
comes in contact and makes them re
spectful and unhappy while in his pres
ence. Boys who intend to be railroad men
should early begin to look about them
for some desirable method of expunging
two or three fingers and one thumb.
Most boys can do this without ditliculty.
Trying to pitch a card out of a job press
when it is in operation is a good way.
Most job presses feel gloomy and un
happy until they have eaten the fingers
off two or three boys. Then they go on
with their work cheerfully and even
hilariously.
Boys who intend to lead an irreproach
able life and be foremost in every good
word and work, should take unusual
precautions to secure perfect health and
longevity. Good boys never know when
they are safe. Statistics show that the
ratio of good boys who die, compared to
bad ones, is simply appalling.
There are only thirty-nine good boys
left as we go to press, and they are not
feeling very well themselves.
The bad ones are all alive and very
active. The boy who stole my coal shovel last
spring and went out into the graveyard
and dug into a grave to rind Easter eggs,
is the picture of health. He ought to
live a long time yet, for he is in very
poor shape to be ushered in before the
bar of judgment.
When I was a child I was different
from other boys in many respects. I was
always looking about to see what good I
could do. I am that way yet.
If my little brother wanted to go in
swimming contrary to orders, I was not
strong enough to prevent him, but I
would go in with him ami save him from
a watery grave. I went in the water
thousands of times that way and as a re
sult he is alive to-day.
But he is ungrateful. He hardly ever
mentions it now, but he remembers the
gordian knots that I tied in his shirts.
He speaks of them frequently. This
shows the ingratitude and natural de
pravity of the human heart.
Ah, what recompense have wealth and
position for the unalloyed joys of child
hood, and how gladly to day, as Iit in
the midst of my Oriental splendor and
castle magnificence, and thoughtfully
run my fingers through my infrequent
bangs, would I give it all, wealth, posi
tion and fame, for one balmy, breezy
day gathered from the mellow haze of
the long ago, when I stood full knee
deep in tho lukewarm pool near my
suburban home in the quiet deil, and ai-
lowed the yielding and smoothing mud,
meek-eyed pollywogs to squirt up be
tween my dimpled toes. Denver Trib
une. The Bruuineid Case.
The Kansas Citv JowhhI of Septem
ber 30th, mentions a suit pending in the
Circuit Court of Jackson county, Mo.,
which, a it is of interest to many readers
of this coast, we reproduce as follows:
"A petition was filed in the Circuit
Clerk's oilice on the 27th of September
by Nancy M. Brum field against bamuel
Lewis Wolf, in which she pravs that the
title of the Briunfield homestead be di-
vested from said Wolf and vested in her.
The plaintiff charges in her petition that
tne property was tne nome oi ueiben uuu
former husband long before his
DKSEirriOS AND SUBSEQUENT XrURDER
In Washington Territory. That on or
about the first day of August last, when
Brumfield was making secret prepara
tions to leave her and decamp with his
daughter-in-law, he obtained by fraud
n. ml fiilsn Drntenses. her signature to a
deed conveying this property to the de
fondant. Samuel Lewis Wolf. But the
plaintiff further avers that no considera
tion was paid or ever has been paid by
tho defendant for this property. That
the deed to him was fraudulent, and
made with the understanding that
he was to reconvev the prop
erty to Jrumneid m peroi uuu
l-v IT .- .1
thus defraud Her ot ner ngnts.
That ho was only holding the property
in trust ior xrumncMi a auuuuii mu
oniy preveuicu mm iium
property back to Brumfield. The home
stead is valued at $b000, and lies east of
Kansas City on the Blue river. Iho
suit will come up at the next term of
the Circuit Court. The remarkable
story of the infatuation wiiich Samuel
Brumfield, a rich farmer, conceived for
the bride which his son brought home
one day; the manner in which he had
FALSE WAP.1IAXTS SWORN OUT
And ostracised his son from fear of the
law; thou quietly disposed of his prop
erty and eloped with his daughter-in-
law, is familiar to all the readers of the
Journal. He was joined by his friends,
Bud Thomas aud his wife, and subse
quently the bodies of Brumfield and his
mistress were found m Washington ler-
litorv, and Bud Thomas and his wife
came back here, and were soon after ar
rested for the murder. The story is one
of the most remarkable in the annals of
crime." Thomas and his wife ptill lan
guish in jail at Walla Walla, awaiting
the tardy arrival of the day which will
send them to the gallows for an awful
crime, or give them back their long with
hold liberty.
The modest girl is not fast. It is not
with the Maud .S. horse.
SHORT BITS.
M. Gambetta has an abnormal
vplonment of the forehead over
de
file eyes.
Everybody had a chance to see me.
The conclave was a great success.
N.T.G.
Mr. Bon hit's celebrated watch and
horse Barus can still outfoot anything
in the world.
Rye whiskey is said be to the favorite
drink at Saratoga Saratoga is a great
fire-watering-place.
The sultan has so much fear of assassi
nation that ho has the locks ot his doors
chauged omv a week.
Sitting Bull who is in a starving condi
tion, wants Dr. Tanner tocome west and
teach him how to fast.
The bogus Mr. Bender, recently
cap-
tured in Kansas, is believed to
be a
dime-novel-writer iu disguise.
Summer days are swlflly waning.
Autumn duts are on the leaves;
Never :aokle a green melon
Rupert'. srntherlng golden sheaves.
An article in a Sau Francico paper,
describing M. Louis, says: ;,The city is
well laid out." it is indeed by the late
census.
Prof. Mommsen has recovered his
equanimity, and is going soon to Italy
to renew hia copies of ancient Borne in
scriptions. Ex-Go v. Bice, of Massachusetts, has
ar-cepted the honorary chancellorship of
Tuion college, and w'itl deliver the next
commencement oration.
A Boston paper says that the "Bev
Murray is wildly anxioiw to pay his
debts.'' He in wildly prevented by the
want of money, probably.
Jenn Lind, who left the stage in
1860, is still hale aud hearty. As Mme.
Otto Goldsmith she is a worthy-looking
and somewhat stout lady, with white
hair. She will be 59 years old in Oc
tober. Cam He irlammarion, the astronom er,
has been making a balloon journey with
his wife. They started from Paris,
travelled all night, and came down near
llheims.
Thos. 11. Gould, the American sculptor
living at Florence, has exhibited in Paris
his bronze statue of Kamehameha, the
first king ofthti Sandwich Islauds. It is
described a3 a work of much merit
which will liferally astonish the natives
of Honolulu.
Lawrence Barrett is trying to organize
an actors' fund. Something of the kind
is much needed. The ties of every rail
road in the country are being worn out
by "busted" theatrical companies.
It was a Windham wife, who, when her
husband was brought home intoxicated,
thanked God ho was not a blood rela
tion. It may seem paradoxical, but it is
nevertheless true, that a man cannot
smoke a cigar too short unless he smokes
it too long.
A contemporary tells how to utilize
old fruit cans. Give a boy a string and
a strange dog and he needs no further
instructions.
A man out "West was offered a plate of
macaroni soup, but declined it, declaring
that they 4conldn t play offanybiled
pipe-stems on him."
A young man on Main street says he is
going to attempt the feat of going forty
days without working. He says if his
employers do not watch him he think he
can accomplish the task. fBockland
Courier,
The Pope's new journal and organ,
the Aurora, started at Rome Jan 1,
187U, has reached a circulation of o,CQ0,
and ;s now considered firmly estab
lished. I r h contributed to by personage
in the Vat ican.
French beans to be productive require
a oed oi iainy ricn soil, aDoivc eigne
inches deep. In planting put the seeds
sjx inches apart, and as soon as they are
two or three inches high take out every
other plant.
A circus manager wanted a new name
for his show, and a sophomore collegian
suggested "monohippic aggregation" as
good, and the circus man had got three
towns billed before he was informed that
'monohippic" meant 'one-horse."
The best means of ridding houses of
cockroaches, says the Scientific Ameri-
can, are equal parts ot powdered oorax,
Persian insect powder, and powdered
colocynth, well mixed together, and
thrown about such spots as are infested
with them. This powder has been found
an infallible remedy.
Humok. All humor, in fact (in the
nnSf . Wfi ftrA nw .nnsirWitirr
u) mainly jepends upon a persistent
tendency in the human race toward emp-
tiness, purblindness and silliness qual-
lties not xiecuiiar to any special class or
persons, nut common, at certain times
and in certain relations, to all. The
humor consists in subjecting the fanta
sies and figments of our vanity and dull1
ness to the sane light of simple good
sense ; and the quality of the humor is
determined by the manner in which this
is done. In Irving's case it is a gentle
and amiable xn'ocess ; we hear a subdued
chuckle, and the swollen balloon ot our
self-importance imperceptibly collapses.
Swift, on the other hand, employed a far
more stringent and violent methou,
which it has become the custom to dis
tinguish under the name of "satire ;" it
is humor in a bad humor, but the essen
tial principle is the same. Between these
two extreme exponents the whole world
ol humorous treatment lies. Mosthum-
or lias the same yuuuim wujvol m
abatement of folly ; and it is here that
the main difference is to be found be
tween humor and wit, the latter having
no constant object in view, but only tho
anomalous one of epigramraatically ex
posing real or fancied incongruities.
This distinction does not, of course,
stand in the way of humor's being witty
upon occasion.