Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. 1

Among the Humorists and After Dinner Speakers, Vol. 1 - A New Collection of Humorous Stories and Anecdotes

THE collection of these humorous paragraphs has extended over a number of years. Even a small beginning became a source of such entertainment that the collection grew and grew, always without any thought of publication. The man who can not laugh has yet to be found. Therein lies that immediate appeal to a common ground which the sense of humor gives, and it has been a conspicuous characteristic of those who look to the public for appreciation and support. Lord Palmerston and Abraham Lincoln were two notable examples of men for whom sympathy quickened through their ready wit, and no political speaker drives home his arguments half so well as he who can introduce a witty illustration. The joke has ever been a potent factor in combating oppression and corruption, in ridiculing shams. It has embalmed some reputations, and has blasted others. It is the champion of the weak against the strong, and has often illuminated for us, as in a flash, a glimpse of character or custom that would otherwise have been lost to the world. There is only one similar collection of which I am aware, the Jest Book by Mark Lemon, who was for twenty-nine years the editor of Punch. Alas that there should be fashions in jokes as well as in hats, for much of his book that we know must have been humorous reading to his contemporaries, leaves us, of the present generation in America, indifferent. ......Buy Now (To Read More)

Product details

Ebook Number: 41249
Author: Patten, William
Release Date: Oct 31, 2012
Format: eBook
Language: English

Contributors

Editor: Patten, William, 1868-1936