Gough told this
story in his inimitable style, a man came to the platform and explained
to him that he had a friend who seemed to lack a sense of humor and
wondered if he might not prevail upon Mr. Gough to tell him this
particular story in the hope that it would cause him to laugh. In a
spirit of adventure Mr. Gough consented, and at the time appointed told
the story to the old gentleman in his own best style. The old gentleman
seemed to be deeply interested, but at the conclusion of the story,
instead of laughing heartily as his friend had hoped, he solemnly asked,
"What did he tell him to holler fur?"
=The man who lacks a sense of humor.=--There was no answer to this
question, or, rather, he himself was the answer. Such a man is obviously
outside the pale, without hope of redemption. If such a story, told by
such a _raconteur_, could not touch him, he is hopeless. In his
spiritual landscape there are no undulations, but it reveals itself as a
monotonous dead-level without stream or verdure. He eats, and sleeps,
and walks about, but he walks in a spiritual daze. To him life must seem
a somber, drab affair. If he were a teacher in a traditional school, he
would chill and depress, but he might be tolerated because a sense of
humor is not one of the qualifications of the teacher. But, in the
vitalized school, he would be intolerable. If children should go to such
a teacher for spiritual refreshment, they would return thirsty.
Pages:
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203