The Man who Wanted to Laugh

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 48, 8 October 1892, Page 4

The Man who Wanted to Laugh

• ~- An American theatre manager tells an amusing stoTy of an incident that came under his notice while his company was playing at a Western theatre. He was looking at the performance when he observed a man of rubicund visage who seemed to bo making desperate efforts to ward off afitot apoplexy. When anything funny occurred on the stage — something funny was occurring all the time very nearly— this individual's cheeks would puff out and the veins of his forehead swell forth in the most alarming way. He was accompanied by a sour-faced female, evidently his wife, who from time to time cast glances of the severest displeasure at her husband. At the end of the second act the man arose from his seat and walking out on the street, where he wave vent to a wild burst of laughter. " Say, old man, what's the matter with you, anyway ?" asked Mr Davis, who was standing at the door watching him in amazement. • I guess you thing I'm crazy, 4pn't you ?" replied the eccentric one. " Well, it does look a little that way." " But I'm not, just the same. I had to come out and laugh or I'd ha'busted. You pee its this way. My old woman in there don't go much on shows, but I kinder talked her into comin' 10 the theatre to night, and told her it waz goin' to be one of them serus plays where vrimmen folks cries all tbe time. My wife's mother died a little while ago, and Becky expects me to be dreadful solemn about it, tho' between you and me I wish to eoodness my mother-in-law had died ten years ago, for, mister, she waz a holy terror. When Becky saw what a hail Columbia of a funny show it waz she ' lowed she waz goin' to stay and get the wuth of her money, but if sh3 saw me laffin' at anythin' she'd warm me when we got hum. So I dazzent laff inside, but I'm a-goin' to laff now, and don't you furgit it. Ha ! ha 1 ha I" and he plunged off into another outburst of uncontrollable mirth. When the curtain rose again the man went back to his seat, and the manager saw him repeating the seme painful endeavours to restrain his hilarity. In the third act one of the actors had to recite a number of beautiful poetic selections, among them being this lyric gem :— My poor dear mother-in-law is dead, For her nay heart doth yearn ; I know she is with the angels now, She was too tough to burn. When he feelingly delivered this touching little stanza the man to whom the manager had been talking could stand it no longer. The verse smote him in a tender spot, and he exploded in a wild screech of laughter that electrified the audience. The next thing the manager saw was the vinegary female yanking her spouse, who was still laughing uproariously, out of his seat; marching him toward the door with a firm grip on his collar and out on the street.