Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 January 1918 — Can't Beat the Kiddies. [ARTICLE]

Can't Beat the Kiddies.

Children are the original keepers of the shrine of humor, says a writer in the Washington Star. I have an intellectual friend, who has analyzed h-u-m-o-r from h to r, and knows more about it than real philosophers. He says humor is based on cruelty, or incongruous happenings and a lack of reason. The reason children are always saying funny things is because they are often cruel and do not reason, he says. I don’t believe all humor is summed up so, but certainly the following scrap of conversation overheard the other day would tend to bear out his statements : Two small girls were “playing house” in an apartment house hall. “Good morning, Mrs. Jones. I just came over to see you/’ said Mrs. Smith (seven years old). “Oh, I’m so gtad to see you/’ replied Mrs. Jones (eight years old). “How are you?” “Oh, Mrs. Jones, I’m in such trouble,” sighed Mrs. Smith. “Mr. Smith just died.” “That’s too bad.” commiserated Mrs. Jones. “Poor Mrs. Smith!” “But the funeral isn’t until three o’clock,” said poor Mrs. Smith, “so we’ve plenty of time to go to the movie show.”