ve its laughing time, or its many laughing times. It
is barely possible, of course, that laughing, like any other
emotional expression, would become tiresome if overdone, but I am
inclined to doubt the possibility of harmful effect under any
circumstances. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy," and the
relaxation and recuperation that go with laughing should be sought
with a certain amount of regularity. If you cannot find recreation
of this kind through any other source, then attend a "funny show." Go to
a theatre where merriment is supreme. On such occasions at least I
would avoid tragedies or dramas that are inclined too much toward the
sorrowful side of life. Personally, I have never had much use for plays
of this sort. There are slough serious experiences in life without
searching for recreation in the sorrows of others, which are, after
all, only the expression of the imagination of some brooding dramatist.
Some abnormal characters find pleasure in misery. I have heard some
women say that "they enjoyed a good cry so much," and that "crying
dramas were just grand." But I have been unable to discover anything
rational in such sentiments.

I may say, however, that in a sense there is a certain basis for this
sentiment under certain circumstances. For crying, like laughter, has
the physiological effect of producing a relaxation of tense nerves.
There is a fundamental basis for crying, but this applies only to
exceptional instances in which there is too much nervous tension. When
nerves are strained to the "breaking point," crying will bring about
a state of relaxation, and one will feel better. If there are times of
strain when laughter is utterly impossible, then crying might even be
beneficial. The effect on the breathing is very much the same in both
cases, and there is a curious similarity in the action of the
diaphragm and the mechanical character of the expulsion of the breath.
Looking tat a person from behind, one cannot tell whether he is laughing
or crying. Both produce relaxation of the nerves, both increase the
activity of the lungs, and both involve a form of gymnastics for the
diaphragm and entire breathing apparatus.

But, while crying offers relief from extreme tension or grief, it does
not justify crying for the so-called pleasure derived from it.
Laughter is a pleasure, in itself, as well as a symptom of merriment. It
is the expression of keen, bounding