To my mind as the years go on, human nature is taking more and more interest in whatever pertains to the funny side of life.
The growth of vaudeville proves it.
At the same time I must say some people go to extremes, like a certain individual I happened to run across one night on the Bowery.
I chanced to be passing a tough joint near Grand Street when they were ejecting a foreigner who bore all the signs of extremely rough usage, nevertheless was laughing immoderately.
"What is the joke?" I asked, holding him up.
"Why," said he, "a man came up to me in the bar just now, gave me a fearful punch on the nose, and said, 'Take that, you blooming Norwegian,'" and he fell to laughing again as though his sides would split.
I was interested, and said: