not only relieves pain, but increases the momentum of life in the body."

Dr. Ray, superintendent of Butler Hospital for the Insane, says in one
of his reports, "A hearty laugh is more desirable for mental health than
any exercise of the reasoning faculties."

Grief, anxiety, and fear are great enemies of human life. A depressed,
sour, melancholy soul, a life which has ceased to believe in its own
sacredness, its own power, its own mission, a life which sinks into
querulous egotism or vegetating aimlessness, has become crippled and
useless. We should fight against every influence which tends to depress
the mind, as we would against a temptation to crime. It is undoubtedly
true that, as a rule, the mind has power to lengthen the period of
youthful and mature strength and beauty, preserving and renewing
physical life by a stalwart mental health.

I read the other day of a man in a neighboring city who was given up to
die; his relatives were sent for, and they watched at his bedside. But
an old acquaintance, who called to see him, assured him smilingly that
he was all right and would soon be well. He talked in such a strain that
the sick man was forced to laugh; and the effort so roused his system
that he rallied, and he was soon well again.

Was it not Shakespere who said that a light heart lives long?

The San Francisco "Argonaut" says that a woman in Milpites, a victim of
almost crushing sorrow, despondency, indigestion, insomnia, and kindred
ills, determined to throw off the gloom which was making life so heavy a
burden to her, and established a rule that she would laugh at least
three times a day, whether occasion was presented or not; so she trained