I don’t know about that, but if God made the monkey for a joke it was certainly a success.  If God had made the monkey for no other purpose than to create laughter it wouldn’t have been a mistake.  The lachrymal glands were placed in us for sorrow to play upon; we are commanded to “weep with those who weep.”  In antithesis to this the risable nerves were placed in us for mirthful music, and I pity the one who has broken the keys and cannot laugh.

I believe we owe the Irishman a vote of thanks for the ringing laughs he has sent around the world.  An Irishman said to a rich English land-owner: 

“Me Lord, I think the world is very unaqually divided; it should be portioned out and each one given an aqual share with ivery other one?”

The Englishman replied:  “Well, Pat, if we were to divide today, in ten years I would have ten thousand pounds and you wouldn’t have a shilling.”

“Then we would divide again,” said the Irishman.

On an electric car going out of New York City, a man, who occupied a seat next to the aisle, had a pet monkey in a cage on the seat with him, next to the window.  An Irishman boarded the car and seeing all the seats taken he remained standing, holding on to a strap, when suddenly he spied the monkey in the cage.  He immediately addressed the man who had the monkey: 

“Sir, is that gintleman in the cage paying his fare?  If not, I’d like to have the sate.”

The owner of the monkey lifted the cage to his lap and moved over, giving the Irishman a seat.

“What’s the nationality of that gintleman, anyway?” asked Pat.

By this time the other man was very much out of humor and said:  “He’s half ape and half Irish.”

“Faith, then he’s related to both of us,” replied the witty son of Erin, and there were two monkeys on that car.

I’ll admit this trait of humor comes in sometimes when it is quite embarrassing, as it was to Sam Jones upon one occasion, when in the midst of a sermon before a large audience, he said: 

“All you who want to go to heaven, stand up; I’d like to take a look at you.”

The audience arose in great numbers.  When seated again Mr. Jones said:  “Now all you who want to go to the devil, stand and let’s have a look at you.”

All was silent for a moment and then a tall, lank, lean fellow from the backwoods arose and said:  “Well, parson, I don’t care anything special about seeing the old chap, but I never desert a friend in trouble, specially a minister, so I guess I’ll have to stand with you.”

Dr. Frank Gunsaulus told me of a time when he had to laugh under embarrassing circumstances.  He was called upon to preach the funeral of a man who had died from the effects of drink.  His friends had made a box for the corpse and had placed in the top a ten by twelve window glass to go over the face, but when the time came to put the top on the box, being double-sighted from drink, they reversed the top and had the glass at the foot of the coffin instead of the head.