From New York Times (Oct 1, 1899)
At last we are beginning to find a really good reason for women lacking a sense of humor — they are too good for it. Mary Wilkins gives the reason indirectly in a short story, “Susan,” which has recently appeared. Susan was a good and noble woman, and one of her peculiarities, when one came to analyze her, was that she never laughed, though she had a wonderful smile. She was one of those rarely sympathetic, clear-sighted, well-balanced people who keep themselves and, to a great extent, the world around them straight. She never laughed, because, as Miss Wilkins says: “People, in order to laugh at anything, in the face of the misery upon this earth, have to have a streak of bitterness and rebellion in them.” That's it, there is more or less cruelty in so-called humor, and women are too tender hearted and sympathetic for it.
