A Woman’s Laughter

Two women, the Martta (Martha) and Maria (Mary) of our day, are sitting in a crowded train among the throng of grim and gloomy passengers. ”Nobody laughs”. Martta and Maria strike up a conversation however, a conversation about men. Maria astonishes the realistic Martta by speaking of her husband in tender, not to say passionately tender, terms. Generally, women adopt quite the opposite tone in talking of their husbands. Martta gets carried away by the topic and soon the women’s conversation embraces the whole subject of the male sex, and in dealing with such a funny subject there is no lack of laughter. The ticket inspector becomes involved too and, although the forces of nature bring the train to a half and there is no sign of the Great Shunting Engine, the women still manage to laugh. Luckily, since ”if they stop one day, so perhaps will life itself”.