Puritanism — The Haunting Fear That Someone, Somewhere, May Be Happy

H. L. Mencken? George Jean Nathan? Nellie McClung? Beverly Gray? John Cleese? Anonymous? Dear Quote Investigator: Here are four versions of a mordant definition of puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy. The lurking fear that someone somewhere is happy. The gnawing worry that someone somewhere might be happy. The haunting fear …