Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-01-24
TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD,
AN ALLEGORY OF THE DAY.

| TRUTH AND FALSEHOOD.
| AN ALLEGORY OF THE DAY.
Truth and Falsehood were born at the same
| time, though not at the Same BIRTH The pre-
else year is not known, though it is believed to
have been some time in the reign of King Jupi-
| ter, the first of the name. Though entirely of
opposite habits. tempers, and physical qualities.
they associated much together, and it was seldom
| they were seen out of sight of each other.--
| Falsehood was a light fantastic being, with a
great pair of wings, and could fly like bird; but
! Truth was heavy, slow motioned dame, lame
OF one-leg and lived at the bottom of an old
| dry well, whence she sometimes emerged to
correct the tales of Falsehood. But she was
always so long about it that the business was
generally done before she made her appear
| ance.
Truth at length became tired of her we'll, and
| one day proposed to Falsehood to make the tour
| of the world together. Falsehood was delighted
with the ldea for the fact is he began to be pref
| ty notorious at home, and none but children or
| very ignorant people would believe him even
when he spoke the truth. ACCORDINGLY they
| sailed forth one fine Spring morning, but soon
found it impossible to- keep together. Trutl,
| mped along at a snails pace, while her COM
panion ever and anon spread his wings and was
out of sight III a moment. She, however, mana
| ged to follow on at a distance and always over
| take him, as he was rather short winded and Of
| ten stopped to rest himself. On these occasions
she generally found that he had set all the old
women in commotion by telling them horrible
stories OF witchcraft, murders, earthquakes tor
nadocs, and all sorts of calamities. Truth set
about correcting these but long before this could
| DO done her comrade was off again propaeatinr
his wonders She was almost tagged to deathin
endeavorlng to overtake him, and every day
found herself further behind than she was the
day before.
But what mortified her most was the obstinacy
and ingratitude of the people, who, when she
| had corrected the tales of Falsehood, would
either not believe, or did not thank her for her
pains. She often found that mankind delighted
IN being deceived, and was one day scolded al
most to death by an old lady for proving to her
that story of Spiritual Knockines, which had
kept her awake for fortnight and almost turned
her brain, was only an invention of her mischey-
Gus companion. n
On another occasion, Falsehood had coniured
up story for the exclusive benefit of trading
politician, class of men with whom he delighted
to associate beyond all others, with the exception
OF professors of Mesmerism and Spiritual Knock
lngs. 1t seems it was Just on the eve Of an
election, and the trading politician was desper-
ate candidate for the post of assistant alderman.
Ills whole soul was absorbed by noble con-
stituency, administering to the welfare of his
fellow citizens, and at the same time filling his
own pockets, which he called killing two birds
with one stone. People ignorant Of the most
common things may wonder how this can be-
done; but they have only to investigate the pro
ceedlngs OF city common councils generally 10
be fully enlightened on the subject. Be it as it
may, Fasehood, in order to serve his friend, seri-
ously assured the good people that if they chose
his friend Tor assistant alderman he would en-
rich every mothers son of them, by carrying
through certain great improvements in the city
that would cost little Or nothing, and be worth
millions. Things going on prosperously,
and bets OF five to one were offered in favor Of
the candidate, when, unluckily for him, Truth
came hobbling up almost out of breath, and by
plain statement proved that these improvements
were lmpracticable, and if practicable would not
be worth one half the money they cost. What
was still more provoking, she proved that the
money would all come out of their own pockets
The assistant alderman in prospective suffered 1.
waterloo defeat" as the newspapers say wher,
hard pushed for metaphor But he had his
revenge, for by his influence with the Police JUS
tice he got her lodged in the Penitentiary for a
vagrant, where she might have remained, no
BODY knows how long, had not the inmates
turned her out neck and heels, as unworthy of
their society.
On another occasion Truth came to pleasant
rural village, which she found in state of most
agreeable excitement in consequence of story
circulated by Falsehood, of horrible murder,
accompanied by circumstances of most revolving
atrocity. Nobody worked that day; every
soul was gathered round the village hotel, anu
the landlord, who was not only Temperance
man and Deacon of the church, but Select
man and justice of the peace, was a coming
sixpences at a prodigious rate for the benefit Of
their health After great pains and perseverance
in setting them right by assuring them she had
met the murdered man, his wife, and children
alive and well, two days after the crime was
SAID to have been committed, she was Just about
being mobbed, when the whole murdered family
appeared, and she was thus rescued by almost
miracle. The Deacon, however, charged an
enormous bill for having occupied his piazza soma
halt hour In making speech and then turned
her out of doors.
The poor lady began to be quite discouraged.
and at one time thought of returning to the old
we'll again, but at length determined to make
one more effort IN her vocation. Passing a
handsome house by the roadside she heard
weeping and wailing within, and being of u
compassionate disposition, though she always
spoke what she thought, which often gave pain
10 others, she Knocked at the door and entered.
Here she beheld aged, gray-headed man.
VINO seemed suffering under the extremity Of
sorrow On lnquring, she found that her old
comrade had as usual been beforehand with her,
and pursuaded tho good man that the world was
certainly coming to an end in exactly one week
from that time. He quoted Scripture to proye
IT, ana the good old patriarch believed it most
aevoutiy. Truth set about curing him of this
deiasion. She showed that the Scriptures said
nothing definite on the subject, and that he might
as well presume to pedct the hour of his own
death as to prescribe the duration of any other
work OF the Creator. Tho old man was at length
convinced that his fears were unfoundsd, but
instead Of thanking her, fell into great pas
SION: why did you not tell me this be-
lore Z" cried he. shaking his stick at her
ITS line time to come limping along a day
after the fair. 1t is only yesterday that. in
olusr 70 make my peace with heaven aud pre-