The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-10-09
LYING.
The Social Lie and its Disastrous Com
sequences.

LYING
The Social Lie and its Disastrous Con
sequences.
Although the commandment agains
living is found almost at the close of tht
decalogue, incline to place it, in tn.
education of children, at the head O
the list, for lying seems to be with mos
children the first Intentional offence
1t is sometimes inherited, but oftenel
taught by imitation. Children heal
their nursery maids tell downright false
hoods to shield themselves from blame
for various trifing faults or omissions
of duty; and they are, indeed, fortu
nate in their parents if they do not also
find them guilty of prevarication and
intent to deceive. In hundred differ
ent ways mothers deceive their little
children, not thinking for a moment
that they are teaching them lesson in
falsehood which may bear fruit to their
latest hour, and educating the children
to doubt the one in whom, of all per-
sons, they should put implicit conf
dence.
Riding in the cars few weeks since
heard mother say to an uproarious
child:
"Jamie, be still If you don't stop
screaming I'll throw you out of the car
window, certain sure Hush, now, or
you'll see what I'll do !"
The child, boy about two years old,
looked his astonishment at the threat,
but his cries were not much lessened.
Then the mother took him up in her
arms as though she would throw him
out, when he screamed in frantic terror
and clung to her neck with such ap-
palling fear that she was forced to hush
him with kissee, caresses and candy.
After a while he fell asleep, worn out
with his tumultuous passion. Poor lit
tie child
A little girl of four or five, who had
watched the whole scene silently but
with the deepest interest, and who,
when her mother motioned to throw her
little brother from the window, had
caught her arm in terror, now said:
Mamma, would you have thrown
Jamie out ?"
"No, indeed. child" replied the
mother; "I only wished to frighten
him."
Brighten him. forsooth! She sue
ceeded in it far better than she expected,
and at the same time taught her little
girl lesson in falsehood, and also in
contempt for her mother, for the ex-
preston of that child's mouth betoken-
ed the feelings of her heart. How l |
longed to cry out to her, in Othello's |
words
'You told lie; an odious, damned lie;
Upon my soul lie wicked le!"
Of course she would have thought me
an escaped lunatic, so I forbore, but I |
could not help my lips wreathing in
scorn at the woman's perfdy, and did |
her children in that style she was surely |
sowing /" the whirlwind%O reap destruc-
5ion."
Lying in a besetting vice of weak
characters, and therefore the love of
ruth and the hatred of falsehood need
20 be most assiduously cultivated in
children at the youngest period of con-
3ciousness of evil. Truth-telling and
are the fundamental basis
If whatever is excellent and desirable
n character, and if man or woman
acks this essential element, all their
,ther virtues suffer and ere of little
,alue. If a person is truthful we can
orgive many little faults, because this
alt of character may possibly redeem
ther failings; besides, person who
owes truth will never rest satisfied IN
il he has improved his moral strength
nd raised it nearer to the standard of
ectitude. Tact, management and pol
cy are all essential elements in social
nd domestic life, but they are not in
onsistent with perfect truthfulness.
Daily we come into contact with pe'-
ons who require to be properly man
ged to bring out the agreeable traits of
heir character and repress those which
re annoying and disagreeable, but it
oes not necessitate falsehood to accom-
lish this. Many persons have fac
lty of telling you disagreeable truths
D pleasant manner; or administering
utidotes to vice of which the recipients
re barely conscious of hintirg at
acts which will not bear a frank
isclosure. And all candid persons
lust admit they are not always iusti-
ed in telling the whole truth. Indeed,
,ere we to do so, we should doubtless
e called insane. For there are very
lany things that should not be spoken,
ct we are never guiltless, if we utter !
alsehoods, and it is our duty to strive
y example and precept not to lead ten
er feet astray from the paths of truth. :
The child who imbibes with his first
utriment a reverence and love for it |.
i'll become a man of honor. Holy
-rit assures us that it were better for
S to have a milestone about our necks
nd be drowned in the sea than to of
md one of these little ones. And when
mother utters a deliberate falsehood g
} her children it seems to me that she
as committed an objectionable sin and J
ill surely suffer for it. The lack of
nth brings dishonesty, and dishonesty
the crying sin of our nation. Oh, !
lothers, be warned in season and take
ounsel with your own wisdom, and make
compact with yourselves that from
lis time forth you will never deceive
Mid. The battle of Christianity is to
g fought in the family rather than in
le church. See to it that you are not {
eserters from the ranks