American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-29

keep them secret, that is nowhere. One
face promised the most sacred guardian
ship; the other face laughed at the easy
vow and broke it almost as soon as made.
Both faces are under the same hood
and maybe the betrayed friend lives and
dies not suspecting the existence of that
second in the shadow. Perhaps he finds
1t only when too late, and after the Sc
crets he gave to be guarded as men guard
their gold have been squandered among
the crowd, desecraled by thousand rude
hands, detiled by thousand coarse
mouths.
One face goes into folks houses, ac-
cepts their hospitality, assumes to find it
pleasant, thanks the giver for the pleas
ure bestowed; the other face, outside the
door, makes grimaces, and the double
tongue rattles off a catalogue of short
comings while its fellow tip is still'quiv-
ering with praises. This is common Of
Tense, and a hateful one, not having an
excuse anywhere; seeing that no one is
obliged to 20 into other folks houses at
all, unless he or she wishes to do so; and
surely if he or she does go the most
elemental law of gratitude and good
breeding should restrain uniriendly criti-
cism. One face goes to church and
makes its prayers discreetly, the other
face, to its intimates, laughs at the whole
thing as humbug, and calls faith the fac
ulty of fools. Twin born with this is the
face that dresses itself in the fash
ion of the strictest morality, the
most absolute responsibility, then goes
into the city armed with sharp practice
that just keeps clear of the law, and that
defies the private censure of those who
know. We see this sometimes in places
of influence where it should not be. A
censor of public morals sets up his
of IN
pair of scales. He weighs this man, that
woman, and such and such companies in
his scales. If he can make them weigh
short he uses his scOurge without mercy !;
if very indignant, he unsheaths his sword
and makes an end of the concern alto
gether. But the other face? The other
face grins to it's familiars and the other
tongue says: =" / made so much and so
much by that" the other hand is held
out for a bI1be, and the most notorious
offender of the batch, if the richest, gets
off scotfree by means of the bridge of
gold judiciously built. This, too, is an
experience not quite unknown among the
sons of men and the guardians as well as
censors of the public morals!
In fact, we may say that under almost
every hood may be found two faces more
or less developed. Sometimes the one is
very snail and retiring and sometimes
it is full-f1eshed and prominent; some
times it comes but seldom out from the
dark shadow and sometimes it is as often
to the front as that which seems to be
the original. One face to the gullible
world and another to the inner self which
is not deceived; one tongue to you, the
dear friend and dupe; the other of you,
the castigated acquaintance and the VIC
tin-so the world goes round, and truth,
lying at the bottom of the well, is the
hardest thing to be found, though sought
for SO continually. Still, if we cannot
fish up that truth as a bodily presence
precious to US, We may refrain from car
rying those two faces of ours, those twins
unlike, beneath one hood, and we might
take care to keep our tongue single!-
The London Queen.