American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-05-29
Two Faces Under One Hood.

ONE of the commonest forms of the
two faces is that of personal fattery and
behindbacks evil-speaking. Most of us
have known this kind of thing only too
well and WINGED under it. Our (appar-
ently) devoted friend and unconditional
admirer comes about US with the sweet
est phrases, offering us the delicious
honey of praise exaggerated even 10 fiat
terry, of love that broadens out to adora-
ton. If we are very straightforward
for our own parts, or inexperienced and
therefore gullible and unsophisticated,
we accept what we hear as the real ex-
preston of the speakers feelings. We
gently put the flattery aside as more
than we deserve, but we do not think it
is other than what is thought. We do
not see the outline of that second I'M
catch the double tip of the glozing
tongue. We think our friend over
enthusiastic, perhaps absurdly partial,
but we think her honest; and, thinking
this, smile back our frank disclaimers,
assuring her that we are not the paragon
she asserts us to be, and that we really
have our faults like meaner creatures
and fall SO many inches short of the
standard of personal perfection. We
might have saved ourselves the trouble
could we have heard her ten minutes
friend. Ii to ourselves personally we
were not allowed fault, to our common
friend, behind backs, we are not credited
with virtue. To us there was but one
side and that was smooth as velvet; of
us there is but one also, but that
is rough as sail-cloth. What were
unspeakable graces flourished before
our faces are ugly, hateful blem-
ishes cast cOntemptuously to the dogs
| hah.
pered with the one tongue? We are
weak, silly, phlegmatic, insincere with
the other. Do we charm with our talk,
strengthen with our counsel, enlighten
by our wisdom, improve by our knowl-
edge with the foremost face? That in
shadow ridicules our pretensions or de-
rides our understanding, says we are
pedantic and prosy, shallow and self
sufficient, and of all tiresome compan-
ions and insufferable bores we are the
most tlresome and the most insufferable.
Do we turn out good woodwork unsur-
passed for excellence IN art, eloquence
in literature, for creative genus in poet
ry-by the one tongue? The other says
that last picture of ours was daub that
last novel failure, that last poem dog
gerel and unreliable. The face in shad-
ow seems almost as if to wish to revenge
itself on the excuses to which it's COM
panion in the foreground has gone; and
we may be sure that Just as far as flat
terry has reached in one direction so will
censure extend and in proportion to the
sweetness of the honey will be the bit
terness of the gall. This is one form of
the two faces under one hood which GER
tain people permit themselves to wear,
and by no means< an uncommon form.
Indeed, we may take it for granted as
general rule, having exceptions certainly,
but rare ones, that when friends take to
flattery they mean treachery, and that
tongue smeared with honey includes al
most as matter of necessity its compile
ment stepped in gall.
One face under the SOFT sympathetic
hood of professed affection invites con-
tidence the other face, looking over the
shoulder, betrays it. This again is by
no means a rare impersonatIon of the
two faces which so many carry about
with them. 1t is SO delightful to have
the secrets of a life poured out into your
lap like rare coins dug from the depths
and shown only to the experts And it
is just as delightful to lift up the corner
OF your apron and show the passing null
titude what treasures have been given
you and what confidence reposed in you.
1t raises you in your own esteem to think
that your friends and playmates have
not got what you possess, and that you
can give them what else they would
never have. AS for the poor bourgeois
virtue of keeping faith and not showing
your rare coins when you were told to