Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1876-12-15

BELLOWS FALLS, DEC. is, 1876.


the habit of deception is regarded, ac-
cording to the age and position of those
who practice it, Children, as soon as
they become capable of distinguishing
right and wrong, are taught to look up
on deceit as one of the worst sins that
can be committed. Boys at school are
not only taught the beauty of truth by
their masters, but, in a certain rough
fashion reverence it among themselves.
A boy, for instance, who parades osten-
tatiously to his master an assumed stead
mess of principle and submissiveness OF
demeanor, is soon branded with the obi
GUS title of sneak. On the other hand
occasions arise in school boy life when,
by sticking to a deliberate falsebood, a
boy may gain for himself the reputa-
ton of hero among his fellows. This,
however, is detail of the curious sys-
tenn of school-boy morality, the unwrit-
ten laws of which might afford an inter-
esting matter for study. Girls, it would
seem, are by nature more inclined to I'M
truthfulness than boys; but this inciina-
ton is really very often the result OF
moral cowardice, defect which 1t may
be said is as common to boys and men
as to girls and women. But in the one
case there are deterrent influences, alb
sent in the other, which often lead to
the attempt at overcoming, or at least
concealing this fault. A boy who has
invented story to save himself from a
scrape, and is found out, is generally
made to feel in some tangible way that
he has been guilty Of gross blunder,
if not of crime. He becomes con-
scious that his conduct has gained him
nothing but punishment and the scorn
of the community. With girls the mat
ter is somewhat different; some form OF
punishment may be inflicted, but the
sense of having done shameful thing
is less frequently and less strongly in
culcated. A girl who has been detected
in falsebood may be leased on the sub
ject by her companions, but she will not
be Stunned and despised. Thus she is
very likely to learn early in life the
great maxim that it is not crime but de-
lection that she ought to avoid. Among
certain class of grown-up women there
is little more disgrace attached to I'M
truthfulness than among girls; and this,
it must be said. is, to great extent, the
fault of men, who SO diligently assure
women that they are by nature untruth-
full, that it is small wonder if they end
by believing the assertion and acting
upon it. 1t also occurs that certain wo'
men who have cultivated a love foi
truth, become disgusted at the genera
weakness Of their sex in this respect
and fly in consequence to the opposite
extreme. They judge it necessary t.
employ some striking means for convinc
ing the world that they are not as othel
women are, and that Whatsoever the,
say is trustworthy, and they, therefore
affect an irritating sharpness of name
and an uncomfortable habit of saying
the most disagreeable things they can
In order TO avoid fattery, they over
whelm one with bitter criticism. Per
haps they are, however, more tolerable
inasmuch as they at least act from prin
ciple, than the women of the world VIII
are accomplished in the art of decor
ton, and employ all its resources t
wound any one against whom they hav
a grudge. Their words are to those {
the woman who faunts her truthfulnef
in ones face, as the bite of snake
the chance blow of the bludgeon. Boil
however, may be said to be results, in OF
posite directions. of the same system.
The most dangerous woman, probabl.
in the matter of untruth, is she VIII,
with frank manner, pleasant smil
and the honest appearance of lago, WI
look you full in the face and tell yo
what she knows to be deliberate Ii
And such people are more common tina
may be generally supposed, inasmuch
the fallacy that q person skilled in ii
art of deception cannot look others
the face is still very generally ente
tanned, although it has been often enoug
exposed. Among men the practice
falsehood is perhaps not more rare tina
among women but il is apt 70 take
less harmful form. There are many W
men who are known to devote themselv'
TO the propagation of untruths, or, whit
are more dangerous. half truths, an
who suffers very little in social estim
ton or position. But man, and the
are of course many such, who spends b
time in circulating malicious reports,
collecting the raw gossip of clubs, dec
ing it and adjoining it after his own fas
ion, and sending it out again in COZ
plete and finished form, is likely to G