Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1881-10-19
Spscs. l ". I'm. N. 6 "a. yr.
Telling the Truth,

act truth throughou. that Iime without getting
yourself into troubIs," said geutcmsu to me
few days since. didn't flush. though felt
like SO oeing. A provoking grin cv,rspread
his unteuance as be saiG, II repeat il; should
you follow such cou,so you would be ft sub.
jsct for the luuasio asylum betors light" and
then ne oool:y explained: First he molli6ed m7
troubled slitlt BY eayipg that he regarded mo
as the emblem of veracity snd wher l murnur-
cd You a1ter me-" reiterated his belief. But
the idea he wished to convey Was that 10 per-
500 could openly express the dc at,ns Of their
conscience without D.oViog themtelvcs ia O
sorspe before long. H, had never tliod ths
experiment tias,lf tu. he wau!d be p!os S. d 10
have ne do 50. Ga, w,ud be ? Iadeed I?
Well, dec :oed. But the iroo Of iosioustion
had entered my soul apd secretly resolved Last
week to attemo. it for my own edi6catiou. L;
may Interest readers to ktoV Whist were tie
results. The momeD'ols day for the ,cs. dawa.
I'D brightly ani all won't smooth ioG an horr
stter rlseg. Dicce had 20 one to talk to. tu,
IS | went dowo TO the Breakfast ttbIo | e g'rded
nyself Hih tho invisible bu. efo,tivs armor oil
oau.lo0. Was very retioa6s 90 I'll sut tj,ots; 81
II.
Was | we'll ? Yes. Was anything the matter
No. Had reason for keepiug qui,t? Yes.
Wbst was it? None OF their BUSINESS. Could
they help me? Yes. by keeping 81 il. Aud
So lfisrlsttd | guIDed ry olT.e ln sol. In
sllencs. But didn't lie throughout that meal.
Fearing the cors qlences OF rsmsioicg a!
home, started for a stroll, but after o short
walk saw approaching me the very person
whom | would then wish 10 avoid fer t.W
hours. Miss Lively. Womanl like, shn is both
garrnlous end tond of compliments. koowiDg
her feminine tair 6 10 this rctpcct an always
ls7lsh 10 my enoCmums on her appearance,
manners, speech. etc., dropping maoy little
white lie during short conversation With her.
Nov was the test. With nero s,luta.
tion attempted to pass. but she was not in
hurry, and brought me to stands i'll with the
command and query. Stop Aren't you glad
TO sac me ?" For moment in a rush of
thought, forgetting sll else but my aVowed ad-
herenoe to the truth, s!ammcred, I'm net
glad you met me Just a. this time" and then
with basy Excuse me- hurried off, lesv
lng her to go straight to my home and q Iaston
1s to my sanity"
little farther on l met Bob. 10 noticed
my flushed arpasrau sod inquired as to its
cause, 'Oh, I'm bored to desth," said: "aud
would you believe it Bob, ny boaom friend.
went off 10 huff" l now began to mediate.
but while | wss musng the Gre burned Ouy
about ons-halt the time allotted for the exper-
meut bad expired. aud l had es yet copfoed
my assertions to the striotes. truth. But whi.
tber ocud 20 to avoid oamiog io contact with
curious and questioning mankind? | had il:
would seek the seclusion which the woodland
grants. | would spend the rensioiug hou,s
tnro | nniI ok nil
lion. No sooner had | eutered tie uaiet
forest. however, than, asthoug b the fa:es wer Q
against me, | met two more lady friends who
were gathering moses. | Immediately felt
pEosontment that failure was at hand. could
not avoid conversation but trusted to the utility
of Donosyballo aosRers to carry me safely be.
yond the breakers into which | had unWitling.
ly drifted.
To shrink or evade q question | c)uld not
c,uscionliously deem to be fair, and 50 when,
sfter few common place remarks, one of the
ladies ssksd why we're you not at Mrs. F's
reception las! nighl?" | quietly replied: Il
didu't wish to go" Why not? and mauy
other questions followed 10 constquepos of
fearless answers, and id less than len minutes
| had delivered sn opinion anything bus com
planetary to Mrs. F., her husband ard many
Of their guests. Ut course all this was careful
ly noted 10 tho minds Of tbe fsir ones to whom
was talking, and OF course Mrs. F. knew of
it a few hours later, as did also all the other
p,rties concerned and may add that tho vati-
alton made 10 my original story by their in-
formaut did not tend to pscf0 them. The plot
began to deepen aud l ioutd myself the un-
fortunate victim of the wrath of score of per.
sons; threatened tbrssbings are impending asd
truly there is enough gall in mp ink for
ouoe. / have lost friends aud gained enemies
sm martyr 10 the ciu,e of uu ard jus.ics; l
believe thss tho emulation cf Washlngtoo's 3
vertcty should not extend bsyond squestion of
cuttiog cherry trees; | have been forced to the
corc usoo that if the way of the transRresaor is
hard, the path of the msu who would be truth
fol ucdsr all circumstances is even moro rugged
and dlsocursging.