Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-30

AND KxAoGERATISG coNvERsArIoNs-wHY THE
TRUTH SHOULD BE PoBTIzKD-ALwAYs LOOK ON
THE BRIGHT SIDE.
| copyrighted 1881
| "Rumor 10 q pipe
Blown by surmisea jealousies. conjscturss.
And of SO easy and 20 plain . stop
| That the blunt monster with uncountsd heads,
The still discordsnt waving multitude.
Can play upon it."
at is the town talk What a favorite express
zion for a thousand SANDERS, q thousand fabrica.
tons! 1t Is not a thousand years since that 1t
went all over q certain town that young man OF
fashion had stolen an emerald ring 1t was lost at
dinner; it turned up in his pocket (minus the
emerald); he then returned 1t to its owner. With
out stopping to question the extreme improb-
ability OF this story (for who but an idiot would
have sent back the skeleton rngD society accepted
II, and the young man was ruined. One old friend
said to him: "Oh! 1t was you then. you thief, who
stole my mothers opal!" The clubs discussed 1t,
women added on stories OF lost bracelets &C., and
the whole world called Monsieur Scelerat a thief,
victim to kleptomania. His father, his grand
father. and his mothers family, 1t was remem-
bered, had all been nght-nngered; he was accused
OF many other crimes, and Monsieur scelerat was
condemned TO the social galleys. Thep came the
lady TO dinner with the ring on her finger, the
emerald intact. She exploded the whole story.
She had moved 1t up and down on her finger; 1t
had rolled or as rings WILL for they are very play
,ui things and get going, unconsciously, fond OF
n1dlng under bookcases and sidebOardS; IL slipped
away; Monsieur Scelerat trod on 1t and lOosened
one OF the jewels; he took 1t to 1eweler, had the
owner.
RELENTLESS SOCIETY.
Now, did society apologize to Monsieur Scelerat?
Never! Did it say, we have injured you and we
are sorry? No! 1t turned a cold shoulder upon
him at the next Patrarch's II people whispered,
but Mrs. Gollghtly has the ring on her finger"
they said White cash" and remembered 1gnOmi.
NOUS stories OF mis- youth youth, no doubt, full
or follies. But have not some other youths COM
United indiscretions? Whose coat can be turned
the wrong Side out without betraying here and
there tattered lining? Why does society md
such pleasure in believing the worst? Start lie
on its travels. 1t goes like electricity nor does It
1 have to pay It's way. start the truth, and IL is
whips his wife and everybody believes 1t. Say
that he does not and how few believe 1t! Now, is
women, severe, unreasonable, hid behind the hand
lar more dangerous than an assault or q brutal
to Sae woman a
show their friendship; It Is combat q rOutrdnce.
we can night an open foe in an open country, but
deadly thing. Then why is 1t that people are so
much more prone to believe the evil side Of q
story than the good one?
AT A WATERING PLACE,
II woman tells a spicy anecdote at one end OF the
piazza, she will probably see it in a newspaper In
the evening, particularly II there is anything In 1t
which injurousiy affects some pretty young rich
woman.
ST Ihe ayinT rpmors gathered as they rolled.
scarce scar any tale was sooner heard than told.
Ano All VINO heard 1t made enlsrgements too.
III every ear II spread. ON every ton 1t grew"
The observer OF society and human nature must
recognize with sort OF wonder how some D ,ople
seem TO absorb into themselves all the gossip OF
society, Winkelreld took the hostile spears fntO
his honest breast, while Others. much more ouinv.
escape. so that even Islander Is baffed on It's own
gr se Iney never get II right, exactly. Now,
heroes whose birthplace Is nameess this would be
the most difficult place to find. Seven cities might
Son.ena i0r the honor and yet certain SANDERS
nave remote ana most unexpected birthplaces.
THE END OF WINTER
nnds people In gay society circles tired, angry,
disllus1oned. Things may not have gone alto
gether well with them. Here and there a charac-
ter has disappointed them, wOrldliness has become
painfully apparent sno6s have Increased and
pores are as common as mosquitoes on Long Island.
MIS- Plantaganers ball was dull; Mrs. Sunder-
lands supper was greasy; and Mrs. Montmoren-
hoirid Jenkinses has been disgusting Even the
most robust society lover In Is country has 10
swallow bitter pill. The success OF the vulgar
cement Is always vcry much like the mud which
threatens TO NIL up the Suez canal Both need con-
slant Dredging. But who is TO do the dredging!
Inc HOOD OF irresponsible wealth which flows in
threatens TO swamp the limpid flow OF a pure and
noble society. Our form or government Is very
much against IT, prominent writer has come
out IL National Review 10 say that In New York
Soclety Is no longer controlling and refining Ia
nuence. Scandal four1shes and regulations dIer
THESE ARE HARSH HUMAN OUTLINES,
and must be accepted. While there Is no noble
thing to do people will talk and listen to scandal
TO amuse themselves
In .'Signor Molandines Niece the Young Girl
asks the old worldly-wise baroness:
Madame, are there any honest or virtuOus peo.
wOrld?r ' "A''n 'ou Gall Tue
81 don't think OF any at this moment the
baroness replied dryly. There may be some who
DC nrra
Then. again, there is no doubt but that story
can be told, character described. an Incident re-
honestly told by the people, yet both stories will
De so totally unlike that the most impartial OF
judges would be puzzled TO ind out the true story
Then set OF optimlstS will see excellence good
ness, beauty, where the pesSimists will only see
vice, degradation, and misery. one hears the
night! To one the sun setting forms magic mic.
ture; to the other It Is but presage OF bad
weather tomorrow. Some people seem 10 look at
glass window, Claude Lorraine glass To Them
The springtide has always a flowery grace. The
eclipse. 1t is clouded, dreary, dull the desolais
ravlne, the stormy PATH the blighted heath: that
is all which they can find In that book which has
chapter for everybody.
THE BRIGHT SIDE.
Are, then, they the only fools, who see the
pleasant side? Are they alone the Missionaries who
perceive the BEST rather than the worst? In society
those people are laughed at and scorred who see
particularly bright light In eye considered
dull; who are impressed ravorab,y with the other
Wise unpopular Englishman, who has married q
noted belle; who are sure that Mrs. Carew did not
say the unpleasant things which attributed TO
ner, ana VINO do not believe the unha ndsOma
traditions respecting Mr.. Bamfyide Such per-
| son Is called "weak, FOOLISH easily banbOoZled
| and dreadfuily wanting in that wise skepticisin
which Is said TO be the handmade OF common
sense. Now suppose 1t were the reverse ana IL
were the fashion TO believe the best OF eyerybOy9
| 10 take everyone at his highest note? PERHAPS
there may be as much Insight in seeing the best
| as the worst. While there are two sides to the
shield, why not look at the golden one? TO poetiZe
the truth may OF course have its disadvantage
We may, like Col. Sellers in the play. deude orr
It," and land in poverty, wrecking our friends II
we nave an excess OF the bump OF hope. But when
| we are weighing our friends Characters IL will
| not hurt them or US II We delude ourselves that
they are better than they are. Those who have
sunshine and charity enough for themselves and
W spare are very rare ana very agreeable people.
REPEATING CONVERSATIONS.
Nothing is more common in society than a repe-
tition OF a conversation, and the comments made
by ones friends on another. Nothing Is more dis
honest; nothing, alas! more common than the
repetition OF the commentary, meant to be good
natured. On an absent friend, made with ali the
accent, or word may cOnstrue q perfectly limo
cent remark into an attack. This Is bearing "false
wtInesS;"n Is the objectionable sin, for while such
person Is keeping Within the limits OF truth she
is really conveying q lie.
Such are the most dangerous slanderers the
snake In their bosOms, hidden dagger In Their
tongues. II Is not easy 70 tell the unvarnished
truth, as every lawyer will assure as. Those who
are In the habit OF taking evidence ind what