The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-28
On Truthfulness.

Tor tfutne, 1Or alter, ylI VIII DE kHoWl II
as yit is, to your shame. ."-FrOm q let.
ter of Sir Henry Sidney's to his "little
Philippe"
Jennie and were reading together
the life of Sir Philip Sidney, and we
came to the passage which l have
quoted above in quaint and beautiful
letter which was written to Sir Philip
when he was little boy at school by
his father. When / had read to the
end Of the sentence, | paused.
81 wish," said |, "that | could print
that sentence in letters of gold upon
the walls of every school room in the
land. | wish | could tell it to every
boy and girl whom know, and make
them feel its force"
"Why," said Jennie, in surprised
way; "do you think boys and girls are
so untruthful ?"
II am sorry to say it," I answered,
"but think a good many of them are
not perfectly truthful" >,
81 never told lie in my life," said
Jennie, proudly; "and l know plenty
of other girls who never did, either"
81 am sure, Jenuie," l answered,
"that if you discovered that you had
made misstatement about anything,
you would at once correct it; but was
it not you who gave Maggie Upjohn
no less than five correct dates in her
history examination, and helped her
on two examples, and let her copy
from your definitions besides ?"
"Well," said Jennie, Eyes, | did ;
but l don't coll that anything"
Ibid Mrs. Annersley know it," |
asked.
"Of course, not"
"Wonld she have allowed Maggie's
examination TO pass if she had?"
"Certainly not" answered Jennie.
II see what you are aiming at, Miss
Margaret; of course, would not ac-
cept any help Oh my examinations,
but the girls would have thought me
awfully mean if had refused to help
Maggie"
THAT is where the school girls
code of morals is often defective" said
+. "You helped Maggie to do what
you knew to be wrong, and what you
would not do yourself because the girls
would think you mean if you didn't.
To put it in plain English, you helped
Maggie to deceive your teacher, and
what is that but untruthfulDess 1t
is not always that one can trace the
consequences of such deceit, but in
this case the effect IS very plain. Mag
gle did not gain her promotion by
honest work, and therefore she will
not be able to keep her position in her
class. Mrs. Annersley was speaking
to me of her yesterday. She said
Maggie had been so idle that she was
surprised at her being able to win a
promotion, and that she was evidently
unable to keep her new position now
she had it, and she should be obliged
to put her back where she was before.
That will he q just punishment for
Maggie, but" said | pausing, and
speaking gently, 'how will the girl
who helped her to commit the fraud
he punished ?"
Dear me, Miss Margaret" said
dreadfully plain names. | suppose
now, that | cannot rest till [ have
been to Mrs. Annersley and told her
about it,"
"You forget that you will be obliged
to involve Maggie in your confession,"
said l. "'Never tell on a school
mate was one maxim of my code
when l was Il school girl, and, it is y
rule that still believe ill.,"
"MrS. Annersley never wants us to
tell on each other" said Jennie quick
ly. I will tell her about il, but l will
not mention Maggie's name. of coulse.
1t was a mean thing to do," said .cn-
ME, rehectiyely, "a very mean thing,
for Mrs. AnnersIey always puts us on
our homer during the examinations,
and then trusts Us perfectly. will
never do such thing again."
EXaggeratiOn is very prevalent
form of untruthfulncss, and ii is fact
that 4 pclson who long indulges in tie
habit, becomes at last iHsessnbable Of
telling the truth~fe moral vision
Eeeones ss' - blurred that one is unable
70 perceive the outlines Of any truth
and to. o.present it as it is.
PreteLce is only another form of un-
truthfuluess. How many school girl
pretends to he brighter and better
than she really is-pretends to a genu-
inc knowledge when she has only q
neutrality-suspicious. to qualities
which she never possessed, and to vir-
tues which she never practiced.
All, if people could realize how use
less such things really are; for we are
always estimated at our true value in
this world. We can deceive no one
for long. 1t is only by being genuine
ly noble and good and true that We
can win love and trust and honor in
return, and such q character is not
built easily or soon.
Once some One lived in this world
for more than thirty years as boy
and man, and one of his names was
Truth. He felt every temptation that
can come to boys and girls, and he le-
sisted them all, and if we watch him
closely and try to model our lives after
his, we have his promise that we shall
succeed. ave shall be like him."
and there is no other way than this by
which we can attain perfect truth and
honor.
- s----------
A Deistical Doctors Discontinue.
A clergyman was once accosted by a
doctor, professed deist, who asked
him, "Do you follow preaching to save
souls ?''
"Yes."
"Did you ever see soul?"
mo"
Did you ever hear soul "'
"No."
"Did you ever taste soul?'
"No."
"Did you ever smell soul?"
mo"
"Did you ever feel soul ?"
eyes"
"Well," said the doctor. "there are