Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-05-16
THE LIAR AND HIS TYPES.
study of Man One Meets Every Day
Feminine Fibbers.

The liar is not popular. The cautious
saws of me?n and avid HIM. The inno-
cent believe him. but, their eyes being
opened, are naturally indignant. Even the
skeptical, who draw him out" feel
wounded in their self-esteem when he inn
AGNES them capable of swallowing some
tremendous fiction which gudgeon might
reject.
DR.. johnson said that children were all
liars and gluttons. | imagine they may
have been so in the days of the great leXI-
ographer-certainly their bringing up was
calculated to insure it. Even in our day,
when the child is almost painfully
dominant, Justification is not rare.
The little dear's parents say he has
a vivid Imagination; other people
have another name for it. This verbal en-
broidery may become in time such fixed
habit that the unfortunate story-teller will
not know precisely when he Is speaking
the truth 1t is possible that he may
begin with fact, or what he takes to be a
fact, but ere he finishes his handiwOrk the
tale YOU hear resembles those lace hand
kerchiefs we women sometimes carry-the
tiny square of "batiste" in the centre will
be his fact. the deep and intricate border
is his vivid imagination.
THREE FAMOUS KINDS.
There are three kinds of habtual liars
the malicious, the bOastful, and the in
definite. Sometimes all three are COM
bined. and then we have al own son of the
Father of Lies.
The malicious liar would take away the
character of his own mother if she crossed
him in any way. He is enviOus, vindictive,
and suspicious. Truth not being in him
he doubts all the world, and realizes with
q bind &c tbaf tha MOLD
compliment.
The boastful liar is generally envious,
and very likely 10 be suspicious, but mall
cious and vindictive he Is not, as rule.
His fabrications naturally have for their
rdts0R Getre aGesiTe TO show you what
wonderful fellow he has been, is. and will
be. He will lead you TO believe that he
Is the first in peace, first in war, and
first in the hearts of his countrywomen-
and of all other women, for that matter.
When not laudlng himself he is staggering
about his family or his belongings. Sooner
than not boast of something he would ac-
cuse himself OF murder, arson, or theft.
With decline of prosperity his lies re-
double. and total failure finds him in the
condition of the frog in the fable that burst
with arrogance. He is very euriously and
wonderfully made, and have given him
much afeetionate study.
Inc INDEFINITE llar Is OF every land ana
every state of society. He is not malicious
or vindictive or boastful or suspicious.
He simply enjoys lying. His converse
ton is too frequently as q tale told
by an idiot. full of sound and fury,
signifying nothing. He does not seem
to care much whether you believe him
or not. IL seems almost q pity to balk
HIM, he enjoys himself 80 thoroughly. He
will tell you of meeting and conversing
with people he has not seen for weeks, or
Of the most remarkable bargains he has
made. There does not seem 10 be much
harm in him. and he is generally a. honest
as his nelghbors IN money matters. You
would not care TO have him on the witness
stand if your life were at stake; but ones
life is never at stake.
LOVELY SPECIMEN.
Nothing is easier than TO draw the liar
out. When | was eighteen met a lovely
specimen. of the boastful liar. 1t was a
revelation 70 me. He came TO call with
brother officer, and was much interested
IN an account he gave of his trip 10 Egypt.
He went TO the other end of the room for
moment, and his companion seized the
opportunity TO whisper TO me;
he hasn't been in Egypt at all; he was
only away from town three weeks. and was
with the Verners at Pau. Wait bit, and
III make him say be shot crocodiles.."
And he did.
q