San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-15
A CHAPTER ON LIES.
Rabbi solomon SCHNEIDER Gives
Some Interesting Eacfs

ohc dtfs
Rabbi Solomon Schlind Or, th,
brilliant Boston scholar, has contrI
buted most interesting paper to 6
recent issue of the Arena on lying. il
which he takes the new realistic story
WHO Lies" as q text. BY specia
permission we are enabled to publish
this notable paper.
lt may appear pathological to speak
of the purpose" and the .tmotlye,i
OF literary work in one breath: still
there is slight distinction between
the two, and this distinction sonar
ates the former idealistic school OF
novel writer's from the modern realis.
tic school. II would be unjust to saw
that writer's like Sir Walter Scott.
Eugene Sue, Alexander Dumas, Bert
hold Auerbach, and others have lack.
90 purpose"wnen writing their ad !
mlrable novels; yet that motive. -
that tendency, is indeed wanting in
them which characterizss the works
OF realastic.authors:, Charles Dickens
vino may Se termed the connecting
link betw eel these two schools, the
novelist of the transition period-adds
distinct motive" to the purpose,
when he attacks the miserable school
system of his time, or the humanity
with which the submerged classes are
treated, or when he ridicules the n.y.
pocrisy of charitable institutions.
Step by step we can thus trace the
evolution of the motive" in the
progress of the realistic literature of
our time.
we latest contribution of this
character In fiction, embodying .
strong "motive," has been presented
to the reading public through the
Arena Publishing Company of Boston
in their fifty cent series of vigorous
works by leading thinkers. The
authors, Emil Blum. Phi. D., and Mr..
Sigmund B. Alexander, have correct.
ly called 1t an Interrogation" They
uesire to call attention TO one of the
most series problems of life: they
hurl an accusation at our modern
civilization, against which q defence
is rot an easy task; they cast flash
light upon society, aud show the
rotton foundation upon which 1t
rests.
Eight gentlemen, belonging to the
cultured and well. TODD classes of So
ciety, and representing various walks
of life, are assembled at banquet.
They are all graduates of the same
college, in which they had been nick.
named by their classmates the
"Model Nlne.n Their friendship had
expected during ten years, in which
time each of them had won for him
self respected position in society
One is a successful physician: another
q famous lawyer; the third stands at
the head of lucrative business con-
Germ; the fonrth is the chief of q
banging house aud known as a great
philantnrOphist;th fifth occupies the
pulpit OF fashionable church; the
sixth edits q newspaper OF large cir
culation; the seventh holds q profess
sor's chair at the Alma Mater; the
eighth is Unidentified with the politics
of his State; the ninth the most pro.
missing of them had Inherited from
his father an immense fortune, and
had during these years travelled ex-
tsnsively. He had, therefore, never
oeen present at any of their annual
reunions, tut is expected to join them
on this occasion. A belated train
brings him to the city and into their
company, at the moment when they
are drinking the health and prais-
ing the noble qualities of the aosen-
Tee.
He is warmly greeted by his friends,
who. however, find that he has
changed considerably. Though APP
parentiy the same genial and bril-.
liant fellow whom they had known
in time past, he seem to have become
infected with the BLACKLIST kind Of
pessimism. He fiercely attacks the
very civilization which they cherish
SO dearly. A controversy arises,
which eliminates in a peculiar wager
Rust, the pessimist, claims that our
whole civilization is a huge "Lie;n
that this Lie" has permeated and
poisoned society to such degree that
no one could speak the truth, even
If he desired, for any length of time.
without harming, if not destroying,
his reputation aud business prospect.
This is emphatically denied by his
friends, who, on their part, claim
that for one week, at least, they would
pledge themselves to adhere strictly
TO the truth. The wager provides,
therefore, that if they adhere to the
truth for one week. Rust must pay
eight thousand dollars, but if one of
them breaks his word, he must pay
one thousand dollars. The money is
to go to some benevolent institution,
which the winner shall designate.
1t is further agreed that any member
may withdraw his obligation on pay
ment of one Thousand dollars during
the week, If he finds telling the truth
too expensive.
The result was as predicted by
Rust. Disaster in some form over
took each of them. In the last chap
ter, Rust informs them that he had
offered the wager, not to win their