The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-12-27
COUNTERFEIT COMPLIMENTS.
The Hollowness of Mutual Admiration So
Ciety Flattery.

inc hOuOWneSS or MUTUAL ADMIRATION So
Ciety Flattery.
There is a great deal for us to hear
and to learn about ourselves that is
disagreeable, so long as we are human
and consequently imperfect beings.
The choice is between knowing our de-
fectS-a fault understood is half cured
Or hugging ourselves III the cOnvic-
ton that we are as tasteful, as well
bred as intelligent and high-minded as
we should or can be, and making our
selves ridiculous often in this belief
Nothing is so supremacy absurd as
little mutual admiration society OF such
Il kind, or so treacherOus. let me add
The seltishn25s of human nature is
there under the pleasant batteries and
soothing manners, and no persons have
their SenSibilities and self-lOvc 50 easily
scratched as your hyper-amiable folks
who can scarcely bear to hear yOn
speak against the east wind, be-
cause it blows where they came
fron. The ingram truth tellers,
who speak truth from instinct
and obligation, are the llindest, most
self-sacrifcing and most faithful of
friends. They say disagreeable things
when the saying is necessary, and it
costs them much more to speak them
than to lend their last hundred dollars.
Unduly disagreeable things are often
no more the truth than the tictions
which we call politeness. The end of
truth is neither to please nor to dis
please, but to say the thing which is,
and to avoid saying the thing which is
not. When we are asked for bread are
we 20 hold out in return the empty
hand, or give the stone wrapped in
paper and nicely tied? We would not
pass counterfeit coin for worlds, how
is it then that we are not ashamed of
passing counterfeit opinions and COM
pliments daily? Harsh language, do
you say? We are growing so tinical
that we scarce dare speak of the meri-
dian crossing the equator for fear of
hurting the feelings of either the
equator or the meridian. The defni-
ton of lie is IAN untruth told with
intent to deceive" and falsr opinions
answer this description as thoroughly
As anything else.
Truth-telIing people are not so pleas
ant to spend a quarter of an hour with
as tlatterers, bat they wear better to
the end of the twenty-four. | know
woman who has the art of accidentally
saving in conversation the incest
things, things that make you want TO
put your arm about her, or kiss her
hand in thanks. You hear her say open
" one day that she is fond enough of
hearing pretty things not to care
whether they are genuine or not, and
your folly is not SO superlative that you
can take much comfort in her favor
after that. You come to know the
counterfeit nickel, no matter how
bright it is, and soon despise people
who are passing spurious coin on you
every day. Two or three busy men |
know who look up from their desks to
give me unqualified sincerity of opin-
ion, whether | like it or not; | would
not part with their friendship for their
weight in gold. One girl | know, still
at school, has such lOveable, friendly
way of telling the candid truth-tell-
ing it as though she thought too much
OF you 10 possibly 90 otherWlSe-Vhat
hearts cleave to her and love goes with
her steps, and will to the end of her
pilgrimage. Telling the truth is love.
Here is the secret of character, the
great secret which girls and women
need to learn anew. Truth, even in
little things, is the soil in which love
roots deep and branches wide.-Nlrs.
Hamilton Mott, in Ladies' Home Jour