The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-06-06
LIES AND THE LIARS.
THE WORST OF ALL EVILS AND MOST
DIFFICULT TO CONTROL.


ure to Self Deception-The Causes AN In
teresting study-Liars should he Shut
Up In Asylums as the Insane Are.
There is nothing in the power of the hui
man being so bad as a lie. There is moth
ing that smirches character so bad as a lie
There is nothing that turns one so against
himself as a lie There is nothing that so
destroys the confidence of our friends as n
lie. There is no compensation possible for
the evil of lie 1t eats back corrosively
into yourself, and you cannot get back
your soundness 1t rarely ever even tenn
porarily makes q profit and think in the
end never
The puzzle of puzzles is why some peo-
pie lie so easily. They rarely undertake to
be exact and yet do not recognize them
selves as liars 1t is their first impulse to
avoid aightforwardness and they plunge
ahead in conversation, simply trying to
get around point after point 1t is a mis-
take and misfortune to form such hab-
it. 1t grows on the victim, and it increases
its power. In nine cases out of ten the
simple facts would be easily told, and the
telling more advantageous than either con-
cealment OF falsehood, but the habit has
been encouraged to misrepresent or con-
hausts its fertility in purpose not to be
open and honest When this appears in
person of good ability, mild disposition
and industry, it is lamentable
The power of lying as a habit to grow is
amazing. The reason probably is that the
liar lies to himself as badly as he does to
others-that is, he tries to believe he is
truthful until he believes what he says is
true, or at least Is uncertain about it. l
know one or two persons with whom you
may say lying is a chronic disease. They
talk on at entire random. Their whole
life becomes a romance. They may occa-
sionally touch bottom on a fact, but they
do it by accident, They do not know it.
1t is simply because facts are so MANY as
to get in their way. "What an uncon-
soionable liar that creature is, said a
friend. 'She cannot tell the truth"
am not sure but we should have a new
name for this sort of people. The fact is
they have lost all sense of the true and the
false, as they have of right and wrong
Louis Stevenson's novels are no more a
piece of intellectual manufacture than are
their everyday conversations. This is true
not.only of some of the lower class, but of
an occasional person In the highest ranks
of society. know an eminent litterateur
who is so snarled up among the creatures
of his Imagination that he cannot tell the
real from the fctionaL 1t is dangerous to
be his friend, for he is liable to get you
woven into great web of his fancies, and
then with all his might he believes you
are guilty Of absurdities or worse that
were enacted only in his brain. He will
swear to these facts" with all sincerity.
His life can never be restored to basis of
realities.
-. L l. E
retreats such as we provide for the in
sane when their cases become chronic and
dangerous They become dangerous to the
community, quite as dangerous as forgers
and shoplifters, and far worse for our own
peace and happiness. If by accident you
get one Of these people into your house
bold, you never will get the confusion rec
titled. East becomes west Love is per
verted into evil intent. Even facts fail to
tell the truth. Everything is wrong end
foremost Half the suicides come from
liars tongues The worst cases should be
treated as insanity and mild cases sent to
o hospital
1t would be an interesting study for an
analytic mind to study the causes of lying
and liars. 1t is in some cases no doubt a
matter almost wholly of heredity. Moth
ers and fathers hand down moral traits
more easily than they do intellectual A
mother should make it law of her life to
be sincere and undertaking. If not, she is
sure to reap sore punishment in and
from her children. Practice a habit of
living very open hearted. do not mean
pratt'ing facts all the while, but with no
chests locked against your beloved ones
An open heart is better than an open
mouth
/ pity really honest person who has
tumbled herself hastily into a lie The
temptation came on suddenly, and before
she was able to be quite self masterful she
prevaricated. Now, to back out of lie is
like backing out of slough of mud You
get out with mire on you. But is it any
better TO stay in the slough and wallow
aboutH There is nothing gained my
friend, by sticking to falsehood simply
because you are ashamed to back out. Be
as frank as your better nature suggests
and get as quickly as possible on the line
of absolute honor,
But there are other causes for the liars
character besides heredity. Society is not
based on honor, but very largely on pre-
lenses. The good half of social intercourse
is Offset by another half of deceit and in
sincerity, This, of course, is stamping it
self on character. People cannot live lies
and not be liars The Quakers felt this
social degradation and tried TO correct it,
Let your communication be yea, yea, nay,
nay, for whatsoever is more than this
cometh of evil The Quakers however, do
sometimes lie, and all the worse because
they have placed so much emphasis on the
yea, yea, as better than yes, yes But they
do not make mistake in insisting on the
importance of words Social flattery and
much of social manners are a cover for lies.
There is no truth in it. Are you a social
liarf-Mary E. Spencer in st. Louis Globe
Democrat
A Live Beetle In Iron Ore.