The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1896-07-02
VERAClTY
BY LADY COOK, NEE TENNESSEE cLAFLIN

Veracity is observance of truth, and
comes from the Latin verax, true to
speech. 1t does not mean truth itself,
but is applied to the conduct The IN
dividual who desires to speak the truth
is veracious, and his opinion or that oil
any number like him, is verdict-some-
thing truly said. Thus veracity is SIN
cerity of speech, quality necessary anu
commendable in man or woman, ana OF
such importance that, without it, society
would either perish, or progress become
impossible. 1t is mark or the brave,
the noble, the fearless, and is dllllcuit OIL
attainment by mean or cunning natures.
In the age of chivalry every newly-maue
knight vowed never to tell lie, ana ne
who fell was a recreant to his order
a moral craven who might be stripped
of his spurs. AS was said by spencer:
"Re thou wherever thou do go or ride
Loathed of ladies all and or all knights
detied!"
Knighthood was service; Knlsnt
meant a servant. Wiclif's Gospel Calls
the Heavenly host that appeared q.
Christ's birth heavenly knighthood.
And what are we but servants to one
another. bound by the fealty of truth 10
he honest and sincere towards eacn
other. doing unto all and saying to each
as we would be done and said unto III
our complicated state OF c1VlllZatloh,
with all its gradations OF rank ana
humbleness, riches and poverty, knoWl-
edge and ignorance, no one stands alone,
hut all are in some way dependent on
others. All are in some sense servants TO
Others. and cash never yet paid one man
fully his deserts to another. Veraclty'
then. is not merely virtue to be at
tempted by few, but is duty IN
cumbent upon everyone.
In Locke's great work on Human On.
Outstanding. there is a very pregnant
chanter concerning 1.-The significance OF
words" which should be read by all VINO
wish to think accurately Following
nm his idea we would observe that words
are only the symbols of things, ana can
do nothing but represent the particular
notions of those who use them. Inese
nav be correct or incorrect, and so
word NAV convey one idea to one nina,
and a modification * this to another.
For as the poet Butler wrote:
"Words are but pictures, true or raise de-
To draw the lines and features of the mind"
o,nrning tn the derivation of the word
truth-the Anglo-Saxon analogue OF the
I,atjn veritas we find it is anything
that one troweth, and is the thlrd person
singular of the old Verp 10 troW W
think, to believe firmly, to De cohVlhceu
or. and was formerly written tfoWeth,
trOWth, trOutn anu tloth =, -
Plouhman spoke Of many false truth
and there are still innumeraDie 1ailacles
called truths which are consclentlously
believed and accounted for. Veracity'
therefore, may be an intelligent Veraclty
or an ignorant, the belief OF one VINO
thinks he knows and does not, or the
unalterable conviction OF announcer VINO
knows that he knows.
To know the truth and to utter 1t rear
lessly is the grandest position the uni
verse affords This is the unique glory
of the elect of the world, its liberatlng
champions For the eye sees in all
things what it brought with 1t the
means of SEEING" and what nobler WIS.,
ion was ever revealed to it than whole
and perfect truth. truth whose rays
are brighter flashing and farther
reaching than a mountain of Kohl
noors. Bit by bit only is truth unveiled
to us-here a little and there little
Much labor and bitter thought are need
ed for it's discovery. And when 1T has
been dug forth from the everlasting
darkness, is it for him who grasps the
precious prize to forswear its possession
and to deny it's beauty? No, though he
stand alone with all the world against
him, though he be in minority of one
he hugs this jewel to his soul and risks
his all to maintain it. OF such gifted
one Carlyle wrote: 20, much enslaved
world-this man is not slave with thee!
None of thy promotions are necessary
for him. His place Is with the stars of
heaven. He wants none of thy
rewards; behold also. he fears none Of