The herald., 1896-07-12

| that the high and mighty bearer Of the
green rag Of Mohammed would live to
see buried all his relations. But the son
Of the oriental heavens did not construe
the statement in q cheerful light, and
summarily directed that scimiter be
applied to the neck of the obstreperous
subject; but that unfortunate. though
well-meaning Individual. at the last mo-
ment managed to shrek out that he
meant to convey an appropriate rhyme,
the fact\ that the celestial winder OF the
golden horn would be blessed with long
evity that ne would be enabled TO attend
the obsequies of those connected to him
by the ties of consauguinity, many of
which kindred were years his junior. The
fortunate gift of rapid utterance saved
the life of the groveling subject
of the latter-day ruler of the seven tribes
of Israel blossomed into smiles and all
was once more serene in the land OF the
prophet.
SO, again In those days when monar-
chlcal heredity possessed a larger flavor
of divine right than at present. one of
the occupants of the gilded chair, for the
sake of a little diversion. decreed that
the chances for continued existence of
a certain youth be made dependent upon
his ability and agility in determining
the number of basketfuls of earth con-
tanned in some mountain within the
kingdom. The precocious youngster re-
piled that one basket would answer the
purpose if large enough In this last
case it is doubtful II the monarch pos
sessed sufficient acumen or brain power
TO formulate, off-hand. such a riddle,
but the apt reply brought the springs Of
mercy into action and immortallzed the
proposition.
For more reliable reference we can
take the case of Catholic Charles 1.
Even on the eve of his downfall and of
10, do wi i.t mo, ~, In oh
a regicide, he could by the turn of his
hand have saved his life, but instead.
committed the act of treason which lost
him his head. placed the power of parlia-
ment above the sovereign prerogative,
established long term of dictatorship,
interrupting for many years the royal
succession. and cngrafted upon the
English constitution u rule that makes
a religious qualification condition pre-
cedent to an occupation of the throne,
and final resting place In the illustri-
Gus shades of England's Pantheon,
Westminster Abbey
The beautiful Queen of Scots also be-
trayed a lamentable lack of the fitness
of things" when she left the friendly
refuge of the French and made the fatal
voyage to Britain, under the reign of the
jealous Elizabeth.
These dramatic incidents. are, though
matters of history. still pregnant with
possibilities" If properly studied, and
their moral essence applied to the guild
ance of fin de steele events.
1t seems sometimes that the proper
thing is not always. the truth. No doubt
when the human portion of this world
was in primitive state, q due regard for
the doctrine that truth is always best"
would have been the correct ingredient
to toss into the hotch- -potch of life. But
it evidently was not so regarded, and
in the complicated state of things at this
period the truth is often difficult of as
sertion. For instance, whenever you see
two men shake hands, smile delightedly
and revel in the pleasure they experience
in an unexpected meeting at the home
of some fair debutante, in whose man
ner, face or personality there are power
full attractions, you are perfectly safe
in dying, If so inclined, in the assurance
that the recording angel has dotted
down another lie to the debit column of
each individual, and his tear Will not blot
it out. When woman tells you that she
enjoys the process of balancing herself
on the edge of a chair in a hot, stuffy
drawing-ro for half an hour without
removing wraps, gloves or nat ana re-
peats his cancellation of her social OBJ
legations half a dozen times during the
afternoon. just recollect that policy" is
StTO0S lGtlOI Ill tlllS anu
both sides of the table know 1t, too
The truth is very often too harsh If ap-
piled under the refined shades of polite
society; often if uttered it would cause
the microscopically drawn lines to be-
come hopelessly confused and entangled.
This must not be, or the best of friends
will soon diverge from the narrow path
of amity. So tact comes to the rescue.
This tact is q something which dances
a dizzy measure on the divide line Of
truth and trickery. Its justification is
mercy Embarrassing situations are dis
PEELED by the shrewd and kindly possess
or of this welcome quality, whose in
herent drawbacks are counterbalanced
by it's beneficial qualities; and, sub rosa,
common sense and tact are close rela-
tions.
We also know that silence is golden.
Yet silence, too, may be deceit. There
, are times when it Is as replete with mis-
representation as emphatic expression.
However. silence possesses this cardinal
virtue, 1t Is capable of al least two inter-
pretations. And there Is little doubt
that silence Is less productive of un-
happy consequences than outspoken
conviction under like circumstances.
But it is right that we should be taught
from the mothers knee that truth should
always prevail, and in pursuing the
methods which extricate us from the
numberless unpleasant complications