The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-26

World?" And remembering how long
and patiently she has tried to make
her child distinguish between fancy
and fact, the mother sighs, for it has
been one struggle of care and vigil
ance, in which many another might
have grown discouraged.
So much as to the theory of phenom-
enal liars. Now another question
arises. What use would any of us be in
a Palace of Truth, or to be more eX-
pliCit what sort of a time would we
and other people have If we should
simultaneously set out to tell the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but
the truth? If you like the picture of
such a possibility, / must say don't.
The world wouldn't be a very desirable
place and we would lose a good deal of
the fear of another lire, after tusslng
with some of the uncompromising and
stern realities of this. i can't imagine
anything worse. Supposing we told
exactly what we think of each other.
To be sure, it is a good practice to
think kindly of all people and it is
habit that is not so terribly hard to
form-but to have some one ask Don't
you think Mrs. y is too sweet for any
thing?" and then to reply, mo l don't
She's an old cat and we both know itv'
would be sure to get you disliked. You
couldn't well say TO Mrs. A. who asked
your opinion of her future son-in- law,
Hes dead beat and you'll have to
support him." You would shrink from
remarking to Mr.. u, as he bowed over
your hand at dance, that you'd much
prefer TO give him a sound slap than
to speak to him just because of the
way he treats his wife.
And then, dear me, what time of it
the newspapers would have if they told
the truth on all occasions. Suppose,
instead of stating that Mr.. S. Jingo
made clever speech at the banquet of
the Yellow Kids they should deferen-
TALLY print the truth that he tumbled
| all over his grammar and finally under
the table and was mercifully with
| drawn from the public gaze during the
| remainder of the evening. Instead of
repeating what the minister said in his
funeral address over the man who Just
| died, regarding the great loss sustained
by the community, supposing the
newspaper man told the truth that he
was hard to the poor, that he was rich
because Of his injustice to his fellow
man, that nobody loved him living or
mourned Inn dead. My! what fuss
there would be! Supposing we wrote
that Mrs. Y wore a gown too young
for her years and had trifie too much
rouge under her left ear at the ball,
would they sell nearly as many papers
as if we wrote that her diamonds were
magnificent and her high bred beauty
never more fitly shown.
To be sure, there are some subjects
we can always speak our minds about,
and say all the harsh things we like.
There are the street commissioner and
the estimates committee, tramps, the
atre hats and the minister, but in gem
eral it is well to hedge a little, for
don't we all hate the frank person
whose seedlings fall alike on the Just
and the unjust and who is a deal worse
than the average liar?
There is the sympathetic liar, who
really deserves great amount of
credit he doesn't get. He is the man
who goes in the sick room, where the
CHASTITY face of the sufferer looks pa
thetically up from the pillow and visit
fully tries TO read the VISITORS mind.
He says cheerly: Hey, old man,
youll be out of here in few days.
You certainly look better than you did
last week." although down In his heart
the speaker feels that never will the
dim eyes look out again on the familiar
places. Yet the wan face has bright
ened at the words. He says to the
downcast, unfortunate victim OF busi-
ness reverses; Don't ! fret, Wen
see about this: something be DONE"