The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-12-17

EDNl a. Il was. IA
you hsd asked about my first truth It
would have been much easier for me and
kinder 81 YOU. for remember that fairly
well; ! remember IL as y Il were last
week. The family think Il was week be-
fore. hut that is hattery. and probabl
has selfish project back OF Il When a
person has become seasoned by experience
and has reached the age OF q. which Is
the age 81 discretion. he likes a family
compliment as well as ever but he does
not lose his head over Il as in the old
innocent days.
I 90 not remember my first lie 81 Is too
Far back: but I remember my second one
very well ! was nine days old al the
time. and had noticed that ~ a pin was
sticking IN me and advertised Il in the
usual fashion. I was lovingly petted and
ooddled and pitied IN most agreeable
way. and got a ration between meals
besides.
u was human nature TO want 10 get
these riches. and fell. lied about the
FREDERICKSBURG one when there wasn't
any. You would have done IL, George
Washington did Il. anybody would have
done 81 During the first half Of my life
never knew a child that was able 10
rtse above that temptation and keep
from telling that lie. Up 10 1867
al The civilized children that were
ever born into the world were liars.
Including George. Then the safety-pin
came IN and blocked the game. But IS
that reform worth anything No; for II
IS reform by force and had no virtue in IL:
a. merely stops that form OF lying IL
doesn't impair the disposition 20 lie by
shade. II is the cradle application 81 con-
version by fire and sword. or 81 the tenn
pe-aroe principle through prohibition.
70 return 70 tha. early lie. They found
20 pin and they realized that another lar
had been added 20 the worlds supply.
F-- ty grace ~ rare inspiration a quite
commonplace but seldom noticed fact was
borne ~ upon their ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
almost an lies are acts and speech las
10 part IN them. Then. II they examined
q little further they recognized that all
people are liars from the cradle onward.
without exception. and that they begin
20 lIe as soon as they wake in the morn
.rg. and keep n up without rest or re-
sreshuert Until they 70 10 sleep az night.
y thev arrived az that truth Il probably
grieved them-did n they had been heed
lessly ana ignorantly educated by their
books and teachers. for why should
person grieve over a thing which by the
eternal Jaw ~ his make he cannot help?
TEe didn't invent the law; IL IS merely his
business 90 obey IL and keep still: join the
universal conspiracy and keep so sim
that he shall deceive his fellow-conspir-
ators into imagining that he doesn't know
that the laR exists. II is what We all do
we that know. I am speaking Of the lie
az silent assertion: We can tell II without
saving a word and We all do tive that
know. N the magnitude Of its territorial
spread Il Is one 81 the most majestic lies
that the civilizations make # their sacred
and anxious care 10 guard and watch and
propagate.
For Instance. 81 would not be possible
for a humane and intelligent person to
invent q rational excuse FOR slavery; Yet
YOU will remember that in the early days
OF emancipation agitation IN the North
the agitators got but small help or coun-
tenance from any one. Argue and plead
and pray a. they might. they could not
break the universal stiffness that reigned.
from pulpit and press all the way down
70 the bottom Of socicty-the clammy still
ness created and maintained by the lie Of
silent assertlon-the silent assertion trat
there wasn't anything going on in which