The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-15
BILL ARP'S LETTER.
AS Bad as Ananias Are Some Men, Says
Bill Arp, the Philosopher.
atlanta Constitution.

the great .theologian, added, .'But he
] who acts on that principle is not an
honest man."
The truth is, that real, genuine
honesty is not policy at all, for poll
cy requires thought, plan and general
Is some dissimulation. 1t comes from
the head, the brain; whereas honesty
is moral principle that comes from
the heart, and takes no time for
thought. Policy is cold, hard word;
honesty warm, genial, neighborly
] one. The poets like it next best to
love-Hearns says. cts guild to be
honest and true, and Pope says can
honest mans the noblest work Of
God. The best definition of the word
is. "free fair in: dealing aud worthy
from deceit, just in speech and action,
to be trusted"
Twas Illuminating about this because
clever country boy from whom / buy
my lightwood brought me load to-day
and the top layers and all that was in
sight were rich in rosin and clean and
attractive. He wanted dollar and a
half, and I told him it was too much;
but he pleaded like lawyer, and said
he had hsuled Il ten miles, and that
kind of pine was getting awful scace;
that he could have sold it down town,
but knew that liked rich, clean split
pine, and so he brought it to me. He
is q good-looking, hard-working boy,
and so bought it and stood by while
he threw it of. The top was all
right, but that out of sight was black
knots or half-rotten pieces, and dis
gusted me.s "Look here, Felton,
said I, ''do you know of boy who
would put his best pine in the bottom
Of the wagon, or who would even mix
it about half and half?" ''No, sir, I
DON'T" said he; ''we haven't got any
Of that sort in the piney woods"
Don't you know" said I, "that
wouldent have given you your price if
| had seen into the bottom of your
wagon?" He smiled complacently,
and replied: "Tbat' &c ;nst .hc reasou
we put the best on top; we couldent
get more'n half price if we dident,
and you know, major, we get mighty
little for hard days work, anyhow"
"But, FELTON,, that way of doing is
cheating, and they say that cheating
never thrives. I should think you
would feel ashamed to throw your load
of right here before me-" "Well,
now, major, to tell you the truth, I
was in hopes you would 60 in the
house before i throwed it off; but
everybody has to put the best Oh top"
and he smiled all over his Mce. What
kind Of boy is that? Well, he is
little better than the average of boys,
or Of men either, as to that, for he
smiles at you-while he deceives you.
Heard blind phrenologist tell man
once that his bump Of covetousness
was SO large he would steal if he had
fair chance-that is, if he found a
man asleep with his pocketbook under
his pillow he would take it, but at the
same time he had sympathy so largely
developed that he would kiss his
sleeping victim before he left him. I
like that boy Fer his spca naturs, and
had rather he would cheat me than
boy who wculdent own up to anything,
and go off aud brag how he got me.
Yes, everybody puts the best on top,
and everybody tries to get the advan-
tage in trade---not everybody, but
the exceptions are very few. A man
can tell lie by concealing tho truth
when I was lad T heard old DR..
Nathan Hoyt, Of Athens, preach
sermon In our town, and have not for
gotten how he looked straight at me
and said: sLittle b9y. you can tell
lie by winkirg your eye. My wife
says she was in a store one day when
country woman came in and asked
the merchant if he could match that
scrap Of gingham which she showed
him. He said no, but he had some
thing very like it, and prettier, aud he
finally sold it to her. After she left.
my wife remarked that she might have
matched it at the next door, for she
noticed the identical goods in the
window as she passed. eyes, I-kuew
it," said the merchant. stbnt it wasent
my business 20 tell her; I must sell
her my own goods IL I oan." That
was the kind Of honesty that was poll
cy, but.it wasent fair or neighborly--,