The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-04-06


We've been talking about liars,
my friend and l. You have to
think about liars a good deal these
days. The plays are full Of them.
The principal characteristic OF the
up.to date hero is his facility in
speaking that which is not. l
haven't been to the theater in
months without making the ac-
quaintance Of some footlieht favor
lite whose one aim in life seems to
be to pose as man to whom the
words Common honesty" and "de-
cent truthfulnoss" are but empty
words. The fashionable hero oil
the fashionable play isn't hero at
all until he has told al least half al
dozen good round whoppers before
the curtain goes down on the first
act.
DO you like him for it? Do you
believe in telling lies? Do /? Some
kinds of lies-yes. The other kind
no.
Is a lie always bad? Is it not?
I've seen a good woman lay her
hand upon her heart snd lie like an
angel to shield some one she loved
from harm.
Oh, | know it's the proper thing
to call woman's little deviations
from the truth a fib. That small
word Lie! It's so harsh. But
that's just what we are talking
about, and I'm going to call by, its
christian name for once.
There are bad lies and good lies.
The bad lie is the one that is told
to benefit ones self or to harm an
other. The good lie is the one that
is told to help some one else and
/ without any hope of personal gain.
! A perfectly simple distinction it
seems to me.
r Would / teach my child to lie?
No. | wouldn't have to. He
could probably give me lessons in
the gentle art. Most natural children
can.
! A little boy l know came home
from a party one day. He was
: very serious. Mamma" he said
81 told lie at the party"
} "Why?" said his mother.
swell, they only had one kind ol
cake, and it was chocolate, and
hate chocolate, and they said: 'Oh,
I. Jimmie doesn't like chocolate
, cake!' and | said, Yes / do;
! love it, and / ate big piece. l feel
! pretty sick. l guess maybe l am
going to die."
I "Jimmie," said the boys mother
I "you're a trump" And he was.
/ I'd give more for the chance ol
i that boy growing up into a man
worth living than would if he had
told the truth and made the poor
, little party giver uncomfortable
, Show me a man who says he never
3 told lie, and l will show you either
u colossal liar or cruel tool.
The frank person-you know him
don't you? It's usually shs
though. She's so frank, so candid
SO honest, she must tell the truth
in season and ont of season. ant
I the more unpleasant the truth i,
the more determined she is to tel
it.
, Isn't she nice? Don't you Low,
3 her? Isn't she kind and gentl,
. and soft hearted? Whenever any
{ one says to me "Now, I'm goinl
{ to be perfectly frank with you anc
tell you the exact TRUTH" I know
she is going to make me uncomfort
able.
q The woman who has bad hus
band, but who bears with him anC
loves him and tries to shield hin
from criticism do you like her any
the less because she does not always
: tell the plain truth about her domes
4 tic affairs? I've seen her standing
: at bay before one OF these same can
q did persons who was trying her bes
/, to make her uncomfortable.
8 have seen the light of a desperate
r courage blaze in her eyes while she
r lied and lied and lied about the
: man she loved, and the more she
{ lied the better loved her.
( l knew a woman who once was
D very i'll. She was an old woman
0 and very poor. She was in q hos
q pital. Her son-her only sca---ar
. unkrateful, hang-dog brute he was
r too-was in prison. I went to SCI
: the old woman as often as I could
and | always took q message to hel
from her son, and she died happy
I the day the boy she loved with al
: her faithful heart swung into eterni
!; ty with a curse on his lips. Was
: any the worse for those lies?