The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-16


ner of showing affection. We love our
wives more than those men who are all
the time kissing them every time they
leave the house Some wives may OBJ
ject, but that will not induce us to de-
sert the cause. My wife is in favor OF
the plan and looks al 1t in the same man
ner as do
The readers of the stern mentor of pub
lie morals, the Spectator, says Paris dis
patch in the New York Sun, rubbed their
eyes in amazement to-day, when they read
In its chaste columns a defense of the
practice of lying. The editor solemly af-
firms that society lying, when INDUCED in
strict moderation. is in no way injurious
to the moral health"
What greater shock could disturb the
founda tons of the British SOCIAL system
than this? Not that it alters the facts
but more important than that, 1t admits
them and justifies them, and already the
editor is hailed with admiration for his
honesty and courage. He exalts the liar
above the hypocrite and the first impulse
is to appeal to him. Tomorrow will come
a chorus of reprobation, and the pous
liars of Great Britain will condemn him
for daring to trifie with the moral code
which they violate every day of their lives
and so habitually and even intuitively that
offending.
Such an authority as the Spectator is at
least worthy of hearing, however deadly
it's heresy and indefensible it's sophistry.
Thus: In the matter of true speaking,
as in wine drinking, no one can define
what moderation means though we all be-
lieve that in our own persons we illustrate
the world. But, granting this vague mod
GRAFTON, we are prepared to maintain that
| under xuR will
ceive each other for our common comfort,
and if any large number of people took to
avoiding these defensive forms and spoke
on all occasions nothing but the naked
truth the social world would have to be
made over again, and we think that the
new one would be worse and less ingen-
uous than that in which we live.
After such a revolution society would
| have to revise its list of penal offenses,
and at the head of the new catalogue
would stand, we imagine, curiosity. The
rules about not asking questions, which
| now apply only to royalty, would have to
be universally observed. L shan't tell
YOU is a phrase which will not always
defend secret, and depart from that, If
constantly resorted to, would be apt to
produce social friction.
Zone would hardly dare to ask friend
to dine in so many words If it were not
permissible for him to make the false re-
| ply that he was sorry but he was en-
| gagged and could not come. Ordinary So
| cial intercourse, instead of becoming more
| direct, would have to be carried on by an
| elaborate system of hints; otherwise So
| cety would become, metaphorically speak
| ing a bear garden in which sensitive per-
| sons would be battered to death. 1t would
| be Impossible to get used to being told I
do not like you, and your friends bore me,
| or I could come quite easily, but l do
not care to identify myself with the very
second-rate people among whom you i've
Neither could we improve matters by re-
versingthe ordinary procedure by allow
| ing guests to invite themselves. The re-
buff of being refused hospitality would be
almost unbearable"
But the question which will agtate the
| British public for the next few weeks is
whether the editor of the Spectator de-
serves a monument or ignominy for try
| ing to make the men and women OF the
| twentieth century honest liars instead of
hypocritical deceivers
A Perfect Costume
Abbie Ben Adhem, may her name be
praised,
Awoke one summer night and felt quite
feazed;
For on the gilded radiator safe
| An angel writing on little slate.
Exceeding fright had made Miss Abbie
weak,
But still she thought she should be first
to speak;
! So to the visitor she calmly said:
| What writest thou?" The vision wagged
its head,
And with a mien BETTING such a guest.
Replied THE names of those correctly
dressed"
Am l among them7' said Miss Abble.
mo"
Replied the angel, you are poor, you
know"
Miss Abbie sighed: Write me as one, l
| pray
Who has no yawning packets, anyway"
| The angel wrote and few. The next night,
| late,
He came again and brought that little
slate,
And showed the names of those who
| dressed the best,
And lol Miss Abbies name led all the
| -HaroIvn Wells. In Judge.