The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1905-12-14

In the question and answer depart
ment Of one Of the most popular
monthly magazines we came ACROSS
the following case: A woman, the wife
OF minister, had written to the maea-
zine and its readers saying that her
conscience troubled her and she would
like to state the cause and ses II some
one would not advise a way out Of the
dimculty. 1t seems that this worthy
woman possessed railroad stocks to the
amount Of $8OO1 on which sha bad
never paid any tax whatever. Her
husband being Of that denomination ef
ministers who change their pastorate
about every two years, the tax collect
ors had never. 1t seems, been able to
locate this $4,000. Consequently the
lady had never been called upon for
taxes, though. as she expressed II she
had never made any effort either to|
make known or conceal the fact mat
she possessed the property. Notwith-
standing that this lady was aware she
possessed goods upon which the law
prescribed that she should pay . tag;
abe wrote to magazine asking the|
editor and the public to help her ont oe|
the difficulty.
In principle the above case Il vsty|
common. The person in QussttoA
would no doubt scorn to steal $40 and
would have resented the imputst1oa
that she was dishonest. Like the nan
who has been Overpaid in a transac.
ton or the making OF change, she was
willing to profit by the ignorance Of
the tax collector, provided II entailed
NO overt act of dishonesty on her part.
This Is test before which many peo-
pie fall. yet the truth 10 plain to SEE.
Honesty 10 not matter to be dstsr.
mined by the public. but to bs decided
by the individual who 10 concerned.
Neither can one person excuse or pal.
late his acts by citing the example n
another's wrong action. Ths msstiaE
Of such questions a. the above M
wolves character, and character b .
thing which must be worked out ~
the Independent acts and decisions oS
its possessor. A pernicious but ent3e
Ing theory IN that which holds thst a.
honesty comes only with dstectaea.
"spoon Bill" idiots
The late Professor Laycock u
Edinburgh university used to divide
idiots into two clssses-poverty
idiots and luxury idiots. The for
mer were characterized by physical
deforinity and the latter by refined
and delicate confguration; small
beads and great prominence of the
central region of the face. The luz.
ury idiots, whom he traced to indo-
lence and self indulgence through
many generations with breeding in
and in, he called also spoon bill"
idiots and used to point out that
they were of the type represented
ss aristOcratic noodles. There was
less breeding in and in among the
upper classes than there used to b,
but he himself did not doubt that
exemption for number of genera
tions from any participation in the
struggle for existence, with high
feeding and etfeminacy, tended to,
induce mental weakness Of . special
type.-l'ondon Telegraph.
Eve's Apple.
A botanical friend showed me net
long since what he said was the ap-
pie that must have tempted Eve In
what WAS surely tropical fruit gar
den. II was a little hit Of an oriental
crab, about third II an inch In d.
ameter. and. Of course, 1t was bitterly
sour' My philosophixing friend point.
ed out that Of course, the fruits In
Eden Were the natural wild" fruits,
and he was wondering whether the fall
Of mankind would not have been &C.
celerated IL the attracting tree had
been hung with fair crop Of The
tempting golden or crimson varieties e