The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1906-11-03
THE BOOK OF TRUTH.

The woman who pledged herself
to speak the truth on all occasions
was tagged out after trying day. /
"John," she said to her husband,
after having gazed into vacancy for a
/ quarter of an hour, ''it is often neces-
sary to lie, isn't it? That is, 1t i.
better to refrain from speaking the
truth on all occasions; perhaps that
would be the better way to put it."
"Why?" asked her husband, won
dering whence the cargo for this train
of thought.
"Well, the other day fell to think
ing of the numberless petty lies we
women tell every day, and the far
higher self-esteem that would come
from truth and candour."
eyes" assented her husband.
"And I registered mental pledge
to tell the truth at all times, and to
abstain from the nasty little ibs we
think we have to tell"
''Well?"
''You see, my pledge took effect
this morning, and the first person to
come to the house after you left was
that Holmes woman
''I'm listening"
"She wanted us to come to card
party, an informal affair, she said !;
and the way she slobbered over me
made me sick. Slobber is the only
word that expresses it, John. You
know I always did dispise that wo-
man, and it is only by the greatest
effort that can be civil to her.
Ordinarily l would have fbbed, and
told her how delighted we would be
to come. But the passion for truth
was on me, and, as nearly as can
remember it, this is what I said:
Mrs. Holmes, neither my husband
nor I care for you. We do not enjoy
ourselves in your company, and we
dislike to be under any obligation to
you, for we must return it, and that
we do not care to do.
John whistled-a long-drawn, con-
templative whistle.
"You were telling the truth for the
family he observed.
"It would not have been so bad,
John, if 1 had stopped there, but when
the truth started from my lips it
seemed so good it overpowered my
prudence. Your entertainments are
always prosy, said, and you haven't
a bit of tact in the world. You insist
on inviting three or four couples who
don't speak to each other, and expect
to mix them round card tables and
work out complete scheme in social
harmonies. Your refreshments are
abominable, and your guests poke
fun at you behind your back. Your
house always smells as if it didn't get
an airing for month, and I have a
headache whenever I go there. So,
if you please, John and I will not
come"
"Don't you think you told little
more truth than was absolutely neces-
sary?" asked her husband refectively.
81 fancy I did, John, but, as I told
you, it got away from me. You
should have seen her, John. She
turned red and blue and white and
green, and fairly choked with rage
when she found 1 meant it. I told
so much truth it hurt. She called
me jealous scold, and said she never
wanted me at all, but always invited
us because we had so few friends and
went out so little. That was stinger,
wasn't it?"
IT can hear the echo of the ham,
mers now," was Johns solitary COM
ment.. "About how far did this mania
for truth carry you during the day
You might as we'll tell it all now."
"Well, to go on, the Rev. Mr..
Prosey dropped in about I:3oo'clock.
You know he always comes about the
time you are trying hardest to do
something; says he knows he's in
truding, excuses himself every FIVE
minutes, and stays about three hours.
He came to the door when I had both
hands covered with -four, making
pastry, and know he saw me wiping
them on my apron. When I opened
the door he said he knew his call was
ill-timed, but he was passing and could
not resist the temptation to drop il" !"
"Then you said you were delighted
to have him, and that if he would
come in you would make cup of tea
for him?"
Indeed, I did nothing Of the sort.
That passion for truth overcame me
again, and / stood in the door with
out inviting him in. Mr.. Prosey,' I
said, I am busy making pastry, and
1 know you saw me wiping the -four
off my hands when I came to the
door. If / should invite you in, I
would be guilty of deceit, for / do not
want you. You would interfere with
my domestic arrangements, and in
my perturbed and irritated state of
mind I do not believe any spiritual
advice you might offer would fall on
fertile soil. So 1 shallask you to ex-
cuse me, and hereafter to time your
calls more opportunely.'"
"Try for the laity," said John,
who was an Rugby football player.
"The poor old soul looked so shock
ed and bewildered I was tempted to
violate my pledge and go back to fib-
bing, but stayed firm, and shut the
door as gently as could, but no less
decisively."
"The next propaganda ~
"This afternoon Mrs. Merrill
brought that boy of hers over and
planted herself for the usual two
hours, while her infant destroyer
should roam at large among my brio