The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1910-05-05
SINCERITY AND STIMULATION.

In the unfertile and abandoned fields OF
literature, lost to present sight and not
worth search, is tale of the man who
for some offense was condemned invariably
to tell the truth. The sentence was shortly
nullified, for the man produced confusion
and trouble all over the kingdom, which,
as kingdoms were in days of old, was small
and easily disturbed. The whimsical tale
is the characteristic device of deriding a
virtue by exhibiting the absurdity of un-
moderated excess. Lord Bacon had in
mind that ill-timed immoderation of plain
speech when he wrote that secrecy is some
times polite and moral; it taketh strong
wit and strong heart to know when to
tell the truth and to do it,
But the great philosopher also under
stood the general and wholesome rule for
the conduct of man to man. "The habit
of Discrimination is hindrance and poor
ness" he said. Another moral philosopher
wisely advised that person who pretends
is always in danger of becoming ridiculous,
while he is always esteemed if he "shows
those qualities which are altogether in his
power"
Sincerity and veracity are the qualities
which mark really great men, and they
mark the trusted, strong and useful men
and women Of all social ranks. Nobody
can grasp the pen and tablet of fate to fix
his own destiny. To the most masterful OF
men the future is as "unseizable as light,
unapproachable as the SUM-" Of one fact,
however, everybody may be sure: perfdy
brings punishment, falsity is failure, pre-
tense will be exposed and treason sets man.
kind against the man. If you ask a mixed
company who was the greatest man in
American history, one will name Washing
ton, the simple, truthful, high minded
patriot; another will select Franklin, the
unaffected, compromising, successful OBJ
server, diplomatst and lawgiver; another
will speak for Lee, 1.-The most stainless OF
earthly commanders, and, except in for
tune the greatest" never pretending and
never losing reliance on eternal right. Not
one will vote for Arnold, in spite of his
brilliancy. Not one will mention Scott, the
always capable soldier, because his pomp-
BUSINESS and desire to seem greater than he
was marred his career and diminished his
claims upon popular regard. Affectation
of any kind will be detected, and the smile
of contempt on the lips of even inferior
companions is fatal to command or leader
ship.
In the japanese there is peculiar con.
tradiction. AS business men they are un.
trustworthy; in common affairs untruthful
Japanese art, at least before it was spoiled
by the taste of Occidental customers, was
marked by direct sincerity and simplicity
That artist was first who conveyed an ides
with the single stroke of the brush, thu
single line of the bronze moulder, the single
leaf on tiny cup of cloisonne. japanese
business is held contemplate the worle
over; Japanese art is loved and admired
wherever there is the eye of artist or con
noisseur. There have been dramatists ant
poets of marvellous gifts in all languages
one genius is Observation-Disclosures
The unapproachableness of Shakespeare
not an outflow of his word power or hi
inauguration. He is greater than othe
writer's because he is too great for the small
arts of inferiority. If he plagiarizes, it i
with care-free Indifference. Falstaff talk
like Falstaff, Touchstone like Touch
stone, Henry like prince, Beatrice like
woman. The speech of Patrick Henri,
carried every mind to deeds of daring be
cause it was the natural, plain thought Q
devoted soul inspired with patriotism an
consoled with faith in the right. The Ger
man poet who ranks next to Shakespear
in grasp and directness felt the indignatio
of the sincere mind at the, prevalence Q
sham. This is Goethe's warning, clothe
in English words:
"Cook up your broken scraps Of sentences,
Startle the schoolboys with your metaphors,
But never hope to stir the hearts of men
With words which come not native from the heart.
There is the insincerity of flattery, tn
untruth of imitation, the "false buzz Q
villainous assentation," the vice of prid
which paints and CARDS itself to win HON
age it cannot earn. The tricks of simula
ton are of no avail. They please tn
pretender and flatter his fancy, but the
deceive only those who are yet weaker tina
he. The world does not have Tom Pine
to admire every Pecksniff, and in life as i
the story even the Tom Pinches soon lear