The Washington herald., 1915-11-09
The Things People Believe.
by JOHN ID. BARRY.

Yesterday | met of those men who deal
in mysteries and in whispered conversation. In
confidence he told me inside story" about
one OF the most famous of our American million
aires. 1t involved the millionaire in great
dal. My informant spoke with the earnestness
that expects and tries exact instant conviction.
When he had finished he sure that / believed
the story just he did For the moment, must
confess, was deeply impressed. | wanted to be-
leve that so exciting and unusual series of epi-
sodes was true. But when l went away and
thought the matter over I saw that the whole
thing was ridiculousy unlikely. that it had proba
bly, been made up. 1t would have been easy
for malice to inspire it and to send it circulating.
So often stories about well-known people
thrive, first because they are so outrageous, and
secondly because they are about well-known peo-
pie. To believe them adds to the interest of liv-
ing. With most listeners, proof or evidence of
any kind is unnecessary. Even probability may be
violated. And then, too, there is the pleasure of
passing the story along. On the narrator it re-
fleets certain importance and interest 1t is
credible merely to have inside information"
So many stories that one hears nowadays
about the rich and the great preposterous
that it would seem if they must deny them
selves. But they keep going. If they were al
lowed to die out life might lose something of
interest One of these stories that | hear every
few months relates to a distinguished man OF
New York. who died suddenly few years ago.
Shortly after his death it was reported that he
had been shot in the apartments of a celebrated
actress by the actress lover. His dead body, &C
cording to the story, secretly carried from
the apartment and it announced that the man
had died at home from natural cause. The lover
used to be pointed out in New York with the
statement that, since the death, he had been pin
ing away. An American novelist used the Incl
dents in this story as the basis for sensational
chapters in novel As matter of fact, there
was basis for the story whatever. But it will
probably go down from generation to generation.
The time is coming when it will be discredt-
able for any to tell story rejecting the
character Of fellow-being unless it is established
as truth. And even then there may be dscredt
4 the story is told through malice or through the
desire to gossip. At present, some people tell
such stories shamelessy. wantonly. 1t is only the
person who. from pure Christianity or
from the sense of fairness, denies himself such
Indulgence Occasionally, in this way, there re-
suits fearful mischief Some one springs up and
makes trouble, perhaps commits some act of vo-
ence. Only the other day was present when an
exciting story of this kind was told. A man in
he group, who had listened in silence, proceeded
o analyze the circumstances. Most convincingy
lie showed that the incidents could not possibly
nave taken place. The narrator could scarcely
conceal his wrath, and nearly all the other listen
RS were disappointed They wanted to believe
he scandal.
Here perhaps is the explanation. If we didn't
wish to believe evil We shouldn't be so eager to
listen to stories of evil On the contrary, we
should take toward them a discouraging attitude
hat would make the story-tellers uncomfortable
In this way, the habit of scandaizing would soon
disappear.