The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-12-20
En- ening Chat
1 Don't Believe It,
BY RUTH CAMERON.
1 don't believe it"

| That is what friend of mine fire.
| quently says afterwards when she has
heard any one make statement
which seems improbable to her.
Whenever I hear her say that, I
think of a decision I made when 1
| was a very small girl I decided a lit
| tie comrade of mine didn't tell the
| truth.
You see she had told me two things
that no one could believe. One was
that she had twice sat up until half
| past eleven. Now the latest I had
ever sat up was ten o'clock, and that
| only once a year, and I didn't believe
any child would ever be permitted to
sit up later than that. 1t certainly
stood to reason that if my mother,
| whom recognized to be rather indui-
gent, didn't let me sit up after ten,
Rosie's mother, who was distinctly
strict, would never have let her sit
up until half-past eleven.
The other lie was this. Once upon
a time, said Rosie. her mother had
seen a man who had taken hold of an
electric wire and in some way had
been caught by that electricity and he
couldn't let go of the wire, and it hurt
him dreadfully. So much of the story
1 accepted, the rest 1 considered in
credible. When another man tried to
pull the first man away according
to Rosie), the electricity caught him
too and he couldn't get away either
and then another man caught hold of
him, and finally there was a whole
string of men who couldn't let go of
each other.
I didn't tell Rosie that I didn't be-
lieve the story. We were too good
friends for that. I didn't stop loving
her either, but 1 sadly set her down
in my mind as person with a habit
of taking liberties with the truth,
and discounted many of her subse-
quent statements accordingly.
Poor n1isjudged Rosiel After
wards, when my experience and
knowledge of the world broadened
sufficiently for me to know I had
misjudged her, it was too late to tell
her.
However, have learned lesson.
All is not Incredible that sounds so.
Ones experience is just as apt to be
telling the lie as ones friend. A great
many people exaggerate or smooth
things off; comparatively few tell
downright lies.
When any one says a thing which
seems incredible to you, it may be
that your experience is too limited for
you to understand it. Or 1t may be
that circumstances which appear to
contradict the statements are false.
Appearances are deceitful, and even
figures, which should be the most eX-
act and coldblooded things in the
world, are said to lie. Don't be too
quick to set your neighbor down as 8.
liar by saying. IT don't believe it,
Remember, if he is telling the truth
you are a slanderer. Give him and
yourself the benefit of the doubt.
Question-Don't you believe that
most people have true love mates and
that they generally meet sooner or
later, and when they do meet, if mar
riage should be the result, would not
that be the happiest union ever? And
don't you believe that where true love
exists, there is scarcely a sacrifice too
great for either one to make for the
other or a fault too bad for one to
overlook in the other?
Internationally 1 don't believe
that there is only one true mate for
each individual, but rather one type
with which each type will be happiest.
AS to faults, love does help a lot; but
remember that some people aren't
big enough even under the influence
of the greatest love they are capable
of to overcome their own faults or
bear patiently with the faults of 9TH
ers. However. don't mean to dis
courage YOU Don't mind ne--(Pro- |
tected by The Adams Newspaper Ser
v1ce.)