Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-09-29
Sl!CR!NG To TRUTH
SAGE THINKS 1T IS SOMETHING
THAT CAN Be OVERCOME
Makes the Assertion That II Should
Be Used Sparinsly and With Tact
and Judgment on All
Occasions.

"Twigley says he never told a lie In
his life" related the druggist. "He
says he'd rather lose all he has than
take a fall out of the truth
He hasn't much to lose" observed
the village patriarch. He's so poor
the assessor has quit calling at his
house, and his poverty is largely due
to his weakness for the truth at all
times and seasons
The truth is an excellent thing. but
1t should be used sparingly. and with
tact and judgment. Some people can't
be made to realize that the truth may
be supertiuous. even admitting its
value at ordinary times. | was read
ing of a case in point the other day.
The publisher Of an obscure magazine
in England was surprised and an
noyed when a lot of officials visited his
premises, contiscated everything in
sight, and took him away to jail. He
had been printing a lot of unpleasant
things about the Russian government.
1t is more than likely that what
he said about the government was
true, and II he had printed them two
or three years ago he would have been
generally applauded and a number OF
people would have subscribed for his
magazine; but just now England and
Russia are great friends, and you can't
hit nnA without AfT,,Jinn tka ,ykar
"Our friend, Tom Swike. tho black
smith, is the strongest man in town.
He also has a passion for punching
peoples heads. and the smallest ex-
cuse will serve. Tom never pays his
bills when it can be avoided, and as a
falsiiier he would make Ananias look
like a cheap amateur, | know all this
TO be the truth. yet | would be unwise
to blurt out the truth In Toms hear.
ing.
you will gather my meaning from
these illustrations. The truth Is an
admirable line of goods, yet, II a man
would get on in this world, he must
handle 1t with discretion and not SOW
II broadcast.
"Our friend Twigley. ~ho boasts
that he never told a cherry tree.
couldn't sell gold dollars. He would
be sure to tell some unpleasant truth
about them, saying they were short
weight. or he found them In the pest
house, or something. He's always
things nobody needs to say.
Last fall, just before T%hanksgiv-
Ing, he carried "A dressed turkey all
town in a basket, trying to sell
1t. Any other man could have sold
It at the first house visited, for 1t was
me of the finest-looking birds | aver
He came to our back door and
-ried to do business. | asked him how
old the turkey was. If he had said
ten months I'd have believed him and
3helled out the money, for the bird
a youthful appearance. Twigley
said he didn't know for certain. He
worked a day for a farmer and
.he farmer gave him the turkey for
lis wages. He inferred from what
he farmer said that the bird was
hree years old, but his private opinion
vas that it had celebrated Its fifth
MY friends, there's no hope for a
nan so painfully truthful. He would
10 as poor as Jobs owl If money grew
N his gooseberry bushes. OF course
Ie didn't sell the turkey. don't
now what he did with 1t, but he may
ave sent 1t to one Of the automobile
makers to be converted into tires.
"Twigley is fond of fishing and tells
ne all about his excursions. have
zen waiting for five years to hear
i'm describe the large and beautiful
sh that got away, and he never says
word about 1t. Such a man Is inn
ossible, in any human society, and the
we can do for him is to pity him.
NJ