Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-11-12
LIFE'S PROBLEMS
ARE DISCUSSED

There are people who would rather
be convicted of any one of the seven
deadly sins than to confess their
justifiable ignorance of some per-
fectly simple and immaterial mat
ter.
That is partly the reason there is
so much wrong information in the
world.
If | wanted to so to one of the
suburbs Of New York and were to
inquire my way of the first half
dozen men 1 should meet, the chances
are that l would get exactly six tctal-
ly different answers. and none of them
correct.
Each of the half dozen, instead
of frankly replying, "I don't know,
would stare at me fishy-eyed for a
moment or two and then stammer:
THE way to Suburbia? Why, let INC
see. oh, yes; you go such and such a
way" giving Suuccinct directions,
which, if followed, would land one
almost anywhere from Pawtucket to
Peoria.
And it is not from any conscious
intention TO mislead tie inquirer. In
fact, they rather hope they may be
right. But, ashamed to appear ig-
norant, they are willing to take a
gamblers chance to your expense.
l will give you another experiment
OF the. same character. Mention some
book, play, picture, newspaper ar
ticlc or prominent parsonage to any
five people of your acquaintance, and,
although they may all be absolutely
unfamiliar with the subject you bring
up, it will be a very exceptional in
dividual who admits it. They may
not openly fib, but they will so hedge
and squiTm and camouflage their re-
joinders as to give all the effects of a
barefaced deception.
With the great majority of us a
scared conscience is far easier TO
bear that the TpoTtification of avow-
ing our ignorance. Lecturers and
takers - especially those who are
the mouthpiece of some cult-con-
stantly trade upon this weakness in
human nature.
you remember, of course, what
Propertius says" they COO, and their
auditors nod knowingly, although It
is probably the first time they ever
heeard of Propertius in their lives,
and no one outside of a dry-as- dust
bookworm could possibly be expect
ed to remember any statement he
ever voiced.
But is is in the fields Cf folly that
this dread of betraying ignorance
reaches it's rankest growth. The
sternest- souled and most blameless
Roman matron is flattered at being
accused as a flirt. She will bride
and slant her eyes in the endeavor to
appear subtle even while she de-
MES the !mputation. Never have
known a man who did not claim to
be an adept at mixing a mint julep.
although he probably did not know
a single one Of the ingredients re-
oured outside of the mint.
The other day in a public con-
veyance l overheard n discussion be-
tween two men on the evils of gamb-
ling. Finally, in disgust at some rasn
statement which was made, one of
them exclaimed
"Why, I don't believe you know
what a faro bank looks like"
"Oh, no." replied the other with
obvious sarcasm. Never saw one
in all my life"
l was satisfied that he was speak
ing the truth. the whole truth and
nothing but the truth. His appear
ance and manner and the almost
angry protest he made all bore me
out. But the impression he sought
to convey was that in his gay, young
life faro was as common a diver
sion as prunes for breakfast.
Why do we labor so hard to make
people think us worse than we are?
We feel that We can afford almost