The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-09-03

she VIII ask you II
her eyes aren't little crossed, or II HI
isn't small and undeveloped for his age
And when you turn away hurt, angry
and outraged she will say with an all
of injured virtue:
well. I'm perfectly truthful, There
Is no hypocrisy about me. l always
say exactly what l think"
Now this woman, ana thousands like
her actually account II unto them
selves for righteousness when they &C
about woundng the sensibillties Of peo-
pie, taking the pleasure out OF their
possessions, and filling them with fear
and dread and despair, because they dc
1t in the name of truth
1t seems never TO have occurred Ia
them that very often, just because a
thing is the truth. Is the one impera-
tive reason why 1t should never be
spoken. You may tell a clever man
that he Is acting like a fool, but never
a stupid man, who acts like fool be-
cause he really is one. You may call
your hosts ten thousand dollar auto
mobile a Tin Lizzie, but never his
hivver You may say to sweet-and-
twenty that her frock is too youthful,
but when fat-and- forty has blown In
the savings and scrimpings Of months
on fiapper outfit, you may not tell her
new clothes merely emphasize her age
and stoutness
The truth hurts, therefore the more
thing is true, the more careful we
should be about saying 1t, unless It is
absolutely necessary that 1t should be
Is only plea for the suppression OF. the
gratuitous truths that stab like dag
ger and serve no useful purpose.
II, for instance, the woman l quoted
In the beginning of this article, were
asked whether she thought her friends
hat too young for her, she would have
been bound to give an honest answer
but that question was not put to her.
She could with perfect truthfulness haVe
said that she thought the hat beau
tiful, and withheld her personal opinion
as to its appropriateness to the Wearer
Thus she would still have remained
Veracious Jane, and RETAINED from
woundng friend and spelling her JOY
In her hat.
Inasmuch as none of us hold divine
commission to regulate the lives OF our
friends, or censor their possessions, It
is not often that we are forced to tell
them brutal truths. Generally we can
preserve the amenities of the situation
without doing violence to our con-
sciences by dealing In glittering gener-
alities. We can praise the view from
n house without saying that the house
itself Is furnished in atrocious taste.
We can say that Jones Is good honest
man without adding that he is an
bore. We can emulate the
example of the old bachelor, who was
n truthful James. who when shown
new baby, always exclaimed IN tones
of the deepest conviction: well, this
is a child" cryptic remark, into
which the proud mother read the most
fulsome praise which remained fact
that nobody would dispute, and COM
mitted the speaker to no personal opin-
ion on the baby's lovws.
AS for people tustifying their brutal
candor by claiming the right to say
exactly what they think as well as
might they arrogate to themselves the
privilege Of indulging any other impulse
unchecked. All of US see things that
other people have that we covet, but
we do not forcibly grab the desired
article and make II our own.
There are times when we simply
ache to commit assault and battery
upon the persons of our friends, but we
restrain ourselves. Probably there are
not husband and wife In the world
who haven't haf n moment In which
they could joyfullv have murdered each
other. vet uxorcide is a comparatively
rare crime.
Law, decency. convention have taught
us to restrain our hands. Why should
not the Same restraint be put on our
tongues? Why have we any more right
to go about robbing people OF their
peace " mind, and their harmless con-
ceits. than we have to steal their jew
elrv or their automobiles?
WHY have we any more right to
wound with our tongues than we have
to wound with knife or gum WHY Is
II not as great crime to slav the han
riness Of man or n woman as 1t Is
to kill their bodies?
And did YOU ever notice this, the peo-
ple who make such n fetish Of sneak
Ing the truth. and tho whole truth. are
never strong for anything hut unpleas-
mt truths II there Is anything wrong
about you. their ingrowlnG sense ~ COW
hor compels them to tel YOU ~ It, but
they never feel bound to mention your