Evening star., 1932-11-12

wv 81 E. :: 4: $; g. i; e. = 81: s s
school. When she asked
me did I hand in my homework said,
Yes I knew I could have 1t on her
desk by noon and / would have only
we had an extra assembly and that cut
our study hour and so she said told q
lie. Maybe / did, but 1t wasn't any
thing to make such fuss about. III
bet she tells more than do If it comes
down to it."
"Now, John Thomas, don't begin put
ting blame on other people because
you're caught in the wrong. That won't
get you anywhere. I should think you'd
be ashamed to tell a lie. Ycu know
better. We have always taught you to
tell the truth, haven't we?"
John Thomas mumbled something
that might have been taken for assent
by one anxious to have 1t so.
Then why don't you stick to your
teaching? Why can't you be truth
full about a little thing like homework"
"It's no little thing when you have
to stay in after hours and write some
thing a thousand times. That's what
she does 10 us when we forget to hand
in something or II we whisper in class.
I wanted to go to the ball game I
hadn't time to do all the homework
last night. worked until 10 o'clock
and then you made me 60 to bed.
Coming or going I haven't chance.
Makes me sick. Does she tell the truth
all the time? I'll say she, doesn't.
Nobody does. But If try to help my
self out of a tight place I'm liar. I'm
| not any worse than anybody else I
know and you know it."
"I told you, John Thomas, that it
won't help any for you to put blame
upon other people for your mistakes.
| You've got to own them and pay for
| them"
We'll, did I had to stay after school
and write for an hour and then had to
go to the Office and listen to a lecture
about telling the truth and then I came
| home and had to listen to another.
Makes me sick. AS if everybody told
| the truth but me-"
when do you know that doesn't tell
the truth? Say what's on your mind. ="
why Ma, you couldn't get along for
a day If you told the truth as you want
me to. Dr. Mullins told Aunt Katie that
she would be all right in day or so
Il WLlC1l h1lCN ollC was BOlIlk W
Aunt Helen told Mrs. Bitz that her new
hat was the Cats when she knew it was
awful. Old man Cooley sold his car to
a man for a good one and he knew the
rear and was no good. Uncle
Clark"
That's enough Of such talk, John
Thomas. The minute any of those
people slipped of the truth standard
you lost respect for them. That's plain.
You want to be the kind Of a man
people will respect and trust. You want
them to take your Yes for Yes and
your No for NO. Your grandfather's
word was taken where other mems notes
were refused because he placed his word
above everything else. There's a satis-
faction in telling the truth and stand
ing clear of anything that hints of a
lie. You stick to the truth, no matter
what anybody says, and you will be bet
ter of. Every time you tell lie some
body knows you are afraid"
"Im not afraid. What do I care?"
"You cared so much that YOU told q
lie about nothing at ALL That's how
afraid you were A lie is a towards
defense. Only brave person tells the
truth. didn't think it of you"
Right then John Thomas looked as
though a new idea had come to him
If a good example follows the precept
there is a fair chance Of his getting
acquainted with truth all over again.
| (Copyright, 1922