Year: 1878

The Art OF Deception.


One of the most singular inconsist
encies to be observed in everoda,
life is found 10 the different name
in which the habit of deception is re
garded, according TO the age and pO
sition of those who practice.


Children, as soon as they becom,
capable of Distinguishing right from
wrong, are taught to look upon de
ceit as one Of the worst sins that car
be committed.


Boys at school are not only taught
the beauty of truth by their masters
but in certain rough fashion, rever
ence it among themselves. A boy
for instance, who parades ostenta
tiously to his master an assumed
steadiness of principle and submis
siveness of demeanor, is very soou
branded with the odious title oi
sneak


On the other hand, occasions arise
in schooiboy life when, by sticking to
a deliberate falsehood, a boy may
gain for himself the reputation of a
hero among bis fellows.


This, however, is detail Of the
curious system of schoolboy morality,
the unwritten laws of which might
form an interesting matter for study.


Girls, it would seem, are by nature
more inclined to un;ruthfuIness than
boys; but this inclination ia really
very often the result Of moral cow
ardice--a defect which it may be
said, is as common to boys and men
as to girls and women.


But in one case there are deterrent
influences. absent in the other, which
often lead to the attempt at overcom-
ing, or at any rate concealing, this
fault.


A boy who has invented a story to
save himself from q scrape, aud is
found out, is generally made to feel
in some tangible way that be has
been guilty Of gross blunder, if not
a crime


He becomes conscious that his con-
duct has gained him nothing but q
punishment, and the scorn of the
community.


With girls the matter is somewhat
different. Some form of punishment
may be inflicted, but the sense Of
having done shameful thing is less
frequently and less strongly ineuleat-
ed.


A girl who has been detected in a
NAV be tessed on the sub
ject by her companions, but she will
not be stunned and despised.


Thus she is very likely to learn
early in life the great maxim that it
is not crime, but detection, that one
ought to avoid


Among certain class OF grown-up
women there is little more disgrace
attached to untruthfulness than
among girls; and this. i; must be said,
is to great extent the fault of men,
who so diligently assure women that
they are by nature untruthful, tina. it
is small wonder ii they end by be-
lieving the assertion aud acting upon
it.


1t also occurs that certain women
who have cultivated a lore for truth
become disguised at the general weak
ness of their sex in this respect, and
fly in consequence to the opposite ex-
treme.


They judge it necessary to employ
some striking means of convincing
the world that they are not as other
women are, and that whatever they
say is trustworthy;snd they therefore
affect an irritating sharpness of man
ner and an uncomfortable habit of
saying the most dissgreeable things
they can. In order to avoid fattery,
they overwhelm one with bitter criti-
cisms.


Perhaps they are, however, more
tolerable-inasmueh as they at least
act from principle-than the women
of the world who are accomplished in
the art Of deception, and employ ell
its resources to wound any oDe
against whom they have a grudge
Their words are to those of the wo-
man who aaunts her truthfulness in
ones face as the bite of g snake to
the chance blow of q bludgeon. Both,
however, may be said to be results,
in opposite directions, Of the same
system.


The most dangerous woman, prob
ably. in the matter of untruth, is she
who, with frank manner, a pleasant
smile, and the honest appearance Of
Iago, will look you full in the face
and tell you what she knows to be q
deliberate lie. And such people are
commoner than may be generally
supposed, inasmuch as the fallacy
that a person skilled in the art of de
ception cannot look others 10 the face
is still very generally entertained, al
though it has often enough been ex-
posed


Among men the practice OF false.
hood is perhaps not more rare than
among women, but it ia apt to take a
less harmful form. There are many
women who are known to devote
themselves to the propagation of un-
truths, or, what are more dangerous,
half-truths, and who suffer very little
in social estimation or position.


But man-snd there are Of course
many such-who spends bis time in
circulating malicious reports, in col
lecting the raw gossip of clubs, deck.
ing and adorning it after his OWL
fashion, and sending it out again in q
complete and finished form, is likely
to get little for his plans but contempt
except, Indeed, among a circle o.
sesndalous old women, who are al
ways ready to welcome him.


The men who lie with success
so hard name as Lying" ought Il
be given to their practices-are those
who have some resemblance to Corn
eille's Menteur, who are led away By
force Of Imagination, and also by I
certain feeling for artistic effect.


These men are most usually found
among Irishmen, and their method