The Eambles of an Idler 



golden, or speech being human, silence was cer- 

 tainly divine. Candor is social suicide. Thus 

 is constituted society, in the common accepta- 

 tion of that term. 



Beyond its pale, there is found a saving rem- 

 nant of this admirable trait, from which excel- 

 lent lessons may be learned. To meet with sim- 

 ple folk who mean what they say is like passing 

 from a stuffy parlor to the pure out-door air. 

 It may shock, like intense cold, but not perni- 

 ciously; rather an exhilaration that results in 

 no baleful reaction. Wholesome truth, like 

 wholesome food, builds us up as surely as un- 

 wholesome insincerity tears us down. Build up 

 bricks with mud instead of mortar and the struc- 

 ture falls. Still farther away from society's 

 sacred bounds, the wild life in the woods says 

 what it means, as "when the snapping turtle go- 

 eth about with murder in its heart and murder 

 in its eye as well. Only a fool will be deceived 

 by it, and is this not to the turtle's honor? The 

 rattlesnake gives fair warning before it strikes. 

 It is an honest snake, not a sneak, and we can- 

 not say as much of all people whom we meet. 

 It is scarcely asking too much to treat the in- 

 ferior world with fairness. 



196 



