SONS 261 



that I am advocating want of truthfulness as a principle, or 

 that I doubt for a moment that the fact of speaking truth 

 intentionally, even to the injury of self, is one of the most 

 essential strengtheners of man's moral nature. It does 

 not always come naturally, however, as many imaginative 

 children lie, and weaklings are sure to lie, hate it as they 

 may, for it is the certain fruit of fear. Jean Paul Eichter 

 speaks of it in the following terms : ' Lying, that devour- 

 ing cancer of the inner man, is more severely judged and 

 denned by the feeling of nations than by philosophers. 

 The Greeks, who suffered their gods to commit as many 

 crimes with impunity as their present representatives, the 

 gods of the earth, do yet condemn them for perjury that 

 root and quintessence of a lie to pass a year of lif elessness 

 under the ground in Tartarus, and then to endure nine 

 years of torments. The ancient Persian taught his child 

 nothing in the whole circle of morality but truthfulness.' 



Truthfulness is so essential to moral superiority that 

 any young man who consistently acts a part in life for 

 ambitious or other reasons is very apt to become morally 

 degenerate, and hardly able to distinguish between truth 

 and falsehood. It is one of the things which, when 

 discovered, is perhaps almost unduly punished by the 

 contempt showered on it by contemporaries. It has been 

 finely said, ' Principle is a passion for truth.' 



While boys are still at school, is it not distinctly 

 wrong for both parents to be away and out of easy reach 

 at the same time ? Accidents so often happen, and school 

 authorities, more especially school doctors and surgeons, 

 are not to be depended upon, as they cannot give the 

 time and attention which a boy naturally receives at 

 home. If the eyes of love could be bought with money, 

 love would not mean very much in the world ; and it does 

 mean a good deal, in spite of what many think, and, still 

 more, of what many say. 



