Veracity

It strikes me that honesty is a thing which we should not too finely discuss with ourselves. It is one of those subtile, evanescent elements that are not friendly to anal y sis. It may not be unwise, howover, to liston to its discussion by others; as I did the other day when Abraham put in a plea tor the Frenchinan'a (and his own method of saying " no," in order to hide the truth and givetho impression of "ves;' in preference to the Englishman's (anc Isaac's) method of saying " yes " in a manner which equally hides the truth anc gives the impression of "no." The conversation was interesting. - " Suppose," said Abraham, " I am askec an impertinent question which to answer evasively, is to answer aflirinatively - namely ; according to the facts. Suppose not only that the person has no right to ask me the question, but, further, thal great harin would be done to others, if ] should answer it according to the facts. Abraham, under these circumstances, would think ho did well if heaetually deceived his interrogator, without actually deuying the facts. But I deal in a plain straightforward manner with the difficulty, and Isaac calla me hard ñames. " Furthennoro," continued Abraham, " I have known Isaac to teil a lie when he thought he was telling the truth. For it is impossible to show things as they are, and sometimes, telling what is called the truth, is simply giving currency to the most unfortunate falsehood." That is a pretty fair statement of the case. I happen to know that Isaac would make little scruple at living a lie, On the other hand I know Abraham to be a;enuinely conscientious and to havo a dowuright delestation of falsehood and deception. And yet, though I do not like Iiaac's way, I cannot approve of Abraham's. In :'act I am inclined to thiuk that Jacob's views on this subject are more satisfactory than those of eithor of the others. - They are not exactly a compromise, but they indícate a method lying between the two above noted ; a method having in it I know not what strange mixture of franknfiss and obscurity. Really, however, I find myself quite at a loss to describe iust the difference ; or to report any easily adaptable example. Only those, of coutsp, who think themr selves tlioroughly houest eau be startled by looking into the matter. There are a great uiany of us who are quit') aware of a certain habit of evasión, that may neverreaeh tha puint of downright deception; suoh óf us will not be so extremely surprised, perhaps, at discovering the dangerous ground on whioh wn have sometimes stood. But tbose of us who have a great deal of conscientiousness, and, in order to keep our mental ppwers in good working order, must not allow ourselves the luxury of dissimulation : we, I say, may be siartled in finding how often we have wanted in perfect fairnesa of front. I said at the outset that it niigh t not be well to ihquire too curiously into these things. I mean that it may be best to trust to our instincts, if our instinots are not warped, Por, really, one is in danger either of becoming morbid or of becoming Jesuitical. I know a young person once, who became morbid. He would never even say " It is so ;" but - " I think it is so." Of course there were times when this sounded like idiocy ; but he knew thore .was doubt about pretty much everything in the world, and he considered that he was merely consistent in embodying that doubt in relation to everything 'in the world about which he was asked a question. I need not say that life was very dreadful to this young person. I knew a youug person who became Jesuitical. He began in analysis, and euded in bribery and corruption. There is, however, one benefit to be derived from moral and psychological studies of this kind. If we are alive to our shortcoming, we will not be likely to make such outcry at other people's, Dear Mr. Theological Controversialist ; you say that the gentleman on the other side is not honest ; that he dare not teil the world ju8t what he believes. But are you, yourself, quite frank, my fiiendr' Have you, yourself, made your full confeasion in print ? Dare you say now, just where you suspect your own cogitations are carrying you 'i Amico min ! remomber the house of glass and the dweller