home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
- LESSON X X X I
-
- On Speaking the Truth
-
- A little girl once came into the house, and told her
- mother a story about something which seemed very improb-
- able.
- The persons who were sitting in the room with her
- mother did not believe the little girl, for they did not
- know her character. But the mother replied at once,"I
- have no doubt that it is true, for I never knew my
- daughter to tell a lie". Is there not something noble in
- having such a character as this?
- Must not that little girl have felt happy in the con-
- sciousness of thus possessing her mother's entire confi-
- dence? Oh, how different must have been her feelings from
- those of the child whose word cannot be believed and who
- is regarded by every one with suspicion? Shame, shame on
- the child who has not magnanimity enough to tell the truth.
- There are many ways of being guilty of falsehood
- without uttering the lie direct, in words. Whenever you
- try to deceive your parents, in doing that which you know
- they disapprove, you do in reality tell a lie.Conscience
- reproves you for falsehood.
-
- SPELL AND DEFINE -- character; consciousness;
- confidence; falsehood; contemptible;magnanimity;
- deceitful
-