'The average woman has no use for truth in the abstract. She may be truthful from some fPersonal reason, because she loves her husband' or sweetheart, and means to have no secrets from him, possibly because she wishes her friends to believe in her, or I dislike saying it, the fear of being caught in a falsehood. But when comes to great naked truth itself the average woman does not understand it. There are a few unusual female beings in the world who are so truthful they are discon-carting, but they are rare, and the children of the world call them cranks. Here in the East, where nian is measured by the acquisi-"tion of material junk, truth seems to be a liability rather than an asset. However, if I may be pardoned for being old-fashioned 1 will say a few words concerning the habit.
Tne Haut or EXxaGGeration.
The sincere lover of truth is never found habitually indulging in gossip or sarcasm, for those addicted to such vice never relate a fact as they heard it, but add a turn here and there to give satire a keener point. As the habit of exaggeration grows, truth is lost under an accumulation of fiction. Another class consider the wounding of self-love above all things so they constantly temporize, and contradict themselves exhibiting a cowardly meanness of spirit, which is the most—comtemptible of all forms of duplicity. There is a common fornr of embar-yassment resulting in hesitation of speech, which kindly souls are apt to call shyness, but which is more frequently lack of genuine sincerity. The speaker is thinking of the impression he is making, rather than of the words of discourse. In this divided state his mind loses all its power. It. is true that hesitation in speech sometimes arises from want of verbal—skill; but in this case there is a note of sincerity which causes the inadequate phrasing to ring true.
A Test or BREEDING.
It is said that one can judge the refinement of any person by watching him in his moments of sportiveness. This is true. It is also easy to measure other traits of his character when his mind is thrown off its guard. In conversation we should recognize the law of charity and do as we would be done by. A good listener is as eloquent as a good talker—but few Persons listen with really—_ respectful attention—especially to a subject that can have no immediate interest for themselves. A person who affects interest while he pays ao attention, and is only waiting for the moment when he can again hear himself talk, is very impolite, To listen. to a bore with real courtesy is the hallmark of good breeding. A rapid argument is often a test of breeding, and the regard one has (or two or more have) for truth. One absorbed in, dusiration for himself will never eld a point even when his opinions are shown to be Wrong. Argumentative conversation often degenerates into a war of words where each person tries to talk the other down;: combativeness and pride holding dominion over the mind. The conqueror way exult in his great power, when in many cases, ko should consider his shame.
Tue Cuarat or Simpricity. put simplicity, which may De defined Next in line to courtesy let us
as forgetfulness of self. There is nothing so fatal to easy conversation and truth as perpetually thinking of one's self. Many people (especially Idies) fal! into the error of believing that all eyes and ears are fixed upon them when they enter a room. The thing which produces this awkward diffidence is the result of mental and the love of admira-What difference docs it make what people think of us if We know that we are sincere! We must learn to Lo and not to seem.
Intellectual "brilliancy in con. versation dazzles the imagination, but does not touch the heart. The brilliancy is as cold as the surface of the polished gem. The brilliant talker with a "platform presence" delights us for an evening or an afternoon—but the man whose heart we can feel throbbing down under his simple phrasing grips us for all time. There is a grace beyond all art in simplicity. Its manifesto tions are more potent because they are internal. A simple, truthful conversation is like a quiet lake on a golden summer evening, it reflects all the varied scenes of beauty that are brought to it.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.