on the decay of the art of lying-第2部分

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deflection　of　yours。　You　know　Mr。　Jones's　Willie　is　lying　very　low　with

scarlet…fever；　well；　your　recommendation　was　so　enthusiastic　that　that　girl

is　there　nursing　him；　and　the　worn…out　family　have　all　been　trustingly　sound

asleep　for　the　last　fourteen　hours；　leaving　their　darling　with　full　confidence

in　those　fatal　hands；　because　you；　like　young　George　Washington；　have　a　reputa

However；　if　you　are　not　going　to　have　anything　to　do；　I　will　come　around

to…morrow　and　we'll　attend　the　funeral　together；　for；　of　course；　you'll

naturally　feel　a　peculiar　interest　in　Willie's　caseas　personal　a　one；　in

fact；　as　the　undertaker。〃



　　But　that　was　not　all　lost。　Before　I　was　half…way　through　she　was　in　a　carriage

and　making　thirty　miles　an　hour　toward　the　Jones　mansion　to　save　what　was　left

of　Willie　and　tell　all　she　knew　about　the　deadly　nurse。　All　of　which　was

unnecessary；　as　Willie　wasn't　sick；　I　had　been　lying　myself。　But　that　same　day；

all　the　same；　she　sent　a　line　to　the　hospital　which　filled　up　the　neglected

blank；　and　stated　the　_facts；_　too；　in　the　squarest　possible　manner。



　　Now；　you　see；　this　lady's　fault　was　_not_　in　lying；　but　in　lying

injudiciously。　She　should　have　told　the　truth；　_there；_　and　made　it　up　to　the

nurse　with　a　fraudulent　compliment　further　along　in　the　paper。　She　could　have

said；　〃In　one　respect　this　sick…nurse　is　perfectionwhen　she　is　on　the　watch；

she　never　snores。〃　Almost　any　little　pleasant　lie　would　have　taken　the　sting

out　of　that　troublesome　but　necessary　expression　of　the　truth。



　　Lying　is　universalwe　_all_　do　it。　Therefore；　the　wise　thing　is　for　us

diligently　to　train　ourselves　to　lie　thoughtfully；　judiciously；　to　lie　with

a　good　object；　and　not　an　evil　one；　to　lie　for　others'　advantage；　and　not　our

own；　to　lie　healingly；　charitably；　humanely；　not　cruelly；　hurtfully；

maliciously；　to　lie　gracefully　and　graciously；　not　awkwardly　and　clumsily；

to　lie　firmly；　frankly；　squarely；　with　head　erect；　not　haltingly；　tortuously；

with　pusillanimous　mien；　as　being　ashamed　of　our　high　calling。　Then　shall　we

be　rid　of　the　rank　and　pestilent　truth　that　is　rotting　the　land；　then　shall

we　be　great　and　good　and　beautiful；　and　worthy　dwellers　in　a　world　where　even

benign　Nature　habitually　lies；　except　when　she　promises　execrable　weather。

ThenBut　am　I　but　a　new　and　feeble　student　in　this　gracious　art；　I　cannot

instruct　_this_　club。



　　Joking　aside；　I　think　there　is　much　need　of　wise　examination　into　what　sorts

of　lies　are　best　and　wholesomest　to　be　indulged；　seeing　we　_must_　all　lie　and

we　_do_　all　lie；　and　what　sorts　it　may　be　best　to　avoidand　this　is　a　thing

which　I　feel　I　can　confidently　put　into　the　hands　of　this　experienced　Cluba

ripe　body；　who　may　be　termed；　in　this　regard；　and　without　undue　flattery；　Old

Masters。











End