White Lies.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7064, 25 July 1901, Page 4

White Lies.

■ The habit of romancing is a form of social lying which is very generally excused, partlybecause romancers are amusing and often serve to keep us from -ennui, and partly because the temptation to romance is keenly felt by a great many among those who i never do it. There is, we (Spectator) understand, a defect in the physical sight which is called want of " definition," and some people are born without the power of " definition." As children the difference between imagination and reality is hazy to them, and accurate speech is only attained to. by determined effort and attention. Later on such children often turn out peculiarly truthful men and women. Truth. is to them' a matter of self-control, and-self-control after long habit becomes second nature. Dread of shame or ridicule has forced them, to think before • they speak, has taught the over-imaginative man to .keep his romances within his own/ breast where they modify his own character, —Usually for the better, the imagination of the romancer almost always running;to the heroic. Often vain he mil almost always try in action to justify his own vanity. But there are some boyish men and childish women who, though they may be very clever, never really.grow up at all.. Ihese.never attain to any decree of self-control, and they' go on romancing out loud all through life often loved .and always laughed at by^ their friends and acquaintance, followed unconciously by. the intense though.; secret sympathy of those fellow-sinners who have at lastlearned to hold their tongues;. It is not easy to draw any... definite' limit to the license of common deception for the common weal, which society gives to its members, but we shouldtsay that both in : the matter of innocent romancing and in the use of :those. defensive forms which, we have described, we may .consider that we- : have gone too far on : the very first •" oocasion that we realise we have been only, our audience— - out 6urselves.'f x::.■/; ';■'•;•; ;■.;•; ;.;.;?■ ;•■._■.-..