A Rare Chance.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXVII, Issue XIII, 28 September 1901, Page 586

A Rare Chance.

A wealthy Chicago lady has offered a prize of £2OO, to be paid to the first business or professional man who can conclusively prove that he has carried on his work for a month honestly and without lying. The offer, I understand, is confined to the United States, so there is no use in any New Zealander applying. But, although the business morality of the States is reputed to be somewhat low as compared with ours, I think anyone here might offer a similar prize to be competed for by his fellow colonists without much fear of los«. Not that I mean to infer that honesty and truth fulness are such rare qualities here, but the conditions of the competition are much too stringent. How is this absolute proof to be obtained? Where is even the saint who could lay his hand on his heart and swear to that absolute rectitude of conduct in his business affairs which is demanded in terms of the deed? For honesty and truthfulness have come to be in a large measure comparative. Here is the late Professor Blackie’s category of lies which 'lie would not have pretended was exhaustive. dust glance over them, and if you think you can live a month without being guilty of one of them, let me know. The “Graphic” is always on the look-out for novelties: — 1. Lies of carelessness, from loose observation and hasty generalisation —any hour’s talk full of them. 2. Lies of cowardice, from fear of facing the truth, as when a man, labouring under a dangerous disease, reasons himself into the belief that lie. is quite well. 3. Lies of politeness, very common with women; taking the sting out of the truth, for fear of giving offence. 4. Lies of flattery, from a benevolent desire to please, or from a selfish desire to gain something by pleasing. 5. Lies of self-glorification, magnifying our own virtues or the virtues of the class to which we belong*. This includes patriotic lies, sectarian lies, and almost every kind of lie that masks selfishness under a grand name. 6. Lies of malevolent hostility, consciously intended to deceive an a<lverfmry, as in war. 7. Lies <»f sei {-defence, to save nature when a force is put upon her. or to save one’s life, where honour is not concerned. S. T.ies of benevolence, ns to save another per-on*s life, ns when a rignreotm man flies to yon for concealment, hounded by his persec»itnrs, and you say he k not in yonr house. 9. Lies of convention, as when yon Cnll n man n gentleman who is nnt a gentleman in any proper sense of the word; or when you call the King, in

♦he prayer-book, a most religions and gracious Sovereign, when he may be a great blackguard; or when yon call yourself “yonr humble servant,” when you are as proud as Lucifer. 10. Lies of modesty, when you say you cannot do what you can do, to avoid the appearance of forwardness. 11. Lies.