But will you not bestow a single one "Now, mother, sing the tune You sang last night. I'm weary, and must sleep. Morning spread over earth her rosy wings, He breathed it not! - The laugh of passers by No boy or girl needs to be told that lying is an odious vice, which all good men abhor, and which God looks upon with the sternest displeasure. But all are not aware that there are many kinds of falsehood, which are not the signs of a depraved nature, and which often flow from thoughtlessness and carelessness, but which are not right and proper. Many men and women, and many boys and girls, who would on no account tell a deliberate falsehood, will say things and do things which are really untrue, and therefore morally wrong. The customs of society tolerate forms of untruth, which no one can yield to without the reproach of a good conscience. Lies are, in common speech, divided into black lies and white lies; the latter being those slight departures from truth which many persons think of little consequence. A boy who should come late to school because he had stopped to play, and should excuse himself by saying that his mother had sent him on an errand, would be telling a black lie; and none but a wicked boy would do this. But one who should carry to his teacher a sum which another boy had done for him, and should claim the merit of it as his own, would be guilty of deception, or, in other words, would be telling a white lie. So a boy who, in reciting, should answer from another's prompting, would be committing the same kind of fault. Many boys and girls are in the habit of violating truth by speaking in extravagant terms of what they have seen. They use such expressions as splendid, tremendous, glorious, magnificent, superb, when words of a simpler meaning should be employed. They do this from a wish to create surprise in the hearer. "Father," said a boy one day, "I saw an immense number of dogs in our street last night; five hundred, I am sure." 66 Surely not so many?" said his father. “Well, there were one hundred, I am quite sure." "It could not be," said the father; "I don't think there are a hundred dogs in the village." "Well, it could not be less than ten; this I am quite certain of." "I will not believe you saw even ten,” said the father, "for you spoke as confidently of seeing five hundred as of seeing this smaller number. You have contradicted yourself twice already, and now I cannot believe you." "Well, father," said the disconcerted boy, "I saw at least our Dash and another one." This is an example of erroneous reporting through eagerness to make out a wonderful case. Many persons are in the habit of violating the truth from a mistaken sense of good nature, and a wish to give pleasure to their friends. Thus young ladies are often praised for their singing, or playing, or drawing, when they do not deserve it, because their friends wish to gratify them or their parents. It is obvious that the effect of this false praise is to prevent all solid improvement. If a man of musical knowledge were to say to a young lady, in a kind manner, that the song she had just sung was too difficult for her at present, but that by study and practice she would in time learn to execute it well, he would be doing her a far greater service than if he had praised her for an imperfect performance; and if she were a young lady of good sense, she would be grateful to him for his frankness. Ladies sometimes ask their friends whether they are looking well or not, or whether they are becomingly dressed; and their friends, from a wish to please, or a reluctance to give pain, will tell them that they are looking charmingly, or that their dress is in the most perfect taste, though the reverse is the fact. It is far better to speak the truth with gentle firmness; for a friend who will take offence at this is not worth the keeping. Some persons, too, receive their visitors with a great show of cordiality, and say they are delighted to see them, when their visits are really an annoyance; and, worse still, they will express this feeling, and ridicule their acquaintances, as soon as their backs are turned; and this, perhaps, in the presence of their children, whose tender hearts are thus infected with the poison of falsehood. This is very wrong. Politeness requires us to treat every one with civility, and to avoid giving pain; but it does not command us to show a cordiality we do not feel. A mechanic who promises to complete a piece of work at a certain time, when he has every reason to believe that he will not be able to do so, tells a white lie. This, we are sorry to say, is a very common fault in our country; though it comes more from thoughtlessness and carelessness than from any intention to deceive. No man should ever make a promise which he knows he cannot keep; and there is no more sure element of success in life than a faithful adherence to one's engagements. What a praise it is to a man to have it said of him that his word is as good as his bond! Nothing is more noble than an adherence to truth under trying circumstances. Many years ago, in Scotland, a young woman was tried for a crime the punishment of which was death. Her sister, whose name was Helen Walker, might have saved her life, if she had been willing to swear to a false statement. This she would not do; but as soon as her sister was condemned, she proceeded on foot to London, being too poor to travel in any other way, and there obtained her par don from the queen. Sir Walter Scott heard of this story, and made it the foundation of his beautiful novel of the Heart of Mid Lothian, and of his admirable character of Jeannie Deans. He sought out the grave of Helen Walker, and caused a handsome monument to be erected over it, setting forth her virtues. Every one must share in the admiration this great and good man felt for this heroine in humble life. Mr. Richard Lovell Edgeworth, the father of the Miss Edgeworth who wrote such charming books for children, at the close of a long life recorded these words in a book which he published: "To speak the truth without harshness is, in my opinion, the most certain way to succeed in every honorable pursuit." May our young readers resolve to make "truth without harshness" the guide of their lives! LVI.-PIBROCH OF DONALD DHU. [The Highland clans residing in the north of Scotland were formerly much engaged in wars against each other, and one clan would frequently march in great force to attack another. In those days every man was a fighting man. This piece of poetry expresses the sentiments and motives with which they set out on such warlike expeditions. This state of things has long since ceased. The word pibroch means a warlike tune played on a bagpipe. Dhu means black, or swarthy, and was a name applied to the composer of the tune, on account of his complexion. This pibroch is supposed to refer to the expedition of Donald Balloch, who, in 1431, landed from the Hebrides, and defeated the Earls of Mar and Caithness at Inverlochy, in Inverness-shire.] PIBROCH✶ of Donald Dhu, Pibroch of Donald, Wake thy wild voice anew; Summon clan Connel. *Pronounced pe'brok. Come away, come away; Come from deep glen, and Come, every hill plaid, and Leave untended the herd, Come with your fighting gear, |