The Power of Truth
THE
POWER·OF·TRUTH
INDIVIDUAL·PROBLEMS
AND·POSSIBILITIES
BY
WILLIAM·GEORGE·JORDAN
NEW YORK
BRENTANO'S
Copyright, 1902, by Brentano's
Published August, 1902
Second Edition, April, 1904
Third Edition, February, 1908
Fourth Edition, November, 1908
Fifth Edition, August, 1911
Sixth Edition, February, 1913
Seventh Edition, February, 1916
The University Press, Cambridge, Mass., U. S. A.
Contents
| The Power of Truth | 1 |
| The Courage to Face Ingratitude | 23 |
| People who Live in Air Castles | 41 |
| Swords and Scabbards | 59 |
| The Conquest of the Preventable | 75 |
| The Companionship of Tolerance | 95 |
| The Things that Come too Late | 115 |
| The Way of the Reformer | 133 |
The Power of Truth
William George Jordan
The Power of Truth
Truth is the rock foundationof every great character. It isloyalty to the right as we seeit; it is courageous living of ourlives in harmony with our ideals; it is always—power.
Truth ever defies full definition. Likeelectricity it can only be explained bynoting its manifestation. It is the compassof the soul, the guardian of conscience,the final touchstone of right.Truth is the revelation of the ideal; butit is also an inspiration to realize that ideal,a constant impulse to live it.
Lying is one of the oldest vices in theworld—it made its début in the first recordedconversation in history, in a famousinterview in the garden of Eden.Lying is the sacrifice of honor to createa wrong impression. It is masquerading4in misfit virtues. Truth can stand alone,for it needs no chaperone or escort. Liesare cowardly, fearsome things that musttravel in battalions. They are like a lot ofdrunken men, one vainly seeking