Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1841-04-15
fWHoLE No. SIS.
6 0 s s | PIN G..

It should be-lor its iru h. We publish
it in the hope that il may reach some
who ale guilty perhaps from mcre
thought'essness, o. the odious practice
there set forth The irror thus held
up with such excellent fact, mus, reflect
too detestable picture 10 be endured
for n moment. II is copied from late
work by Miss Sodwick, called Means
and Ends-lrom the section "On Convcr.
sation."
. GossIPIN0. The most prevailing fault
Of conversation in our country. and, L
believe, in all social communities, is
gossi ping. AS weeds most iniest the
richest soils, so gossipping most ab"unds
amidst the social virtues ~ small towns,
where there is the most extended nu-
tual acquaintance, where PERSONS live
IN the closest relations, resembling "A
large family circle. To disturb the
sweet uses Of the little communities by
gosslpIng, is surely To forfeit the benefit
of one Of the kindest arrangements Of
Providence,
T Ia great and busy cities, where peo-
pie live. in total ignorance oi their neigh
b0rs, where they cannot know how they
live, and hardly know when they de,
there is no ncig ghbolhood and there is no
gossiping, But need there be this po.-
sonous weed among The flowers-this
blight upon The fruit, my young friends!
You may understand better prec iselv
whnt comes under the head Of gossiping;
if give you some examples oIn.
In certain small thickl settled town
there lives "A family, consisting ol man,
his lie, and his wiIe's sister. lie has
little shop, il may be jewellers, sad
dlcr's, shoemaker's, or what we call
store-no matter which, since he earns
enough to live most comfortably, with
the help Of his wife and sister who are
noted for their industry and economy.-
One would think they hat nothing To do
but Ia ENJOY their own comforts, and a'd
and pity those less favored than Item
selves. But instead Of all this, they vol
un,eer to supervise all the sins, ioll'es
aud sholi comngs of their neighbors. -
The husband is not u silent parlner.--
He does his full share of the low work OF
this gossIping trio. Go To see them
when you will, you may hear the last
news Of every family within half a mile.
For example as follows:
M gave $50 dollars for his new
wagon, and he had no need oi II new
one; the old one has not run more than
two years
Mrs had got n new hired help;
but she won, stay long; it's come and
60 there
'Mrs.-has another new gown
at meeting yesterday, which makes the
6lih in less than year and every one OF
her girls had new ribands on their bon
nets; it is a good thing to have rich
friends; bui for my part, ! had rather
wear my old ribands.'
There go Sam BIiss's people with
barrel OF flour; it was but yesterday
she was at the Judges, begging.
None of the widow Days girls were
at meeting; but they can walk out as
soOn as the sun ~ down.
This is but IA specimen Of the talk Of
these unfortunate people, who seemed
to have turned their homo into u common
sewer through which all the sins aud
ioibles of the neighborhood run. Yes;
but their minds have run 10 waste, and
there Is so.ne taint, l fear at their hearts.
The noted gossip, Niss-'makes a
visit in town where she has previously
been stranger. She divided her time
among several families. She is social,
aud what We think is msculled, agreea-
BILE; Tor she is perpciually talking OF
persons and things. She wins too
easy confidence, and she returns home
with an infinite store oi family anecdotes.
She knoms that Mr.. aud Mrs So, and So,
who are supposed 10 live happily. nro
really on bad terms, and that nc broke
the hearts OF two other women before he
married his wife she knows the partic-
ulars, but she has promised not 10 tell.
She has found out that certain family,
who for ten years have been supposed
To live harmoniously with a step mother,
nre really cminently wretched. She
heard that Mr.. who apparently is IN
very Dourlshng circumstances, has been
on The brink Of bankruptcy ior the last
ten years, &c.
Could this woman find nothing III
visiting new scene 10 excite her iuina
but such trumpcy We have given
you this example To show you that tho
SIN of gossiplng pervades some commu;,
mites. This omun did not create ,sese
stories. She heard them all, me rndf.
vlduals who told them to hei iil,I, rhink-
ing that they in turn would become tho
Subjects af similar remark 10 the very
persons whose affairs they were commps
nicating
What would We thrk OF persots who
went about collecting fo7 eAbibition ex-
nmples of the warts, wens and cancers
with which their fellow-beings were
afillcted' And yet would no, their en-
ployncnl be more honorable, more hu-
rnarc, nj least, than tins gossip monger'.,
We have heard such taA Ms follows
between ladies', wives, and mothers, the
wives OF educated men and persons who
were called eSrca,ed women.
Iave you heard that Emma Ellis is
IN osnu tn Wask,,o,nna IL tN..h.,..