Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1842-02-10
From the Young Peoples Book.
THE TONGUE E-BRIDLE.
By I. S. ARTHUR.


her daughter Mara sa. weeping bitterly.
"Tbat will tell YOU" replied Maria,
drying her tears and handing her mother
an open letter. Mrs. Ellis read as fol-
lows:
To MARIA ELLIS:
.Miss-I. have just learned from Har-
riet Wilson that you made rather free
with my name yesterday. Now l would
Just like to know whether you did, or did
not gay, that you thought me over and
above conceited ; and you did, what
did you mean by it; l am not used TO
be talked about in that way.
ANN HARRIS.
"And did you say so TO Hurriot VIII
son ~ asked Mrs. Ellis.
"Yes | did, and now how to get out
Of it, am sure ! cannot tell. l never
dreamed that Harriet was such a tatller,
or I'D have been close enough with her"
"You cannot deny il Of course Z"
"No, not up and down but then, ma,
it will never do in the world to come
right out and acknowledge it point blank.
I'd make Ann Harris an enemy all my
life"
GLOW very uneuarded you are, Ma
ria ! This is the third or fourth time you
have brought yourself into difficulty by
your free way Of talking to every one"
81 know i am imprudent, ma, sone-
times but then ! can never believe that
young ladies with whom ! am intimate
will act so meanly as TO become tatlers
and mischel-makors, until it ID too late
to make caution Of any avail. But Pm
done with Harriet Wilson Pye broken
off my intimacy with several girls already
for repeating what ] have said, and III
do tho same with her"
"It would DO much better, Maria,"
said her mother, "if you would put bri-
die OH your tongue, you would save your
self and others many unkind thoughts and
painful feelings"
! 81 know would ma, but then can'i
always be watching myself It's impos-
sibIe TRY offer, but it's Of no use."
"lf you will persevere in trying, you
will in time gain such control over
yourself as to keep you out of these un-
pleasant difficulties.
"Perhaps | might, but what shall do
now Ann has pinned ine right down
and there is no way OF getting of, unless
| say that Harriet must have misunder-
stood me-"
"That would be prevarication, Maria,
if no, something more"
eyes il would for remember we'll
enough that said exactly what she has
reported"
''And do yeu seriously think, Maria,
that Ann is conceited :"
"Yes, ina, l do, or l would not have
said So"
81 think as you do, Maria, but then,
there is TO me nothing offensive in the
good opinion she seems TO entertain o!
herself"
"No, there is not, and had l not been
some what ill-natured at the time, mover
should have alluded to it,"
81 suspected as much," Mrs. Ellis
said. "And under the circumstances,
am of opinion that the best way is frankly
to own that you did say what has been
reported, and why you said it. Such
an honest confession will do you both
good"
IL don't know, ma."
"Why do you doubt 20
81 don't believe that such an cxpiana-
ton will soften her angry feelings at all. "
81 am much inclined to think that you
feel reluctance on your own account la
pursue this course"
swell, perhaps l do" said Marin, af-
ter pause.
"Iou are evidently in the wrong, Ma
ria, and a consciousness OF this clouds
your perception Of the true way TO aei.-
Now if you will let me write your reply
to AIMS note, think all can be bro,
around fair again"
"You are certainly at liberty 10 do 40,
ma but still, l should like TO reserve tho
power of sending or Withholding il, as il
seems best to mo. Is this asking too
much :"
so, no, l would rather not send re.
ply, unless you could see clearly that 1t
Was right one"
"Then write me an answer, ma"
In the course OF the day, Mrs. Ellis
prepared the following draft Of reply To
AIMS letter Of complaint, and submited d
il TO Maria
"To Miss ANN Harris.
"Dtar ann-l received your note COM
planning that had, according TO report,
said unkind things of you. cannot de-
ny, that in a moment Of i'll nature, ] wus
tempted to say that thought you some.
what conceited ; and to be frank with you,
your manners ut times indicate this lauli.
or peculiarly Of character. But IL is not
hall 80 bad fault rs the ono ndulgcd
in when alluded 10 it, Now, as have
confessed that have trait in my dspo-
sition much worse than the one alluded
to in yours, must hopo that YOU viii for-
give NE. Ever yours,
MARIA ELLIS"
"lyba do you think ofthat Z" Nlrs.
Ellis said, alter she had finished reading
The proposed reply.
"lrs not exactly such n letter M l
should have written, but | believe rs
much better one so | will send it,"
al don't think II con do any harm, and
il tells the whole truth does il no, %
"Ies il docs, and in pretty plain terms