Lincoln telegraph., 1842-02-17
Circulating Evil Reports
BY MISS WICK.

MISS sEDGwICK.
A melancholy instance of the circulation of
evil reports, occurred few years since in New
York A young man, whom shall call William
Murphy, the son of a wealthy, conspicuous, and
old nhabitant of the city, contracted an intimacy
with person of very captivating manners, and
depraved morals. William, young, inexperlence,
and unsuspicious was hattered with the attention
of this man, and was betrayed by him into many
focs and sins. His father was immersed in bu-
sineSs, his only sister was constantly in the gay
world, and none of Williams family suspected
the dangers into which he was led, nor did he the
amount of them until his bad ntimate--fricnd
will not call him-was detected in cheating at a
gaming table, and forged note ,and was obliged
to fly from the city.
William had been tempted by this man to the
gaming table he had suffered heavy losses there,
and been led into wrong dongs. The knowledge
Of all this came like thunderbolt upon his fam
ily They were overwhelmed with modification
and grief William shut himself up in his
room.
The Murphys were distinguished people moth
ing in the city was talked ofso much as the dis
grace of William Murphy. Every thing he had
done, and much worse acts that he had not done, ,
were told and retoll, and every idle word brought
TO the Murphys, by people calling themselves
e particular friends" MIR. Somebody heard Mr..
Somebody else, who very intimate with the
Murphys, say that they should wonder if William
had not something TO do with the forgeries' The
next person through whose hands the report pass
ed, said William had something to do with them.
And the next edition ofthe story was, that VIII
liam had actually received the money got by the
forgery, and paid his gaming debts with it,
Oh, could those persons who thus talked over
The calamites and disgrace of the son Of their
friend they would have discussed common
news, have locked into the house of the wretch
ed Murphys! Could they have seen the father
pacing up and down his spacious apartments
his heart filled with grief and disappointment at
the disgrace of his own son-coud they have seen
the mother rise from her sleepless pillow with
sunkeneye and futtering heart-could they have
seen the domestics removed again and again, the
untouched dishes from tables useless spread and
the room of that poor young man and seen him
the picture of remorse and misery, while she
hung over him. trying vain, to convince him
that the faults were not irretre vable that the
storm would pass over, and his father would again
look upon him with kindness Think yon #
they had seen all this (and with the eye oftrue
sympathy they might have seen it,l they could,
by arrraYating evil reports, have multiplied and
sharpened the arrows that piercing the
bosoms of this unhappy family Had they, by
generous effort of the Imagination. for mo-
ment put themselves in the Murphys places, had
they initiated Him, who without sin, was touch
ed with the feeling of our intirmities, they would
have been silent, or uttered only words Of kind
ness. But, alas alas! they carelessly cast stones
which were to intlict death
One of the two or three friends who had brought
in the flying reports, called into Mr.. Murphy S
the second evening after the disclosure, and told
him, as received facts, the rumors about the forg
cry. The moment the vlster had departed, Mr.
Murphy went for the first time to William apart
ment, repeated what he had just heard, and de-
lnanded in voice almost sufocated with emo
ton, a confession of the whole truth.
The poor young man had tasted for forty-eight
hours he was weak and confused. The sight of
his father, the anguish of his disorded counten-
ance, and the anger flashing from his eye, depriv-
ed him of all use Of his mind; He made no at
tempt to explain the circumstance alleged against
him. Easily as it was, he did not see how he
could extricate hmselffrom suspicion His fac
ulties We're suspended. He merely feeby as
serted his innocence This was afterwards PROV
ed beyond all question, and many circumstances
came to light that allevated the sins he had com
mtted but, alas, too late for this victim of
evil reports. The morning after this interview
with his father, he was found dead in his bed
An empty laudenum phal was beside his pillow.
Truly, there is life and death in the tongue
trust my young friends, this story may a
waken your attention to the subject of evil re-
ports. 1t may be rare that such fatal injury is
inflicted, in the instance have related-but
ifthey do no other harm, they certainly harm
your own souls.
The BIBLE is now to be companion ofthe
sailor on board ofour national ships. Mr. Upshur
has given instructions, at the several Navy Yards
to supply the crews of anv vessel uoinu on a