Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1842-04-04
81 hear you have had little fall out with Ann

well rewarded for her pains, for in note that ]
received from Ann, she expressed herself pretty
plainly about her, and said that she had fondness
for retailing i'll news, and that she should Talk to
her about IT,"
"She is served perfectly right" the friend re-
marked; then musing, as il suddenly recellecting
herself she added, " but | must he walking
lnve several calls to make this morning"
As soon Clara Lee parted from Maria she
turned away to see Ilarrie, Wilson, who was one
of her very particular friends.
$50 Harriet" she said, Maria and Ann Harris
have made up their difference and from what
can learn from Mnrin, Ann is pretty hard on you.
She is going to take you TO task for your iOndness
for retailing i'll news. As for Mnria she don't
spare on you, hut calls you tatlling busy body"
OF course, Harriet was greatly incensei, ard as
soon as her friend was gone, put on her bonnet,
and posted off to see Ann Harris. She found tina,
young lady in, and commenced OH her something
after this wise:
:" understand, Miss, that you say ] am retail
or OF i'll news, and that you mean 10 take me to
! task about it,
Ann was taken good deal by SURPRISE md felt
panied and confused at the sudden allegation. But
before she could collect herself sufficiently 10 re-
ply, Harriet said,
81 should like 10 know if what have heard be
true?"
alt is true that sad," Ann now replied calm
ly, that when snwyOu ngain you'd talk to you
about your fondness for retailing i'll news"
"You had no right to make such charge
nganst me- Harriet said, IN an angry tone, her
face flushed and her eyes sparkling. at is a
false -n
elf you were not angry perhaps might con-
vince you that | had some ground for what said.'
Ann replied, still in collected voice. "All of us
have our faults; have mine, and you have yours,
and each of us is too apt to see those of others
and too blind to our own. II instead Of repeating
to me the remarks made by Maria Ellis, you had
nj N In, xIntnn all
grow out of it, and then resolved TO speak it,
all this trouble would have been avoided"
"And do you pretend to tell me to my face, that
| am fond Of retailing i'll news?" Harriet asked,
as her anger greatly increased
81 try, whenever speak of another, 10 confne
myself TO what ! think tho TRUTH" Ann replied,
still in "a calm voice, and this never retract,"
"Give me patience = Harriet calculated, her
face now growing pale with passion.
"You are wrong, Harriet said Ann, "thus to
be so much exasperaed at "A mere lri1e. Reflect
whether almost every day you do not in speaking
OF your friends allude to their faults in way that
| you could not bear to be spoken Of This is too
common practice; and be assured that you DO
| not always escape in this general habit of censo-
robustness. You are not fauess, and il is not in
the nature of things that you should be-
Harriet could not collect her thoughts for re-
ply, and Ann after pnuse, went oil.
"lf, when Maria Ellis, under the influence OF
momentary i'll nature, she frankly confesses her.
self to have been, spoke of me as she thought, in
| calner moments, you had restrained your prOpen-
sity TO repeat such things, no harm could have
resulted from her thoughess, and might almost
shy innocent allegation. But when you came to
| me- and told me that she had called me conceIted,
it aroused my feelings, and caused me to ask for
| an explanation. With the frankness of gener-
| Gus spirit she al once confessed her fault, and oil
would have been wei again, if she had not thought
lessly repeated what said in my note to her about
you.'
But Harriet Wilson, though conscious that she
had acted wrong was incenscd, as well as NOR.
tiied that others should think her wrong, that she
| neither could nor would confess her fault, but
braved it off with anger and defiance. As soon
as she had gone away, Ann sat down and penned
| note to Maria Ellis:
"Dear Mara-It seems that our little difficulty
is not yet ended. have just received visit from
Harriet Wilson, who has treated me in very
strange manner about what said in my last note
TO you in reference TO her fondness for repeating
! i'll news. l am sorry that you communicated that
20 any one, as ii has not only prevented my max
ing an effort TO show Harriet her fault, but has
called down upon me her indignant censure.
"Yours SC, ANN HARRIS"
What is the matter now?" asked Mrs. Ellis,
who saw by he sudden change in her daughters
countenauce that tie note she had received was
| by no means an agreeable one No more dongs
OF the nnruly member hope"
her mother The note. After Mira Ellis had read
it, she said somewhat kindly, for che really felt
for Maria in her unpleasant position:
"You have not put on the right tongue-bridle
yet, see.'
81 suppose not. But, indeed, ma, try TO be
guarded how and 10 whom lspeak. never should
! have dreamed that Clara Lee would have gone
right off TO Harriet Wilson aud told her what |
said"
Blu, the best way is not to speak unkindly Of
any one"
"How could have helped it, mother, in this
case ?"
"By simply questioning yourself as to your re-
al motive Tor making the communication. 1t was
not to do Harriet Wilson good, was p
We'll, | cant say, mother, that il was"
Your real motive was to mike Clara Lee think
meanly of her, was it not?"
i "Why ma do you think - Maria paused
and looked upon the floor, while her face Grim
soned.
"Probe yourself thoroughly, my child, 1t is OF
the first importance for you 10 know distinctly your
true character. Ifyou have taken pleasure in the
idea OF injuring another because she has wronged
or offended you you have INDUCED in an evil af-
fection which had lain concealed in your mind, or
it nevercouId have been aroused into activity"
Mara looked thoughtful and concerned, and her
mother continued
Surely my child, il is not by indulging this
evil that it is to be weakened, much less Ivy con.
cealing it, even from yourself after its indulgence
IL is better to look ii in the face, confess that it is
wrong then Try and shun it,"
81 think, mother now begin to see what you
mean by tongue. bridle," Maria sud looking up
seriously in the face of her kind adviser
"WelI, my child 7"
1t is, that we should shun the cause of evil
speaking"
u "That is it, Marin. If we condemn The feeling
that prompts us TO speak unkndy Of Others and
try 10 conquer il, we shall be in little danger of in
: dnlgng the bad habit But if we only curb The
busy " little member" at the same tino that we
desire .ospeak consciously, we will be sure, soon
or or later, to be betrayed into word that had bet
ter not been uttered. Kind feelings for, AMI de-
sire to do good 10 others, is the best tongue. brde
81 see plain enough, dear mother, and am re
solved TO try and put the true bride upon my
tongue"
And Maria did try to some purpose. The little
difficulty that she was in, was amcably settled
for she had all the parties together, confessed her