The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1846-11-06
From Fodds Students Manual.
BEWARE OF SEVERE SPEAKING IN
COMPANY

| COMPANY.
| No matter whether the company he arnc
or small, you may be sure that all YOU say
nboutan absent person will reach him. You
have done wrong, and an avengcr will be
found. admire the warning which ST.
Austin is said to hnve had inscribed in the
centre Of his table at which he entertained
his friends
"lusqns amat dIrtis absenlem rodere hm,cum,
| ftanc mensnm Indignant novcrit cssc sbi."
| There is un almost universal propcnsi-
ty IN mankind to SANDER each other. or al
least, to throw out hints which detract
from the good opinion which they suppose
may he cn.cr.a a:ncd Of their fellows. The
detractrr cheats hinselrmos! cgrcginusly.
but never others lie ,acitly believes llnt
he is pushing This one, and lhrusing that
one, with the charitable purpose of keep.
ing the unworthy out Of tic seat Of those
who merit the esteem fall II remember
to have read in Diodurus Sirulus an ac-s
count Of n very active little animal which,
| think, he calls the iclncumon, tl.a, makes
! il the whole business Of his life 10 break
the eggs Of the crocodile, which lie is al
ways in scarc!, after This instinct is the
more remarkable, because The c!,ncumon
never feeds upon The eggs he has broken,
!
them. Were it NO: for the incrssant la
bors Of this Industrious animal, E..vpi,
says tn" historian, would bc ovcrrun with
crocodiIcs: for the Egyptians arc so far
from Destroying these pcrnicinus creatures,
that they worship ,hrm as gods"
| Do not those who may be hrnnmihatcd
dctrac,ors Of mankind, congratulate them
selves that they are di~in,crcs,cd, like lhis
little animal, and arc really acting part Of
bcnctactors uf mankind! They probably
deceive themselves so frequently; but The
deception is only upon themselves. Blu,
how do others view them! The res, OF
the world know !ha,, if youdclrac,, tits for
the same reason tina, the Tar,ars arc eager
To kill every nan Of extraordinary cndow.
mcnts and accomplishments, firmly be
Iicving that his talents, how great or high
socver, and what station socvrr they quail
fed hlm to occupy, will, upon his DEATH
become, rs matter Of course, the proper
~ Of tho destroyer. Were this !hrory
correct, it would be an apology for those
who indulge in severe remarks upon the
absent; for. III mos, cases, il would be their
only hopc Of possessing g ca, cNccil@ncics
vf "'iniurtcr. ~ ~ Ia, ,ou say in Il; trn cti,,n
will not mere ach the ,ai Of The inIivi-
dual against whom il is said, but il will
prejudice the circle agains, him. We love
to be prcjudiccd against people; aud while
you may say ten clever things Of him
which are forgotten, the two or three which
YOU say against him, will be remembered.
as..Nor is this all. Such remarks leave a
IStlrS.ln your own conscience. You can.
i1Its1hus speak disparasinyly Of The absent.
w:itIY6.Lgiring conscience The right To call
you tlnpacc"unl. and tell you, in language
-IhF h CHINO, be mi:iconslruc,l, you have
done Gfoug. and not as you would be
done ~,
: Aris'ol1ranrs was the enemy Of Socrates:
he -slandGrei! him, and even wrote IL come
dy to ridiculc him. aud especially his no
tons of the d"ctrjre Of the Immortality Of
the soul. a, S6crstssxs,s prescn. to see
nol.at all moved, i, wIS t1ion hsa a,f hot
feel IFS y!VsrAtdly trcaimcn4 But has
been remarked, by an pule obscrvpr,. .ha.
he did feel i, mos. deeply, though to3wfe
to show II; for, as he was taking the bowl
Of poison and abou, To drink it of, rs he
was entertaining his friends aud strength
elhng his own mind by Il conversation on
the Immortality of The souk he remarked, !,
| that he did not believe the most comic gen
lus could blame him for talking on such "A
snhjccta such an hour. lie probably had
his dctractor, Aristoplancs, in his mind,
on making this remark.
ale that INDUCES himself in riIculing
! the little impcrlrctions and Weaknesses Of
his friend, will, in time, Gnd mankind uni
ted against him. The man who sees au-
other ridiculc,l before him, though he may,
for the present, c"ncuriu the .rncrall4 laugh,
yr'. ~ rn"l hour, will consider The sam"
trick might be played against iiins eli; bu,
II hen there is 40 sense Of this danger the
natural pride Of human nature rises again.
him, who. by general ccrsurc. lays claim
10 general supcri"ri,y." Unless you have
had your attention particularly called 10
this subject YOU are probably nui aware
how many "i these light arrowsarc Shot i.
those who arc absent.
An honest fellow was introduced into |
The most fashionable circle Of country
village: and though be was neither learned !
nor brilliant, ycl he passed of very well. |
But he had an ncorrisibc fault: tic always
siniu SO as 10 I've thn las! person who left The |
room. ~ length he was asked, caitgori- |
ra'iy, why he always stad SO long. He
replied, with srra' good. nature and simpli-
cry, llni cas- soon as Il man was gone they |
all began 10 talk against him: and, cousc-
Iucnlly, he thought it always judcious 10
stay Ill none were icll 10 s!andcr him.
The habit ol nat,cring Your friends and
arG"h'ntnnccs is rcrnicious to your own