The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1849-07-21
A Lesson for the Gosslps,

. lliu NtflnH lrHtlrf assures uh iliHli even Toe
our idlrsprda wu gfu accountable 10 HIN
/ Who hHs given us tie power 0ltprecli, Now,
/ | by NO ueHuH believe thul there h. nuy puu-
/ ripls pi our religion which hgWHa upon
, WIS ~ merimeui, or iorLids playful speech
, ut liI sunbuuH aud within due hmilf, The
yrry hcl HAT tho Almighty has created ihe
muHclrH which PrVducH llie smile and the
laugh, 80 perpetual rehuko a. those Whu
/ would call nll laughter uHduess,nud Hll mlrlh
/ lully, AuuHeueuf, lu iin tiubo AID place, b.
q grout goudi aud know Of 40 anluHemeul
30 rohrod, ~ worthy al lUIeiiGctmi hcing,hs
I that conversation which u Why md hrill
kiUt, PiHytui yet Hi,ynyr tessfss,ti which rs
creates from l0il aud care, but leaves no sliug
aud yloluleS 40. principle Of brulherly love or
/ religious duty.
lHll hpcnh'uR, nlundcf, delrHelion, gossip,
scandal, arc different uUiurH lor one Ot lho
ciirt dNugufr 10 be guarded against IN con
'oianIiopi and you are doug much towards
defending yourselves against Il Il lay the gen
urouH mental culture which you cuIny iu tlh
Hriii,HHy, Tho demon of Islander loyoH Hu
empty house, A taste for slandu br,raysH
Hcphl mind, Furnish your minds, them 10y
useful rrudiug aud study, Hnd by habits oi
reelection aud mtulnl industry, TINT sou may
be- able Ia talk uhuul people-nbout subjects
az well ns about pcuplr-nhoul oyrnls too
lNllH IlllNN ~ NN l'llNAN W it lINtiNtNrN WIN
SANDER But, II y0u must inll about pen-.
pie, why not about their good traits aud
drcdt' The lrucsl ingenuity IL that which
brings hidden eAcelcncies, to ghli lur virtue
49, iu her very nature, modest nud retiring,
while tdullh liu on The surface, aud are dclrc-
ted with hnl M eye
You Will, undoubtedly, he careful 10 have
your words always iu,l aud Kind, ifyou viii
unll take sufficiently thorough view Of the
iuiluruCr Of your habits ui conversation, buth
~ lhc formation ufyour own rhnrirtcir, mud
IN determining the happiness ofolhsrs, hut
how luw an rrllunlC du uuuy OF "a make of
tuu power at tic tongue, How little HU nc
count We are apt 10 tnku Of Our word-l Have
Wo aot all az times, said TO oursrlycE"Oh' IL H.
Only % word" Wb'n !, uHy lave bCCU sharp.
~ drawn sword, having given more pniu
hHu Score of blows, uiid llnur more harm
lhuu our hands ruuhl hpIc Nruurht in
ttrrtttt by ~ -EltG sI-. -g,.I.., -. .,,.,l ,,..
ulr bearer regard thcn,sclyc, HH honrsl and
worthy people, Instead ur feeling that tho,
Hrc ucrurrrd oi God aud NAM It hrcausr
tley deal IN evil words ouly aud thry rou-
slider words ~ NOR" uuuRhi. why n iiilnt
the Gaping tangur. which Glcbcs little
from eVory body's good name. can hardly
ullerItsel { without q surCr, and makes every
fair character IT, prey, thiul,s better of itself
THIN u pretty p,lrrcr wuuldi lis BECAUSE
hy luur though hsrlr,- prescription li,r
tongue h1s chimrd lur il-olt q liccuSu denied
TO every other uumhrr aud faculty.
But IA poIut Of TACT, your words not unlS
expires, hul help ctcuir. your cimJHrirr..
Spggh gives dvUuiruc,s aud prrm1rcucr
90 Your lit"u- Iii- mud t,olugs-l.ipr uuuttrr.
rd thought ulIy 7a,lr from the mrmury--muy
hr rin,r,l away hy better houghis-may,iu.
decd, hardly hg part OF your own mind. Tor
d I.HF o" D.. "a. 40 81
with disnpl ruNm Hul resistance. IL j. nu,
yours. Bul hy speech you udopr thoughts.
and TIC VOICE that ugtrrs tlrm !, pen ihir
ru@tn,cS thuui iud,,thly uH the soul !. yuu
con suppress ihlugIi-,,u tllt, when they rise
ln yuu' breast aud mount To y az very 'ip4,
yuu leave tlJum wU'tCrcd, you uru not On The
whole, uuhiud YOUR better uutisc has the
supremacy. But lfihc.c Wrdrg feelings 6l.
ten fjud ulDruucc,thurr IS rrH-ou To lrur that
u4ey flow from u.biuer fountain within,
Consider, also, how lurgc a pnr, speech
makes up otlhr lives ola Ii occupies the
grcatr; .nit ollhr Nahiunaltrifs Of many Of
us; while express MO Of a moral b-Hllry,
compared with our words, are rare aGd few.
Indeed, in many OF our departments ol aus.
words aye our only possible doods--it Is hy
words alone that wc caii perform or violate
ubrduty. Mauy ucthc most important forms
Is al most the oily expression of charity, ni' Z
'vi.lrh the voice Il. not the chief u,inislrr;and
aims, conferred ia silent Goodness, or with
chIdiug or dsdainiul speech, freeze the spir-
IT. though they mny warm the body. speech
too IS the sole medium of II countless host
of domestic duiIes aud ohserNauccs. There
nrei indeed,iu every community, many whose
only activity seems To he ia. words There
are many young Indies, released from The
restraints of school, aud many older ladies, |
with few or no domestic burdens, with no
worldly avocation aud no taste for reniinr
wImse whole waking hte either NJ their own
homes or from itouseIt0 house, is given to
the exercise, Tor good or evil, ofihe tongue
that unruly member. And low blessed
might they make That exercise, for how many
holy ministries of love, sympathy aud char
" might II sutiice-how many wounds might
II pro,cnt or heal--dd they only believe and
feel that they were writing out their own char.
acIersin their daily speech But too many
oil them forget Ibis. So long as they do
not knowingly aud absolutely tic, they feel
no responsibility for their words. they
deGln themselves virIuons because they re-
liNin from vices to which they have not the
shadow OF n temptation; hut carp, backbite
md carry iIr reports from house to house.
with an apostles zeal and mnrtyr's devo-
ieduess.
To say nothing oflho social effect Of such
life, is not the tongue thus employed work
SuirlIIAl death to the soul, in whose
service1it is busy? ! know OF no images Too
vile TO portray such character. The dis.
section at a slnnderer'r or tno- bearers heart
would present the most loRthsome specimen
of morhid anatomy conceivable. II il full
OF The nIosr malignant poi-oB. It's life is
M menn low. serpent-like---a life that run-
not bnar the light J4t+, tirrt5 ;s4iii-ts uourieh-