Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1854-10-28
HE'D EVERY SATURDAY COUNTY Pa

| than she should be, and that Mrs. Lindesay had
had narrow escape of being taken in, the subject
dropped.
Not entirely, though, for Mr.. Falconer and |
recurred 10 it many times during the evening and
more than once he used the term we had SO often
discussed, idle worls-idle words"
Now ii happened that the next was rainy day
real downright English rain, without half an
hours pause, or one moments break in the dull.
leaden clouds-and therefore we were all loompell.
ed 10 resign the hope oil our usual walks and rides,
and content ourselves al home. | said all but |
ought to have made AL exception in the case OF
Mr.. FalconeT who went oudirec,ly after breakfas',
and did not return until luncheon, when we saw
him, galooned, coated and umbreaed, turn into
the dive from the London roads, and walk brskly
up 10 the house, nodIns TO Us as he passed our
window.
With the luncheon tray, however, he came in,
and, rather more silently than usual, took his Gus
,omery place.
Like all luncheons, ii was a gosspns meal All
sorts OF nonsense was talked, and more than one
smart i'll natured thing said, more TO make the
hearers laugh than to crafty any real malice in the
speaker In the middle of one of these sharp
speeches, Mr. Faconer said
" What have you done abou, your charity school
governess, Mrs. Lindsay ? Are you going to have
Miss Rayner?'
"Oh, dear, no, certainly not. Alter what Mrs
Fordham said, | couldn't think of such thing"
q" Indeed understand Mrs. Fordham 10 say
that she knew but very little about the young la
dy."
-" But that little was quite enough | perfectly
understood what Mrs. Fordham meant. |, is not
always necessary 10 be explicit in such mauers"
DO you think not? Now in anything affecting
PERSONS character or credit, it appears to me that
Ihose who ask and those who answer questions can
scarcely be too explicit"
All you are lawyer, Mr.. Faiconer"
q Yes, and therefore know so well what is the
ieai value OF hall sentences and insnualions, and
how very often terrible hints come 10 nothing when
they are investigated. During The time was in
practice more than one case came to my knowl-
edge, where irreParable mischief was done, and ru
i'll caused by icle words. The false witness God
has forbidden rs 10 bear against our neishbor, in
polite society is spoken daily"
ooh, Mr.. Falconer, what shocking accusa-
lion Nobody bears witness excep, in court
of Justice, and nobody even then bears false vii.
ness"
No; because why9 Those who framed the
laws knew the danger of idle words: and although
they could not stop their currency in society, they
could in witness box, and therefore resolved TO
punish all spoken there. No men can 90 into 4
court OF law and hint away his neighbours life, fame
or credit. What he says there he must prorc and
if he wilfully speaks false, he punished would
be well for us all if the same rule prevailed in
private life; We should hear 20 rnnous slande.
then"
SANDER! Oh, Mr.. Falconer, what hard
word" -.
/" Yes and ii describes hard hing; for what
else but SANDER is the gossip which cha,lers away
repu,aion and nsinuates falsehoods ii has not the
courage 10 speak openly"
Well, whatever Ihirk, | am sure | shall al,
ways have the courage TO say" replied Miss Low
lher, fancyins that the lawyers keen eye fell up
on her as he spoke " and as for This Miss Rayner
or Hailer, or whatever her name is thai you cham
pion so inle lati8aby, Mt. Falcoaer, | think Mrs
Lindsay has done very wisely in having nothing
10 DO with her,"
" And why?1
Whyf" answered the young lady with loss
Oh, there are plenty of reasons"
Are there Then pray give me onef
There was pause which nobody seemed DIS.
posed to break and Mr. Falconer said
Oace in my life, Miss Lowiher, when was
not much older and wiser than you are now,
circumstance happened in the family OF a relative.
which made so strong an impression on my mind
that resolved ever after, not only TO keep a strict
guard upon my own words, never speaking idly or
that which, iftaken seriously, would
njure others, but never, ifI could could help II, to
suffer such words TO be spoken in my presence,
without making an effort to have them explained at
the time" .E
Is Over and over again, since that resolution was
made, il has been sorely tried, for am naturally
fppant OF speech, and the temptation 10 say sharp
contemptuous, or little things, has often been al
most irresistible. Still, God helped me- have re-
sisted ; and therefore, knowing what may be done
i can never pardon or excuse The hearless indul.
gence of so great sin in other people. You'll
this strong language, Miss Lowlher; and so II is
but whenI give yau the heads of the sad story
which ius'iiies it,you will Ihope and believe, agree
with me that no language can be too strong TO re-
pudiate practice which may involve such conse,
quences.
Many years ago, my cousin, whose name
shall call Alice Hay formed an attachment TO an Of
fcer OF Dragons, whom she knew from childhood,
but whom, she loved most sincerely, her father
would not receive as suor, because he disIiked
the army, and the lover was poor.
"Time however, 'and Ace's unfang obedi-
ence, added TO a severe illness which threatened
her life, sohened Mr. Hay at last, and he consent
although reluctantly, TO the engagement; not gra-