The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-11-07
BUSY-BODIES.


Busy Bodies have infested the world il
all ages. In the apostolic DAYS they wer
concerning themselves with "othcr mem
Matters" and very casual glance at soei
ETY. will convince any one that they are "no
all dead yet We have few things to SAY
of them.
l. They are very active and industrious
class. No matter how indolent others ma,
be, and how careless even about their owl
affairs, busy bodies can always find some
thing to do. Their own concerns never
press upon them 81 heavily that they cannot
take time to appropriate 10 other peoples
The physician NAV reach point where his
calls exceed his ability to attend 10 them;
the lawyer may be applied to by more clients
than he can possibly do justice to; but never
so with the busy body. He has time enough
for all cases, however numerous.
2. Busy bodies are remarkable for their
expanded views. They do not limit them.
selves within the narrow circle of their own
homes or places Of business. They are con
cious ola capacity for vastly wider field
No pent up Utica can confne their powers.
No brick wall, nor doors, nor gates, can shut
them in. They must have a care for every
body in the village, or neighborhood, or c0n.
gregation. And is not this scriptual!-
Does not the Bible say we must love our
negh6ors as ourselves! What harm, then,
in exercising II kindly oversight as to the
personal, domestic, and financial interest of
ones friends and every day acquaintances?-
So. busy bodies can stand upon text of
Scripture when they wish to look over the
fence into other peoples private Affairs.
3. Busy bodies are remarkable for their
memories. They can listen TO n score of
narratives, great and small, MS to "other
mems Matters" in single day. and yet they
will distinctly remember the details in each
particular case. This may he owing in part,
TO their not allowing what they have heard,
long 10 lie dorm,nt; inasmuch ms the news
gathered Mt one place is generally dispensed
ut the next, and so on, until, BY the time the
days round has been completed, the same
thing has been told score of times. Not
precisely the same thing either, inasmucb as
busy bodies ialsify the old proverb, Rolling
their stories roll, the larger they grow until
one would at last scarcely imagine them to
be the same they had met at the starting
point.
4. Busy bodies are remarkable for their
wisdom. To this fine and rare quality there
seems scarcely II limit in their case. Busy
body can decide exactly whether Mr.. Geta-
long can afford to drive carriage and have
country house, whether Mrs. Getalong and
her children are not spending more money
than the good man is making; and can shake
his head ominously when the Getalongs are
the topic of discourse sagely remarking that
"there always will be some fast people,
Busy body is especially au fat in the con-
Germs of the minister and his family. He
can tell to penny what the Rev. Mr.. Meek
ness should pay a pound for beef, and fo-
potatoes by the Ialfpeck: whether he
should have bought new suit in the mouth
of February or the latter part of March;
whether Mrs. Weakness LAST dress should
have been silk, cashmere, de lains or calico:
and also how long Mr.. Weakness ought to
pray and preach, how often he should visit
his people, and whether or not he should
venture to let any hair grow on his face
In short, there is scarcely anything in which
Busy body is not 'booked up even to the
extent of directing those representations of
wisdom and nIalibiity-newspve editors
what they ought and ought not to have
put into their columns.
s. The family of busy bodies is very ex.
trnsive one. Not Il country und the sun is
there, where some Of III, m are not To be
found, not village or rural neighborhood is
there, which cannot point to one or more of
them among its quiet druizens. They boast
also Of ancient and must honorable incag e.
claiming descent in the direct line from King
Solomon.