Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-10-13
HARMLESS GOSSIPING.


Such is the soft name given to a kind Of moral
berbacue, in which the victim is served up
whole, for the entertainment of q class of DER
sons whose sole object and employment seems
to be, cutting and carving human character
and human happiness.
Miss Listener, did you hear the story that
Is circulating about Mr.. Is arscter1''
what is itl'' -
We'll, see here; if you'll promise never to
mention my name in the matter, I'll inform
you; although IT'S quite wrong SUPPOSE for
me to say anything about il"
Miss Listener importunes her to narrate what
has happened Mr.. Is character, and is
wiling to promise anything; says there can be
no harm in telling her.
Mrs. Smoothtongue, with an air that bespeaks
candor Of persons, begins to apply the probe to
the already half healed wound of Mr. L-'s
TeputstiOn; and being a person that is nstu
rally nervous, is very likely, in attempting to
open the recently-msde wound for Miss l. =
gratihcation, to cause il In infame still making
the unhappy victim pains more intolerable
wherever reputation is to be sacrificed,
these birds OF prey arc sure to gather, to feast
and fatten on the yet pslpitatng carcase, and
the savage appetite continually grows by what
IL feeds upon. And yet, detrimental to the
peace and welfare Of society as such cannibals
may be, their ravages are so cunningIy con-
Quoted that they seldom become amenable to
the letter Of the law, whose spirit they are con-
unually transgressing
Many an innocent sufferer worn out in body
and mind by the consciousness of being the OBJ
Ject oil eslumnies and suspicious which he has it
not In his power to meet openly, has, broken
hearted, gone down to the grave, grateful for
the summons of death to release him from the
injustice of his fellow-beings, hoping to 6nd a
refuge in the bosom of a merciful God
1t Is not to be supposed that all who indulge
In gossipping or in the retailing of private scan.
dal, fully understand what they are doing, or
really intend to destroy the happiness of an
other Ihoughtlessly they listen to the insid
iOus lnslnuatlOns, and to pass away an idle
moment, or to awaken the light laugh, give il
additional circulation, little thinking that they
are scattering irebrands, arrows and death in
every direction. The fire thus kindled. moves
on with fearful rapidity, until it sweeps away
everything of good report in whole families or
neIghborhoods, and leaves a black and desolate
waste, where nothing green or beautiful can
ever spring up again.
But, while making an exception in favor of a
class who are SHINING thoughtlessly, and may
be brought to see their error, we are compelled
TO add that there are those in almost eyery
community to whom detraction seems the yery
breath OF life, and whom nothing ever ayails 10
turn from their purpose. These individuals
are the more dangerous, because they usually
stab in the dark, and betray with a kiss of
friendship. They carefully avoid an open at
tack, which might be met before q human tri-
bunal, but poison with their breath the fairest
reputation, before their unconscious victim has
one suspicion OF treachery or danger.
Mrs. Smoothtongue is a person who is we'll
skilled in the art of tender assassination. She
can superintend the whole battery of whis-
pered insinuatiOns and dark allusiOns so art
fully given that none but the initiated could
imagine her communications slandcrous, even
while tLey felt their-efects in the total loss of
confidence in those they had once trusted Mrs
Smoothtongue never says Of an enemy honestly
al hate him" She is far too wise to make a
confession like this, "a her auditors would be
likely to doubt the yeracity Of her remarks
MRS. - Is very good woman love her
much; bat l am sorry that such and such
things are true Of her." And then, in sweet
words, she goes on TO insinuateigrieyOus defects
In her character, and is never more fully her
self than when aiming a blow at the bosom
barred before her in the unreserye Of faithful
affection
Who could distrust that bland smile, those
soft tones, and those ey es which seemed to love
all they beheld, connected as they were with
pretens,Ons OF unrivaled piety' None but
those VINO had seen, on some rare occasions the
mask laid aside, and beheld with staggered
anazement hideOus and inhuman shape, with
claws which were fastened alike in friend and
Zoe.
Let it not be said that we have been drawing
earicature in this half-defnad picture. If
any there are who have never vet met a Mr.
or Mrs SmOothtOngue, they have great cause
for deep gratitude, for they have an enviable
heritage The spirit of slander, detraetion,
and tale bearing is more widely dlffused
through society than is generally supposed. 1t
does not, to be sure, always wear its most
hideous aspect, or reach the ll-top of malig-
nifty at single step. There are many degrees
from the thoughtless gossip, whose great love
OF talking leads her To reiterate all the scam
dals OF the day, down to the wilful slanderer
whose very breath pOisOns the atmosphere
around her. But the indulgence of the first
leads almost always to the latter; and thew
who begin by repeating an injurious report
quallhed, perhaps, by their own disbelief in its
truth, may end by deliberately destroying the
reputation of another who is in any way OBJ
noxiOus to them.
That low specs Of budoOnery called quiz
zing, satire, ridicule, sarcasm and mimicry all
belong TO the same family, and are all viola
tions vt the precept-"' Thou shalt love th V
neighbour as thyself." We have, on various
occasions, seen people eomplimenting others on
qualities they did not possess with the hone
OF Imposing Oa their credulity; and then. in
the absence OG their dupes ridiculing them for
tue weakness which h led them to receive the iat-
terry Such conduct is treaeherous and cruel
In the extreme. and should be denounced by
all as habit Of the most degrading and dan
gerUus tendency. However harmless il NAV
appear, II IS the germ Of evil and If allowed
10 grow viii, In time, root out every thing that
Is amiable and sincere in the character.