Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1860-08-24

latter declared that she knew nothing about
it, and had only told one or two of her most
intimate friends, precisely as she had heard
it from Mrs. Brown, who had Informed her
on the very best authority, as she said
that Mrs, jones had stolen six jars of snuff,
and great variety of other articles. +. .
Fully resolved TO follow the matter to its
origin, Mr. Jones called on Mrs. Brown,
the bakers wife, who, In turn avowed that
she had repeated the story just as she had
received 1t from Mrs. Arabella White I;
therefore the injured husband FASTENED to
the residence of the latter. Mrs. White
was In the same state of innocence in regard
to the subject, and only knew that Mrs.
Black told her that Mrs Walker had in
formed her, confdentially, that Mrs Jones
had taken quantity of snuff from her
husbands Mr.. Walker 's-grocery. To
Mrs. Black, then, as the next link in the
chain, MIR. Jones posted That excellent
woman was also in state of paradisiacal
purity in regard to the whole affair she
had no more knowledge of the subject than
an infant, and could only refer to Mrs.
Walker. 1t only remained for the indig-
nant Jones to visit Mrs. Walker, and call
her to account for her reprehensible con-
duct. That pattern of Christian quietude
was perfectly shocked when she heard
that Mrs. Black had reported that she had
told her in confidence, that Mrs. Jones had
taken large quantity of snuff from her
husbands store. She pronounced it vile
slander, and was unspeakably astonished at
the 'wlckedness of Lucretia Black"
81 have traced this scandalous story that
my wife has stolen six jars of snuff directly
to you, returned Mr.. Jones, firmly. Il
consider Mrs. Jones's character grossly
vilifed. shall sift this matter to the bot
tom; and lfno other remedy remains, shall
resort to the law
"Six jars of snuff !'' calculated Mrs.
Walker @- .n.-...l
Together with tea, coffee, and so on, ad
iaynitam. . .. ........ .r..... -'.-..
'You astonish me beyond measure, re-
joined Mrs Walker Il only told Mrs.
Black, that your wife had acquired habit
of taking snuff; for my husband told me
that she had purchased small box of Ma
caboy at his store .-
'1s it possible exclaimed Mr.. Jones,
'that such slanderous and exaggerated re-
ports could grow out Of a thing so trivial
There is certainly ly a great difference between
taking snuff as a sternutatory, and stealing
six jars of it from Mr. Walkers store
Behold how large a fire small matter kin
d!eth. AS it happens, you also labored un-
der slight mistake, Mrs. Walker; for the
box of snuff that was purchased at your
husbands store was not for my wife, but
for her mother, who is afflicted with a ca
tarrhal affection"
Mrs. Walker made many apologies, and
promised to do all she could to counteract
the effect of the false rumors which were
being promulgated by the joint efforts Of
Black, Brown, Green, & Go.
The surprise and modification of the par
ties referred to cannot be imagined, when a
full e1posc of the subject took place, and
they discovered on what small basis they
had erected such towering fabric false
hood The moral of this story is quite appar-
ent. Slanderous stories grow larger the
oftener they are repeated. When they
have passed through half a dozen lips, they
can scarcely be recognized as the same
that were first told. BY an easy ascending
scale taking snuff as sternutatory becomes
stealing six jars of Maccaboy and so on,
until the unhappy Mrs, Jones is converted
into an unmitigated appropriation of other
peoples goods.