The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1867-05-24
McCoMn. O.. My % 1867

~ l'Vfohs III utflOe
: every community. The ear is almos
> constantly greeted with contiden
tial talk about ones neighbors. I
you are out on the street and meet
friend," you are halted with
" Have you heard the story that,
out on -? What DO YOU thinl
about itP Do you think it is true ?
and almost thousand other ques
lions. III you assent TO the truth o
IL. the next one your " friend" meet.
Is told the story, together with youi
opinion, and so on, until, from the
story which was at first told in five
minutes, q tale is manufactured which
cannot be rehearsed ia perhaps less
than one hour. There Is an adaae
that ga rolling stone gathers no
moss" but it will not hold rood in
Jhis respect, for travelling lie accu.
mulates more rapidly than Jonah's
gourd did You hecome disgusted
with the street. and resolve on going
home whcr" vou can enjoy the auiet
+ H' the family circle, but M YOU enter
'He '.oor y9t discover some lady
."iticAls who have "iaat called 10
-,tyoWNif, AMI " cannot" " djvrst
themselves OF bonnet, shawl. or any
ming else, hccaU,c they must be
rHng. %, Mr.. -, did YOU hear
aF thing said about A H.. while
Won wa lown street : Ism. i.
horrible z % YOU rcalh uuul,
u IAN be true = Well. for nv pa.
! hardly know whether to believe il
or not. D." II really don like to be-
.i.'" such s!ul aboat ny uct,hbors,
hHl ! cannot help believing part of
this | heard Mr. G. u. and Mrs
J.. j .ny something the other day
lHNt runvnccs me HAT everything is
1o. last rlgnt. They tell me that
he ahuscs hcr awfully" "He gete
dunk, or nearly SO, an,l then goes
homc. and beats her around worse
than 20 dog aud I've noticed that she
- crl inpncariy all the time" "Sull
| don . lilv her much. for she had
%" business 10 marry him and then
'"a talks so dreadlully about him."
IA hp ashamed TO talk about my
husband tie way | have heard her
H!S "hort him. And here follows
g routine Of lies so complicated that
. lawyer could not separate one from
"nplher. Aud all this yon must sit
and listen to without dissenting
Y"rt, or YOU are horatcd as mean
and always taking the part OF dis.
eolute and unprinciplcd men and wo.
men Should you follow those
friends, after they leave your house.
Non would sec them stop ut the next,
and would hear them talk about you
as unchautahly as they did about A.
D., 10 YOU. Such slander and tat
Ting as this, is now trying to sepa.
rate man and wife in almost every
community; and not only this, tut
Is alternating parents and children.
brothers and sisters, and creating an
upruar in communities Mt large
ihese difficulties might all be remov
cd IN n short time, if the masses
"onld only discountcnancc the dc
tcstabla practice OF tattling. Were
his done, the leaders in the business
would soon find that people did not
'ympatllize with them, and would be.
come ashamed of their nefarious
business, and cease Whenever YOU
III Sun and listen TO slang, ana lies
told about your neighbor without re.
2uking the person telling them, YOU
encourage them by your silence to a
renewal Of it in regard to some one
else. More: by your silence they
take it for granted that you acquicsce
III Their views, and will tell others
hat yon do. | generally make il
''i,c, when any one begins TO tell
.t!ea about nei9hhors, 10 politely in,
form them that would rather not
hear such talk in my house. he.
i"yc that any person who will talk
'''ont Your ncighbors to you, will
.aih ahUHi you tO them.
II asked for yoar opinion of your
lci2hhor, 10 not select all his had
qualities 10 base your opinion on,
,ut IL Nun can soy anything in his.
~ her taror do it; il not, say moth
NJ 10 iHjurc his character. II can
10 Aou 40 possible injury TO DO good
INTO all men, nor will it benefit You ,
% iniure others. Iou can always re.
rain from saying ANYTHING with the
ntention OF detracting from anoth-
RS character, if You will make the
'Ncrtlon; and though you dislike t
'ome with whom you are acquainted, I
on are not compelled to associate :,
With them and make them your
liends, nor are you in duty bound }
% publish all their faults and vices |
o the world. OF course, if you /
know such, and have a friend who
loes not, and is likely to be led into }
)"d society so as to injure their char.
'cter, 1t is your duty to caution that
rend, and, if possible, prevent the
association; but it is not your duty
% tell everything you have ever
leah. How much misery could be
wooded II the command-'Lovo thy
lelghbor ms thyself,' was obeyed.- d
do not know rs can do better than c
o give quctation from Pollock, in +,
ais description Of the slanderer,
which | think is a good one:
The man
y "lNm tlis spirit entered was undors.
'H ln-rG WaS set 1u 1ra OF he'll; his heart
'aSJ''cS as deaJE; his legs wer3 faint viii -,
mste ' 7
~ pop gate tho l.e his soul had framed
as Pillow was the pe.Ae OF families
asi Dyed he sigh OF innocence raproached ;
i'-l len friendships, and th strife OF broth
iuud. N''
y n
ron door to door you might have seen him !
Deed. 80" y
~ PG'ed AMIDST group of gaping fools,
a ai ii l.siye rlut tb.iis o,ry ,,,,,h IA. L.