Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-08-24
TattIers.
sob could there in this world be found,
Some little spot of happy ground,
Where village pleasures might go round.
Without the village tattling.


sob could there in this world be found,
Some little spot of happy ground,
Where village pleasures might go round.
Without the village tattling
How doubly blest that spot would be.
Where all might dwell in liberty.
Free from the bitter misery
Of gossip's endless prattlingl !"
Every community is cursed by the presence
of class of people who make it their business
to attend to every body S business but their own.
Such people are the meanest specimens of de-
prayed humanity which an all wise Providence
permits to exist on this cursed earth. 1t is well
known that almost every person is sometimes
disposed to speak evil of others and tattllng Is
a sin from which very few can claim to be en-
tirely exempt. But the object of our present
article is to speak of that distinct class Of tat
tiers who make bearing the constant bust
ness of their lives. They pry into the private
affairs Of every family in the neighborhood, they
know the exact state of one neighbours feelings
toward another; they understand everybody s
faults and no little blunder or misdemeaner
ever escapes their vigilant watchfulness. They
are particularly well posted on every thing con-
nected with courtship and matrimony, know
who are going to marry, whom, and guess the
exact time when it will take place. They watch
every movement OF parties suspected OF matrl-
monial intentions, and if there is the slightest
chance to create disturbance, excite jealousy,
or break up" match, they take immediate
advantage Of it, and do all in their power to
keep people in constant state of vexation.-
They glide quietly from gentleman to lady, from
mother to daughter, from father to son, and in
the ears of all they pour their dark, bitter
whispers of SANDER and abuse, and at the same
time pretend to be the most sincere friend of
those they talk to- Their black and nauseous
pills of malicious SANDER are sugar-coated with
smiles and honeyed words of friendship.
Tattlers are confined to no particular class Of
society. They belong to all classes, and operate
in ALL We find them among the rich and the
poor-"upper ten and the slower million, -
in the church and out of it. They are people
who have no higher ambition than to be well
informed in regard to other peoples private
business, to retail scandal to their neighbors,
and to exult in fendish triumph over the wound
ed feelings and bruised hearts of their innocent
victims. Beauless old maids and childish
natrons make the most accomplished scandal
mongers in the world They seem to take to
tattllng from the promptings of natural instinct,
and they prosecute it with an energy that would
do internal honor to their great leader-the
prince of darkness himself Our contempt for
such graceless creatures knows no bounds and
We can find no words in which to express its in
fanny. What punishment they deserve we can
not know; but God knows-and as sure as his
eternal justice reigns, they will receive a re-
tribution proportional to the magnitude of
their offences against the laws of God and the
interests OF humanity.