The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1878-05-23
Evil Communications

mission il TO right existing wrongs. The
way in which they propose to do it IL to
make them the theme of social inters
course, the subject OF infinite talk. OF
course they never can lack material to
work upon, The newspapers abound in
il, political circles overflow with ii, every
ne ghbor's family will afford it, in some
form and degree.
Our Saviour says; Judge not, that
We be not judged!" Now, Of course, He
| did not mean that we should have no
opinion respecting men and their actions,
or that we should refuse, nj the call OF
duty, to give voice TO those opinions.
1t is an every day duty, which He Him
self recognized, TO decide questions OF
light and wrong, whose decision will
involve some about us in condemnation.
But this is a very different thing from
gIOating over social crimes and evils, or
sitting down cynlcally to form adverse
judgments of our fellows, taking refuge
in the shadow of principle.
A conscientious man feels that he
must defend the right, and therefore he
must condemn wrong doors. A cynic
feels that he must condemn everybody,
and he r~ejOiCes that truth bears him out
in it. Now, it is the spirit in which we
contemplate what transpires around us
that reacts to fit the seal of our judgment
on ourselves. 1t we are secretly gratiiied
with r%ecitals of vice and crime which,
| protesting TO loathe, we eagerly deyOur
with our rolls and coffee, the fact is,
though we seem to be cOndemning crime,
we are nourishing the incipiont criminal
within w. lnproportion AS these things
have a fascination for us, they have
drawn us down TO their own corrupt
level.
# is in vain that we hatter ourselves
that we look upon these disclosures OF
crime and corruption with indignation
and loathing. We can not altogether
loathe that which we desire to contem>
plate we can not altogether hate that
whose details have a pleasing fascination
for US. 1t il curious to see with what
assumed superiority some declaim against
popular vices when we perceive, from
their secret attitude, that the principle
result of the process is their W degrad-
alton. Evil communications corrupt
good manners"
But, if one who makes himself a self
constituted censor does not become un'
charitable and evil-mindcd, he Is almost
sure to become Il confirmed gossip, and
few lates in the world, outside OF the
|lunatic asylum, are more to be dreaded.
Can anything be more utterly diluting
to the thought, and weakening to the
entire moral nature than the empty and
feclingless chatter of carping tongues
Does anything more e~tiectually expel
from the soul all pure aflinities for noble
things, all royal delight in truth, al
sweet and holy conceptions of virtue and
excellence, than this everlasting semi
sc0rnful talk about n neighbor's dress,
household management, social aspira.
tions and religious sins One might as
we'll expect to obtain mental discipline
from wandering in a bOiler-shOp, as to
hope for any good to himself or anybody
from the sort of animadversion that seems
to be the most pleasing occupation of
the average gossip. 1t we would benefit
our neighbor, let us tell him of his fault,
If we would curse ourselves, let us hold
up the image OF his lmpertections before
our minds, to be photographed thereon.
Alas for the poor gossip doomed, by
high degree, to fill his mind with the
" husks that the swine did eat !" In
~tellectual starvation and moral disease
stare him in the lace If his talk does
not ruin innocent regulations, as it will
be more than likely to, it will belittle
and degrade his own intellect and heart.
If it does not destroy any other persons
power to do good, it efiectually cripples
and dissipates his own. If it does not
make my one else to he hated and shun-
ned, it will make him unwelCome and
odious. lie sacrifices all good and fair
things to a duty made of brown paper
ard saw dust. Or, like the deluded
children of Judah, who consumed t cir
Offspring in the copper embrace OF a red
hot MolOch, lie burns his treasure to a
senseless and cruel god.
Triles, indeed, these themes of gossip
sometimes are, but trihing is serious
business. Trifles they may be, but the
business of one who deals in trifles makes
him q triAer a spendtlrift of life's sunny
days, a squanderer of its glorious oppor.
tunities, bankrupt in its nobler virtues,
aud ignorant OF its truest joys. There is
Il sense in which we are TO be deeply and
a lively interested in that which con-
Germs our brother man. He is neither q
Christian nor a friend who will not
watch over his neighbor's interests, and
seek, from motives Of charity, to promote
his happiness: Am ! my brothers
keep per ?" was the snpering retort of one
who had proved himself his brothers
murderer. There is a generic relation
between the %casting,Off of the sacred
obligations of u common brotherhood,
and the staining OF our hands with a
brothers. blood. The man who cares
nothing for his brother is cousin-german
Of the murderer. And "WhOsoever
haieth his brother is a murderer"
The difference is wide between one
who holds himself ready " reprove
wrong in u spirit of kindness, forgive
injury, sympathize with weakness, and
help i%nfirmity who has a noble purpose
steadily held, 10 interest himself for the
sake OF helping; and one who mouses in
the affairs OF Others urged on by curiosity
a censorious spirit or a corrupt heart.
Christ died because, knowing hu.
msnity, His tender interest and sublime
sympathy could not but express and
pour themselves out in an infinite sac.
rifce. But, for all we know to the con-
trary, the priest and the Levite, who, Oh
the road 10 Jericho, evaded the poor fel.
low in his distress, may have been the
most unsparing critics OF wrong doing in
Jerusalem, and ring-leaders oil the city
gossip. For philippines against evil are
no certain evidence of moral incorrupti.
bility; and those who most loudly and
hearilessly dennnnce the sins of others.