Daily globe., 1881-02-06
IN uNsRIDLED TONGUE.

But the tongue can no man tame; tits an un-
ruly evil, full of deadly poison.-JAMEs IN
ee-fourths of the trouble, dissen-
SONS, and the annoyances of life result
from the license of an unbridled tongue.
The last lesson some men and women
learn is the necessity for controlling their
utterances, and few of them ever learn it
tnless they themselves are sufferers from
the results of this license in others.
It appears to be falling of human ma
ture that the majority of people incline to
an inspection of other peoples failings
rather than to an interspeotion of their
own. 1t is generally the case that those
who are IN ost critical and censorious Of
others faults are persons whose own con-
duct will hardly bear the light. Perhaps
1T is on the principle of knowing how it is
themselves that they are enabled to de-
tect the slightest infraction of the moral
law in their neighbors. That their own
shortcomings may appear the less they
seek to exaggerate those of Others, and
to spread the intelligence of their exist
once far and wide. Such people have no
right to consideration either in society or
in the church. They should be Stunned
and by all lovers of amity and concord.
The verifcation of character appears
to be the chief occupation of not in
considerable portion of the church mem
bers of the present day. Though far
from perfect themselves they esteem it a
duty they owe 10 religion and the church
to assume censorship over the conduct of
their associates. They reverse the scriptu-
raj injunction to tell a brother of his
fault privately before laying it before the
church and the public, and first publish
il abroad. BY the time it reaches the au-
thorlties of the church slight indiscre-
tion has become rnagnified into great
crime. 1t accumuIates as it passes from
mouth to mouth as SNOWFALL increases
in size with rolling.
1t is surprising that the churches pay
so little heed to this subject-that they
do not place the seal Of their disapproba-
ton upon practice SO pernicious in its
influence. One gossip is often enough to
set whole congregation by the ears. He
Or she-sows contention in almost
every household; causes one man to dis
trust his fellow, the wife to suspect her
husband and the husband the wife;
plunges the clergymaneinto hot water
with his deacons, and arrays the mem
bership of churches into hostile factions,
each ready to sacrifice the inter
ests Of religion to crafty their
own real or fancied grievances. If calm
counsels prevail, however, and the dam
aging reports are traced to their origin,
the whole congregation is led to exclaim
with one voice: t'Behold how great a
matter little FIRE kindleth -
Many of the social gatherings of the
churches are nothing less than breeding
places for scandal and detraction. At a
sewing circle or at a sociable it is inter
esting to note what satisfaction some peo-
pie seem to take in dilating upon the
faults and weakness of some person who
does not happen to be present or is be-
yond earshot. There is nothing so trifing
in the appearance, manner, or mode of
life of the subject for dissection that eS-
capes criticism, and the contemptuous
glance or the scornful curl Of the lip
show that the shafts of the gossips have
taken effect, and that what has been said
is treasured up to be repeated with nu-
merous additions at the first
favorable opportunity. The person
is yet to be found who will
step forward to rebuke this need
less and sometimes even criminal tamper-
ing with the characters Of those around
about-to defend the right of every
human being to enjoyment of that price
less boon-a good name.
1t is not true, as some allege, that the
clergy do not appreciate the injury that
is being wrought to the church by such
busy bodies. The great majority of them
are panied at the prevalence of this in
fection, but they do not dare to make
the attempt to stop it. Some of the
leaders in these cabals are frequently
leading members of the church, and to
fearlessly rebuke them would be placing
their situations in jeopardy. Bread and
butter and social position are too heavy
risk to run, and hence the slanderers
are permitted to continue their scandal
GUS conduct without let or hindrance.