The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-11-29
''THEY WHISPER
And Slander's Foul Tongue is
Always Busy.
Rev. Talmage Shoots Forth Some Peril
nent Shafts of Truth that will Apply to
this Neck of Woods Also.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS."


yillainy, and puts in the midst of the
roll class of persons known In all
cities. in all neighbOrhOOds, and in all
places as whispereTs. They are thus
described because they are apt to speak
under voice and in confidential mood,
and with the hand at the side of the
mouth acting as a funnel so as to him
der the precious information from wan
deTing into the wrong ear. They do
not speak softly because they are alack-
ing in lung force, OF because they are
oVerpOwered with the spirit of gentle
ness, but because they do not want to
be held responsible for defamation. If
no one heareth but the one into whose
ear the nice little delicacy of intelli-
genee is distilled, and the offender Is
afterward arraigned, he can deny that
he ever said it, for the whisperer is al
Ways a first class liar. Some people
whisper because they are hOarse from
cold, or because they want to say some
thing useful without disturbing others,
but the creature photographed by the
Apostle Paul gives mut1ed utterance
from sinister and depraved purposes,
and sometimes all you can hear Is a
sibilant sound as the letter drops from
the tip of the tongue into the listening
ear; brief hiss of the serpent as he
projects his venom. They are maseu-
ed, with a little tendency to a majority
on the side of those who are called the
lords of creation. They have been heard
at the window of every bank cashier,
and in every counting room, and in all
business circles, as we'll as at sewing
societies and at meetings of orphan
asylum managers. They are the worst
foes of society, are responsible for mise
ries illimitable, are the ScaYengers OF
the world, driving their carts through
every community and for your execra-
tiOn and contempt and lOathing | hold
them up this day before your eyes. From
the manner in which Paul frequently
alludes to them Ijudge that he had him
self suffered from their attack. His per-
sonal presence was defective, and gave
abundant opportunity for their ridi-
Guile; and, beside that, he was bachelor,
persisting down into the sixties IN his
celibacy, and, no doubt, some of them,
having failed in their cOnnub1al designs
upOn him, the little missionary had to
take the raking fire of these whisperers.
He was a fine mOrsal for their scandal
ization. and Paul. no longer able TO
Keep his natience in regard to them,
shows these miscTeants of the tongue
and heart sitting down In my text be-
side the scOundrelly and the murderers.
The law of libal has quickand stout
grip for open slander. II should plain
Iy and by name charge you with fraud,
or theft, or arson, or uncleanness, the
next morning might have a premtOry
document served on me, and in dollars
and cents | should have to pay you for
what damage had done your character.
But these creatures spoken OF in my
text are so small they slide through De-
tween the fine-tOOth comb of the law.
They live on and live on, escaping courts
and juries and penitentiar1es. The Dis
trict Attorney cannot lind them. Inc
Grand Jury cannot find them. SHUT
them off from one route of perhdy and
thew start on another. No amount of
moral influence can persuade them to
desist. You might as we'll read the Ten
Commandments to flock of crows, eX-
pecting them to retreat under the force
of the moral sentiment. They are found
eyeryWhere. | think they thrive best
in a village of one or two thousand in
habitants, where everybody knows every
body, but our large cities have tull
share. They are of pTying disposition.
They look into the basement windows
to see people at the morning and even
ing meals. They can see as far through
the key-hOle as other people can see
with the doors wide Opan. They can
OYerhear conversations at the other SIDE
of the rOOm. To them the world Is a
whispering gallery. They put the worst
construction upon everything. wire
descending into the street with eyes a
little dim with tears, theeVent IS stlmu-
Iating to the tale-beareT and sets the
Whisperer ND in business for many
weeks. Guess that husband and wife
don't live happily together" ~ arranC
you that the husband abuses her" out
rageOus." "Shall go over and tell the
neighbOrs, for this thing has got to be
stopped" Shall [ bring the matter be-
fore the church," She rushes in out Of
breath, saying: Don't you think, Mrs.
All-Ear, that our neighbOr, poor thing,
came out of her house this morning, cry
ing. That brute of a man has been
abusing her. Isn't it awful! just think
of having our neighbOrhOOd disturbed
by such gOings Onl Well, l have sus-
pected it long while. L saw him down
street the other afternoon very gracious
and polite. | thought then he might
better go home and pay attention to his
own family, who were probably at that
very time sitting up stairs crying their
eyes out. Now, do persuade your hus-
band to go over and put an end to this
outrage. Dear me, isn't it awfulP'
Whisperers! The fact is that one woman
set ON fire with bad spirit can keep a
whole neighbOrhOOd abOll. She does not
have to be endowed with any special
brain. 1t is quite requisite that she be
not incOmmOded with large family.
Tbat would keep her at home. Such
MIST either be single, or have no chill
dren in order that she may have time to
attend to all the secret affairs of the
neighbOrhoOd. Women with large fami-
lies seldom succeed as whisperers. II
anything goes wrong she is the first one
TO hear II. There seem telegraph wires
and telephOns between her ear and all
the households of all the town. For
pOoy, healthy news she has no appetite,
but for the scraps and peelings that are
thrown out from the scullery into the
back yard she has great avidity. The
only day when she has no time to go
abroad Is some day when there is a new
divorce case in the papers, with three
or four delightful columns of private
letters Published. That morning she
has no time to read even her Bible. She
may saunter out toward night just to
get another paper TO see if there are any
more particulars of the case to get hold
\ Of Satan does not have to look very