St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1883-10-13
| Written Tor the L'az.IEE..
THE GOSSIP.

: found among the rich, the poor
the old, the young. To-day we
meet her as the narrator of spicy
, stcrles-to-mo-ow, merely US a
/. carrier of small talk, mot the small
. talk born OF II congeninl spirit ana
, light heart, but rhe talk that is bur
dened with petty mischief and NAL
ice Sometimes she has wei.hty
atnrs to communicate; then again
II IS but the spurious coin she has
gathered from her ueighbor's stool,
of grievances, But come when
she will, or how she may-news,
news, news, is ever her object. And
this she IS snre to gather, by fair
means OF fonl. This victim is
coa2ed into giving it, that one
scared. another battered. fourth
worried. and so on through her
whole catalogue Of persuasive pow
ers. IN highways and byways she
hunts tOr tin the mansion and
the cot. Mistress and maid, mas
ter and servant, MI alike are sub
Jected TO her prying eye, and made
TO serve aer one talent, discovering
the affairs OF others and reiailinu
them again at an enormous Der
centage. She belongs to no par
ticuiar cline or country, but is in
dlgenous TO every soil, Furnishing
chiefly IN small towns and villaees.
where she is the dread of younr
lovers and husbands addicted to
staying out "late o nights" and in
crowded neighborho0ds in large
Giles, where she keeps It's black
sheep constantly an tue alert, lest
she discover their last escapade and
make them town talk" High
spirited people have been known to
maize tie attempt to crush her, by
the expression Of plain opinions;
but they usually come out second
best, with II feeling OF being ,n:se--
able wretches, and = desire, for n
week after, % be some one else
or the gossip never does anything
Intentionally, Is so sorry she said !
hopes she has done 10
harm, etc, etc. Then she pulls the
ast plank frcm under your feet By :
bedding Il few tears, and when YOU !
cave Eer you are much saider, but |
lot 4 bit wiser, than when you went
o interview her. But those young
n the ways of the world will End
Indifference Will afford sue cure
1r her bites. Tie ancient rhiloso-
her, whose marked proclirities for
tGb have become pro.erbial,
lakes no meation of her. Though
e speaks of the slanderer rs a wild
cast, and the Eatterer as a tance !.
ne. yet this Specimen of "tame
:idncss" he evidently never met. A
lat, then, Mr.. Diogenese never L
eut into company mach; besides. -
e always carried lantern, and
le gossip, al any time, objects to re
Q much light. Still, despite tie II
ninent gentleman's neglect Of her,
e eYidon;iy came upon the world -
mpus at Il very early date-she
III iac., q relic Ct the dark ages ro
d no doubt was overlooked wle, hr
usa-cieanins time came round va
that epoch, aud thas escaped ~.
ing Into the garnet, with other zee
.ic!ss, labelled "disreputable and to
abby" 1t is easy to imagine Tie no;
merous Mrs. Cetawayo." talking ~,
CT the back fence to her dearest ma
end and neighbor, Mrs. Some obi
abou. the dreadful
.nes on Of Mrs. c. Nos. 2 and 3;
/ it would appear natural to hear ~" .
anne Sitting Bull growing elo- IRE
3nI to a1r. S. Z. about the horrid wee
nner in which Madam Spotted 1
i" is treated by her lor,l and " one
ster; one feels even sad kind OF 6,
J for Marion of the Moatea S