Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-04-25
SANDER and Backbiting.
For the CITIZEN.

For the CITIZEN.
Mark where we uususpecting tread,
No evil mediate or evil dread
The base assassins from their covert start,
And sheath the dagger in our bleeding heart
Or shoot their arrows, strung by hate, upslack,
With deadly aim at our detenceless back.
So smites the slanderer, with poisoned tongue
Upon their neighbor-who has done no wrong.
Thief like they steal what gold cannot replace,
And like coward dare not show their face.
This emblem sets forth the sin of
slander and baekbiting, which is, of all
things whatsoever, the most abomina-
bic and to be detested. The slanderers
contain within themselves almost all
the vices of other trans gressors. They
are for the most part liars of the very
worst class. Whether they forge the
calumny themselves, or retail that Of
others, it matters not, they are still
liar in the sight of God and man. Not
oniy so; the slanderer is also thief
a robber of the first magnitude, for
Gle who steals my purse, steals trash.
But he who flches from me my good name,
Robs me of that which not enriches him,
And IN axes me poor indeed"
Look again at the brow of the slanderer,
and you will see another title of infamy
that Of coward. They dare not say
to your face what they sc freely utter
behind your back. Thus they bite
the back They resemble a snappish
dog-ofteI seen in the streets, running
after passengers and biting their heels.
Furthermore, the slanderer is in the
sight of God murderer. They must
necessarily bate the person slandered /;
but ''IIe who hateth his brother is a
murderer" Injury is added to hatred,
which renders the case worse. EepI-
tation is more precious than life. Thus
the man or woman who makes or vends
a slander, must be known and read
of all men as liar, coward, thief and
murderer The slalderer's tongue is a
four-edged sword. 1t wounds the band
of them who use it; it wounds the
ears of those who listen to it; it wounds
the hearts of them who are the object
of the thrust; it strikes at the throne OF
God, and breaks his law Who shall
dwell ip thy holy hill? o Lord, he
that backbiteth not with his tongue.
Sander and baokbitiIg. envy, hatred,
and malice are sometimes united iG
one person, and forming being of ex-
traordinary malignity. There are
many such in human shape-demons
wearing the mask of human form, be-
ings whose eyes arc panied the sight
of either excellence or happiness, whose
hearts are corroded with the poison of
envious and malicious thoughts. Self
tormented with the thorns of their own
creatioh-beiugs who never smile but
at the tears of others, WLcse hellish
Joy consists in the wreck of human
happiness, and whose only music is the
voice of lamentation and woe-beings
of Satanic inspiration. They are al
ways we'll furnished with slalders and
never want for opportunity to vent
them. In this they copy after their
great father, the prime enemy Of man,
when beholding the original happiness
of the first human pair iq the bowers of
Eden, ere he effected ttes oVerthrow
''Aside the devil turn',i
For envy; yet with jealous leer mallga
Eyed them askance, and to hinselfthus 'pland,
Sight hateful, sight tormenting"
"If envy malice hatred, reigus
and EiEds ny soul with slavish ehaini,
o Lord, thy heavenly loya ippart,
And drive the demon from my tieitt;d
Mrs, G. " II.
PROSPECT, April, 1889.