The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-08-22
Gossip.

AL OF Whlcn Is very true. III mas
been often said if one desires to hear
gossip, scandal, back-biting or peo-
! pies private affairs discussed they
have only to locate in a country town,
the smaller the more gossip. No
doubt this is to a certain extent true.
While we have too much pride in
Kimball to assert the tongue Of Mrs.
Grundy wags f%uriously in the town,
yet, from remarks dropped within
our hearing from time to time to-
gether with complaints lead us to be-
lleve Kimball would be better off if
certain ones would attend solely to
their own affairs.
If we look carefully for the cause
of gossip or back-biting, nine times
in ten we will find it due to envy
and jealousy. There are some peo-
pie SO narrow minded they cannot look
upon another's success or popularity
without bitterness. As the tallest
trees are most in the power of the
wind, so are the most eminent people
the best mark for envious tongues.
I he recent scandal afoat about the
presidential candidates is a fit illus
tration of this. In small country
towns like Kimball the same idiosyn.
crazy of the hair-brained eossips crop
out, but in q lesser degree of course.
If people would cultivate charity
of speech it surely would be as di-
vine a thing as charity of action.
The tongue that speaketh no evil is
as lovely as the hand which giveth
aims. To judge no one harshly; to
m~isconstrue no mans motives; to be-
lieve things are what they seem to
be until they are proved otherwise;
to temper judgment with mercy
surely this is quite as good as to build
up churches. Unkind words do as
much harm as unkind deeds; many a
heart has been wounded beyond cure
by words; many a reputation has
been stabbed to death by a few little
words. They have separated fami-
lies, parted husbands and wives, and
broken the ties between the dearest
friends.
There is a charity which consists
withholding words, in keeping back
harsh judgment, in abstaining from
speech, if to speak is to condemn.
Such charity hears the tale OF SANDER
but repeats it not; it will not be the
one to help the ball to roll. 1t listens
in silence but forebears comments,
and it locks the unpleasant secret up
In the very depth of its heart. While
the busy ]censorieus tongue of gossip
is wagging, charity sets dumb amid
the CHATTER, refraining from passing
judgment on that of which it has no
proof, and which even if 1t had,
would prefer throwing the mantle Of
silence over the matter. Could it be
possible for SANDER to make the
Roadway it does, if reticence, instead
of PRONUNCIATION, was the universal
rule? Could report be furnished with
the hundred wings it has if there
were not SO many tongues wagging?
Silence can still rumor; it is speech
that keepsit alive and lends it vigor.
The heart which is filled with
envy and bitterness will give vent to
it in words. 1t sees nothing bright
nor beautiful, because it looks through
a clouded vision. Words are a pref
ty good test of temper and habit of
thought. AS "to the pure all things
are pure'' so to the malicious and i'll
tempered all things are black, unlove-
ly and ofill-repute.
Some one has written: "Words are
the signs of thoughts, and if the
thoughts be sweet and good the
words will be kind and gentle, free
from malice and all uncharitableness.
Therefore by our own words do we
proclaim what we are; the good fairy
dropping diamonds from her mouth,
or the evil fairy dropping toads."
Again, it will be well to bear in
mind always those beautiful lines of
Will Carleton's which run something
like this:
"Boys flying kites haul in their white
winged birds.
You can't do that when you're
flying words.
!. Careful with fire is good advice
Careful with words is ten times
dsubly SO.
Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes
t fall back dead.
But God himself can't kill them
} when they're said.
On Saturday evening last about
} twenty-five young people of Kimbdl
gathered at the residence of Geo. E.
Smith one and one-half miles north.
west of town, to celebrate the seven.
teenth anniversary of his daughter
Maria. At the close of the evenings