The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-09-12
Abating a Nuisance.


that what is known as scandal-wb;eb
In mild form means to talk more or
less disrespectfully of ones acouaint.
ances-is a great evil Many cures
have been suggested, but there is one
remedy seldom touched upon, and per-
Maps because it comes too near home.
IL Is, for each person to abandon The
practlce OF saying ANYTHING uncom-
pllnentary about neighbor when no
special good Is to be accomplished by it.
AS a hrst step to promote this reform,
1t ought to be impressed on children
that the news they pick up at their
neighbors' houses, or at one house
about the occupants of another, is not
to be repeated at home or elsewhere I'M
less for some better purpose than to
make talk ." Children sent on err
rands will sometimes come home with
their heads and mouths full of what
they have heard and seen of domestic
troubles-the father in bad temper
toward his wife because of a late break
fast or a spoiled dinner: the wife scold-
ing the husband for some sort of nec-
lect; tie children quarreling and then
subjected to discipline Sometimes the
information brought will be scandal
about third party, which the child
hears discussed, and takes in with
avidlty because all the parties are
known personally, and the mere telling
OF the news at home makes the news car
rier an object of temporary interest. All
this should be prohibited; it does no
good even if true, being. beside, a dan
gerous and low sort of entertainment.
What we see in neighbours house that
Is unpleasant, we have no rirht to re-
peat outside, any more than we have to
put INTO a newspaper; outsiders are
not admitted to the family circle for
that purpose. The fact is that it is
rather n common and an unrebuked
practice blinds thousands to its enor-
nifty and danger. but that is about the
onl y excuse for it. When it is brought
home to ourselves, and we are made
the victims of this sort of gossip, then
we comprehend it better!
speak from some experience on this
point, having enforced the rule in the
case of gossippy girl who lived some
years in my family. She had often to
go to a nelghbor' for milk, and some
times had to wait five or ten minutes.
Then she would take in everything
| said and done, come back well loaded,
and begin to unload Us soon as she
opened the door. But she was told,
much to her surprise, that we didn' t
wish to hear her news about our neigh
Dor, and the reasons were kindly ex-
planned. 1t was hard for her to hokl
in, but it taught her a little self-re-
straint at any rate, And so it would
to others, and in addition would lead to
something like true criticism. Instruct
them not to repeat anything that shows
| the neiGhbors or their affairs IN a bad
| hight, and though they half burst to tell
| something, the question will come up,
is this case where good will be done
| by telllng?' Generally it is not.
The failing is almost universal, and
can not be eradicated unless rejecting
people discipline themselves as well a.
| all under their influence. The practice
is bad from beginning to end, and has
no redeeminG feature, except that it is
| almost the only entertainment OF a
social nature open to the very illiterate
Such can not read, aud thousands OF
those who do read can not talk about
what they read. one temptation, too
| which is constantly aSSaiizg people o.
some culture, and who desire to b.
above the practice, is the inability tC
| entertain others Of n lower grade with
out talking about the neignbors. Tina
is the one subject on which they are a
| home. The weather soon become:
threadbare, work and crops don't las
long, book topics awaken no response
and often the only resource seems to be
where both parties know something o
the neighborhOod, to bring up tn,
neighbOr in detail, their faults ant
foibles more particularly.
The value of an education lies large.
" in the intellectual entertainment i
affords, and the tendency for ratiOna
sociability which rises above scandal
| This is also the value of taste fol
reading, even when there is no
much real scholarship involved
| Novel-reading may be bad, com
paratively, but it is better than ne
reading, and head that finds its chic
entertainment in gossip. Many novel,
owe distort d views, but there are Sc
many good ones STANDARD works, anC
new ones which can be known through
newspaper criticisms), that there i;
little excuse to read without discrimina
ton. Parents. even if illiterate them
selves, can easily find out what storie
are suitable for their children, Blu
there are histories and biographies alst
in abundance, which are more useful
as they store the mind with facts an,
useful thoughts III addition to furnish
ing topics for conversation. SOM
novels, too, expose many popula
habits, tastes or customs TO odlum, in
way that tends 10 their overthrow
Even a good love story makes one re
spect noble passion which is oftel
tlippantlv treated in consideration
while such novels Us ''Uncle Tom
Cabin and "Thc Scottish Chiefs
warm even q dull soul into hatred O
tyranny and slavery. As ''out OF tn
abundance of the heart the mout
speaketh." so 4 mind full OF enthusiasm
p for heroic cha acters will find some
thing better to discuss in the hous
and the social circle than little neigh
borhood scandals. Only remembe
that to get something good out of
head, something good must first be pu
into it to draw upon when needed, a
. people do with their bank accounts
Tor country Gentleman.