Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-12-04
THE TALE.REARER.


Observations Touching the Practical
Elects of False Statements.
In many communities, lesser and
greater, there may still be found the
tale bearer, who, as in Solomon's days,
separates chief friends; frequently
woman, not unfrequently man. And
the pestilence that walks in darkness is
not so mischievous or so hateful. Well
one remem bers, as child, the lowered
voice, not without nasal intonation,
the unmistakable busybody air, the un-
forgotten formula: "Now you must
not mention it for your life; but she
said that YOU were vulgar, ugly
thing" Many, indeed. are things SO
said which recur to the unwilling mem
ory. But there are matters which IL is
degrading TO recall, even to gibbet them.
l wish heartily could forget great
deal which comes back to me as | write
this line. John Stuart Mill said that
one marked difference between the edu1
Gated and uneducated class is that the
latter will readily tell falsehood; the
former will not. 1t is sad that ones
experience appears sometimes to testify
that the deplnrable tendency has its
place in some individuals Oh either
class.
Let rule be here laid down which
ought never, under any circumstances,
be departed from. Never listen to one
who proposes to tall you something a
friend has said to your prejudice, your
pledging yourself never to speak to
your friend OF the matter. Hero you
have come across the basest and most
cowardly of all backbiters and mischief
makers, likewise the vulgarest Your
course here is plain. Say to tue coward
ly tale-bearer: ~ warn you that II you
say one word shall 90 straight and tell
my friend that you told me this story
and ask II it is true" DR.. Chalmers
mother always met any bit of spiteful
tattle with words to this effect. 1t was
pleasing to see how th- nllschief-maker
hastened to back out of the story. And
the misch;ef-maker did not come back
to Mrs. Chalmers second time; unless
a greater fool than common.
A little organization has gone on
smoothly for years, its members trust
ing one another and working harmoni-
ously together. But in an evil hour the
mischief-maker is admitted to that small
society. Soon there is suspicion and
drawing off; possibly the whole thing
blows up. Each has been secretly
poisoned No doubt each ought to
have cut the miSchief-maker short, but
not all had wisdom and frmness to do
SO.
You remember, l doubt not. how the
mischief maker once offered. from q
sense of duty" to relate 10 you circum-
stances VIII 'ch tended to make you
doubt your best friend. He wished to
caution you.r You cut him short fin.
ally. But what il that whisper had 20,
hold OF you? OF course, you would
have asked your friend about it, ant
things would have been cleared up
But some folk dread scene and avoid
it. And such leave a painful impres
sion. The repetition Of them ends IL
alienation.
Ono has known human beings mucl
perplexed to know why, after being
made good deal too much of in cor
tain places. they were suddenly dropped
A modest man would say, because
made bad impression; l disappointed
people. Years after it came out that i
all came Of the skillful misrepresenta
tions and innuendoes Of clever anC
| lin the main) good man. But he coult
not bear to see your promotion. The
frantic tenacty with which some mer
keep hold of some trumpery pIivileg,
is even exceeded by their frantic terroI
lest any neighbor should get hold OF it
too.
When falsehoods are Systematically
told by man mot designed to keep |
ncighbor back or DOWN his purpos'
generally is to make himself of conse
quence. He is influential; holding
strings In his hand; playing off on,
against another. Privately tell A ths
B abused him; privately tell B that I
abused him. If they be vulgar soul
they will listen to you. And no doub
you are u sneaking tale-carrier; yet yoI
have certain influence which possibl,
you could get in no other way. b.
When falsehOods are systematicall
told by woman, if old. she is spiteful
She wants to give paiu and make mis-
chief II middle-aged, things are nc
so bad Her main desire is to be talk
ing about hersoif. She is always tn
heroine of her tibs. Aud she woul
talk of herself forever. She woul
rather tell evil of herself than tell moth
ing. Lonqn,an's Magasine.