The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1885-11-05
THE TALE-BEARER.
The Country Parsons Observations Touch
ing the Practical Effects of False
Statements.

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 a
woman, not unfrequently a man. And
the pestilence that walks in darkness
is not so mischievous or so hateful.
Well one remembers, as a child, the
lowered voice, not without nasal
intonation, the unmistakable busy body
air. the unforgotten 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
memory. But there are matters which
it is degrading to recall, even to gibbet
them wish heartily / could forget
q great deal which comes back to me
as write this line. John Stuart Mill
said that one marked difference be-
tween the educated and uneducatcd
class is that the latter will readily tell q
falsehood; the former will not 1t is
sad that ones experience appears
sometimes to testify that the deplora-
BILE tendency has its place in some in
dividuals of either class.
Let q rule be here laid down which
ought never, under any circumstances,
be departed from.
Never listen to one who proposes to
tell you something friend has said to
your prejudice your pledging yourself
never to speak to your friend ON the
matter. Here you have come across
the basest and most cowardly of all
backbiters and mischief-makers, like
wise the vulgarest Your course here
is plain. Say to the cowardly tale
bearer: 81 warn you that if you say
one word I shall go straight and tell
my friend that you told me this story
and ask if it is true" DIR. Chalmers
mother always met any bit of spiteful
tattle with words to this effect. 1t was
pleasing to see how the mischief-maker
hastened to back out of the story And
the mischief-maker did not come back
to Mrs Chalmers a second time; un-
less greater fool than common.
A little organization has gone on
smoothly for years, its members trust
ing one another and working harmo-
niously 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 Sc
cretly poisoned. No doubt each ought
to have cut the mischief-maker short,
but not all had wisdom and firmness to
do so.
You remember, doubt not. how the
mischief-maker once offered, from a
sense of duty" to relate to YOU cir
cumstanccs which tended to make you
doubt your best friend. He "wlshes
to caution YOU" You cut him short
finally. But what. if that whisper had
got hold OF you? OF course, you would
have asked your friend about it, and
things would have been cleared up.
But some folks dread scene and avoid
it And such leave a painful impress
sion. The repetition of them ends in
alienation.
One has known human beings much
perplexed to know why, after being
made q good deal too much of in GER
tain places, they were Suddenly
dropped A modest man would say,
because ] made bad impressions; l
disappointed people. Years after, it
came out that it all came of the skill
full Misrepresentation and innuendoes,
OF clever and lin the main) good man.
But he could not bear to see your pro-
motion The frantic tenacily with
which some men keep hold of some
trumpery privilege is even exceeded by
their frantic terror.
When falsehoods are systematically
told by a man (not designed to keep q
neighbOr back or DOWN his purpose
generally is to make himself of conse-
quence. He is influential: holding
strings in his hand; playing off one
against another. Privately tell A. that
b. abused him; privately tell b. that
A. abused him. II they be vulgar souls
they will listen to you. And no doubt
you are a sneaking tale-carrier: yet
you have q certain influence which
possibly you could get in no other
way.
When falsehoods are systematically
told by a woman, if old, she is spiteful.
She wants to give pain and make mis-
chief If middle-sged, things are not
SO bad. Her main desire is to bo talk
ing about herself. She is always the
hoerine of her fibs. And she would
talk of herself forever. She would
rather ten evil of herself than tell moth
ing.