Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-08-22

happiness Of a family rudely disturbed or
even permanently destroyed, by neither
the husband nor wife knowing how TO use
this power An impatient word from
her Is quickly met by an aggravating re-
tort from him. Other words follow, hot
words, inconsiderate, cruel words; until
the feelings Of both are embittered and
their hearts sorely wounded. It takes
days to heal the sore. The scars remain
forever to mar the beauty and perfection
of their mutual love. That is all either
has gained. Poor satisfaction at best A
wise, gentle, judicious silence instead of
that first aggravating retort Of his, and |
how fiat her impatient word would have |
fallen, and instantly been followed by
penitence for herself and loving admiration
for him, before the manly strength Of whose
silence her heart would have bowed for
| forgiveness In the home as nowhere else,
| perhaps, is the temptation strong 10 fall
| victim to the weakness of emotional speech.
There as nowhere else is the penalty too
bitter for sensible people to incur It,
Nowhere is an angry, ill-considered word
less worthy Of uttered reproach, and
nowhere the victorious power of gentle,
loving silence more speedily and fully
manifest.
In looking over the proceedings of court
one cannot fail to be impressed with asense
of how much expense and disgrace might
have been avoided il all men and women
knew little better how to hold their
/; tongues. Slander and libel and surety of
the peace are not to be stopped by arrest,
conviction, fine or damages. They cannot
even be punished by that means half as ef'
fectually as they would be simply by the
persistent silence of the person slandered
: Having his assailants arrested proves te
: them that they hurt him, made him angry
shows that they have that much powe
} over him. For this satisfaction they will
lingly pay any flnel What would hurt ant
y punish them more than any court can do
would be to see the subject of their vii
attacks refuse TO take any notice of them
u or be in any way induced to reply to or b
u disturbed by them. His digniiied, cor
temptuous silence, in spite of all their go'
~ sip, would utterly defeat their ends an
III make them conscious of their defea
~ Their severest punishment would be ft
ie him silently to prove them liars before a
III men by contradicting their ISLANDERS with
VI consistently bameless life. Really u
q. penalties of libel and slander being so ca.
Vi and effective by means of the weapon
is silence, the folly of those who are ev
ready to rush into court with their cas-
an becomes pitiful and ridiculous.
10 But there is also good deal of goss
III which does not get into court. In the hig
ne est as in the lowest circles of society IN
on chief-making tongues are ever husily wa
so, ging. Why do the truth-loving, pul
OIL minded women who grace our social ]
permit it, and even help the evil alon
ia They could root out gossip and sland
'w, and should out of every sphere of soci'
an, that pretends to be decent and respectful
ex- simply by the wise and determined ex
sed else of this same art OF silence. They nj
ad, but persistently and courageousy refuse
no. have word to say in any conversat
ite. into which any of the clements of gos
an enter. Their silent rebuke would 81
d have its effects. So long as they refuse
non do it, are they not parties to the evil
But in how many other ways besi
Dgs these is not the power of silence equi
the great, and as yet equally unused o
tor- here and there strong one shows that
ate knows how to WELD it,. Only here /;
on there is one who can be wisely, loving
uilt heroically silent. Wherever such an
the is, we take off our hat to him