Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-01-04
Charity VS.. Gossip.
ssWho told you ?"

| the 'eVefyDOQleS. 90 not DeileVe
@ word of it. 1t is the easiest thing
| in the world to guess thing is so,
to speak in that way to some one,
and then for that some one to repeat
it as truth, verify thinking that she
| heard it as a fact. Such thing
grows too, just like rolled snow
ball, until it gets SO big that it can
not be moved out of sight. 1t takes
up all the dirt in its way. and, in
truth, unlike the snow mountain, It is
| pretty much all filth. Unfortunately,
it don't melt away with the coming
of spring time. Don't tell the story
to another human being. Think of
the trouble it would make should it
reach the husbands ears
A quick look Of apprehension
crossed the listeners face.
"They say" she answered slowly,
"that he has heard of it, and that he
threatens to send her home to her
mother, he is so angry"
1t was not necessary to hear any
more of the conversation 10 under
stand that social scandal, resulting
perhaps in tragedy was impending.
The lady in the case was bright
young married woman whose pulses
were aglow with the mere pleasure Of
living. Full of hight and life, and
gaiety, pretty and engaging. with no
more thought of evil in her heart,
than as if she were bird, with her
wings yet unclipped by the scissors
of care and SORROW, she had laughed
and danced and sung through the
season, with thoughtless disregard
of criticism which had brought about
the sure result. And yet it was so
plain that all she thought about was
to have good time, that it seemed
strange she should be so misjudged.
Reckless tongues had been set to
wagging, a husband's S jealousy arous-
ed. and who can tell the ending.
She should avoid the appearance
of evil, say you.
How easy to assert, how difficult
to do, in a world where are always
hearts with the seeds of evil ready to
SOW. Did she walk now by plummet
line, envy and malice would still de-
clare it crooked, and do their best to
make it look so in the eyes of the
community. And community is apt
to accept this view, not that it has
any real ill-wiIl towards her, but it is
q new excitement, matter of sur
prise, something of interest to talk
about, it causes a sensation, and
sensation is the order of the day. Few
stop to think of all the far-reachine
consequences of thus throwing {
shadow upon woman's character.
| have nothing to say to real, thor
ough going scandal-mongers of whom
: there is more than enough, men a:
we'll as women, in every society, those
who will murder reputation with a
little conscience as a butcher has Ii
= slaughtering his cattle for market
Could there be a law providing :
/ death penalty for such, it would b.
e simple justice. They are worse thar
he who takes the life of the body
t but unfortunately they are rarel.
reached and punished. To appeal t
them in any way is worse than use
II less.
/ am talking now to women, goo'
women, conscientious women, win
T mean to do right, or at least inten,
no wrong. Do not smooth dow
Y your plumage, self-satistied that i
It this one direction you are void Of of
fence. | will venture to say that no
e one of us can shake our skirts entire
u ly free from this sin. Stop to think
;, Have you never repeated a stor
= about another woman. trifling in il
s self, it may be, but yet which wonl
If serve as a foundation for the black
ening of her character, if added t
IS or strengthened in any way?
e Did you ever sit silent when som
= piece of gossip was airily detailed i
your presence, because you "kne,
q nothing about it, and was not goin
a to be mixed up in such matters? p
e Have you ever commented upo
A, some action of your neighbors whic
you did not understand, in wa
g that would convey the idea tha
- something was wrong?
): Do you at all times and in q
places defend the character of VIC
K man which is aspersed, when tn
charges against her rests upon wha
i "people say and there is no proc
!, of their truth whatever?
Do you invariably believe, or az
=, as if you believed, that your siste
10 woman is innocent of wrong inter
t. ton until the contrary is proven al
lie solutely? Do you show her by you
IN treatment that you have faith in he
womanhood, even if gossip has take
> her name lightly?
/ know what some of you will ar
h swer to this last question,-that We
IS men dare not do otherwise than shu
the suspected for their own sake
is Well, if your reputation can h
g smirched in that way, better let it 9
. to pieces, and work up new one mad
!, of firmer material.
+ Hard as it may seem to say, it
yet nevertheless true, that the firs
snot uDon the Wbiteness of q woman