The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-02-06

TOO much space to scandal and gossip? In
your last issue Won had an account Of the
Rhctt affair in New York and the fall OF q
Young Countess, both of which ii seems 70 ne
YOU might have omitted. Resp'r,
BIC STONE Gar Feb. 81.
The first answer to our correspondent
is, that the Posi- is metropolitan aevS-
pnper, not q crossroads hund-hill. lis
mission is to print news, and il Ne didn t
print it We should have no close reader y
to critcisc it.
There has been a great revolution in
journalism and we must keep up with tn:
procession or he left by it. This may he
Il lamcntablc condition, but ii is thc real
condition and we can't help it.
The newspaper has nsurpcd the table rs
means Of propagating gossip. In The one
instance select coteric of friends (tc-
male by tradi,ion) could enjoy the fail
inrs of their ncighhors with some degree
of satisfaction, i'll connection with phi
vatc cup of tea: but rs Che world runs now,
the newspapers spread banquet Of COS
sip for the multtudcs. Time was when
information about affairs, Il little state
secret here and there, ora point or two
about Tie Grand Sultan. could hc relied
on rs exclusive property for little While
ut least The science Of huttonh olin@
has about disappeared. except as il Lays
behind in the service of dunS and borrow
crs. The delightful air Of mystery which
used 70 hang over all things has vanished
before the newspapers like the mist before
the sun; and friendship i, not near What
it used TO hc when conversation WAS so
delicious. in the days before the reporter
robbed rs of that better part Of lis, orr
gossip. But in hat old-timc talk there
Was some wisdom, Il balancing OF yir-
tues, humanity. compassion, adniration.
all VARYING with HE subject ami with thc
talkcr; but IT ;,rc>cnt it is u cynical,
mercilcss newspaper We are naturally
gossips plautus, in the " llcautonlimcr-
ouncnos,' in the celebrated exclamation.
"all things pertaining to man interest
me" had drcc, reference to man Curl
osity in regard to the affairs OF his neigh
hors. This answer was the justification
of old ChrmcS for displaying such i'm
pertinent cagcrncSs to know something OF
the business OF the old Icautontimcr-
oumcnos." In fact throughout all the
old comedies the flow of gossip prevails.
The monks gloatcd over it. They grew
obese with much merrmchi, and with the
secret Jokes that were whispered III the
clustered walls. All legend is the rover
entail gossip of nations, but ii is purcr
press. Chloe and Phyllis, while tending
their hocks, had many choice accounts TO
tell each other of their friends and their
WAYS, and did not devote the whole Irowsy
day to the discussion Of sheep and bees,
as Virgil would have us believe, any more
than the ruralist Of To-day spends Il !
greater partol his time over the a@ricul- !
tnral reports OF the government. 1t WAS
the gossip of the markct-placc which over
whelmcd the philosophic pagan, Socra-
ties. But il was an il-comprehcnding COS
sip. All fond trivial records were
written in the heart only; and the poetry
that was not bound in calf, put in gilt
edges, and copyrighted, went from tongue
to tongue, and heart to heart. Humor
ard merrimcnt and jokes, such rs were
not too precious for common uttcrancc,
went into the common fund and then was
the golden era Of the communists of tho
mind and soul.
In those early days oi all-pcrvadins
gossip. mems thoughts had power. Be-
lief belonged to their natures, and cyni-
cism did not rule the day. The reporter,
iidactic and moralising, the pryng un-
was unborn. The priest WAS j.
living representative of his gods, the
poet was crowned, the orator was revercd,
Tho con4ucror was dcifcd, But the ages
,oll on, and the priest is scotfed at, tho
scot il s!ung to death by critics, the
,rator is hustled of the rostrum or his ]
glowing words cooled in print, and the con- {
lneror conquered by the press. We are J
lot allowed to believe in any thing. Vel I