Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-10-17

who had protested friendship for her
had dared to make dishonest insinu.
atoms against her. II was crime
she should suffer for it,
She sent for two men-one her ole
pastor and the other an old friend OF
her father, Judge Howe. They hearc
her version of the affair, smiled at hcI
intensity OF feeling, and advised he
not TO notice it at all She and Dr.
McCroud were both too well known q
be injured by any such idle gossip
they argued.
But it is not more for myself than
for otner women 1 wage war against
I this gossip crusade, she exclaimed
I Things have come TO such pass thai
the purity Of an angel would not Dc
I exempt from the abominable villifyina
/ OF idle women's tongues. We whD
\ quietly endure such treatment only aid
and abet the yiliainy by encouraging
! such lawlessness OF speech. I'll NOS
/ be q party 10 the screening Of any SUCH
/ violation Of Christian demeauor. Mrs.
Sampson is u very good person to BIZ
gin on, for she may be worse gossip
some day Moreover / should like
her 10 realize the fact that u work
basket may contain needles as well as
newspapers.
Next day Mrs. Sampson received "a
note which she opened and read;
"MADAM.--G have just been informed
that ] was made the subject Of especial
conversation at your house on Thursday.
a l.
to me at once your authority for iudulgiug
In certain insinuatious which you did upon
that occasion. MARGARET DALE.''
A thunderbolt would not have more
surely transixed her at that momout
than that leaf Of French note-paper.
Her alarm was only equaled by Mar
garets indignation. After recovering
herself and looking the matter straight
in the face, she concluded that she had
better improve the advantage" her
wrathiul ladyship suggested.
My dear Miss Margaret" she be-
gan, alter untying her bonnet lit was
only said ia the most careless way.
No one thought anything Of it,
GLOW doyou knowP asked Margaret
severely.
The question confused Mrs. samp-
son.
why III shouldn't have
thought anything OF it."
"But it seems you did You entered
my room during my absence, and made
capital out Of what you saw. am not
to BIO tritled with. You must reUract
every word you said or suffer the con
sequences OF a public exposure. ! am
acquainted with tho whole circum-
stance, ana have asked counsel.
at this Mrs. Sampson quailed, and
throwing herself in an abiect attitude,
declared that she dad not bCiieVC and
never had for ono moment 6eteUed
that there was anything wrong between
Margaret ana Dr. McCroud, but that
folks C0uid say things for talks sake.
"Ihen let them surar the couse-
quencos," said Murgare,.
Mrs. Sampson saw her danger, and
in more piteous tone hoped Miss Dale
would not mention the matter to any
one She would ask her pardon--do
anything she might suggest If she
would not make u fuss about it.
"But have already spoken to two
persons about IT, So she said.
"Oh, l hope you haven't told my
husband!" the creature implOred.
enc, One was my pastor, and the
other Judge Howe.
"Oh, Miss Dulo.n and the lsossipy
dame was on tier knees now; ii, there
no way TO hush up this unfortunate
business? l can never look any one in
in the face again if you prosecute mo
for slandor A public trial is just hor-
rid Is there no other wayP'
To SEQ the miserable creature on
her knees !mpIoriug for mercy and SO
thoroughly peniteut Tor her sins, might
have won pardon from anybody but
Margaret Motioniug her visitor TO
chair, She emptied upon her her last
'vial of wrath,
Don't think for one moment Mrs
Sampson, that ! supposed that any
thing you might say would destroy my
reputation, IL was your high handed
audacity i'm daring to set such an insin-
uatiou adoat that so much objected
TO. II is "A great and shameful humili-
alton for "a woman TO DO forced to 'eat
her own words in public court; and
because of this, and your evident re-
grut. ! do suggest another mode OF
reparation. Ii is this. Never again,
so long as you live, are you TO speak
slunderously of an absent person, or
allow such license of speech i'm your
house 10 pass uuprohibited and unre-
buked DO YOU promise9'
Il promise ' she said.
"Moreoyer added Margaret iii |
hear Of your having broken this con-
tract ii shall not be too late TO make
You suffer the other punishment
Your tongue has been dipped in the
poison OF SANDER ana gossip, and il
WI ba hard work for you TO clean it,
Youu need tine grace of God to help
YOU but il you gossip less you will
have more time 10 pray. You may 60
fsaps "