The Wichita daily eagle., 1893-07-09
"THEY SAY"
How to Strangle the Tendency to Scandal
ixiug or slanderiag Gossip


iziug or slandering Gossip.
Perhaps people viii never reach so
lofty pitch while on this earth that
they will not be interested in other
people and their affairs; and surely
such altitude and isolation are not 10
be wished for any one. But a good
thing may be abused: and like almost
everything else in life, this interest in
people may be carried SO far that il
ceases to be interest and becomes curl
osity-curiosity which presently de-
velops a morbid side and relates bit
OF gossip no matter of what complex
ion, for the excitement that il brings,
until at last the jaded nerves. needing
spur and whip, answer best 10 the
touch of something sinister, and the
darker and more questionable the gos-
sip the more eagerly it is listened TO
and repeated. IL is only an iilustra-
tion of the development of an appetite
or any trait by nutrition and growth.
If, the first time that one was CON
scious the interest was no longer pure
ly and entirely individual. but had be-
come the interest in story as a drama,
one stopped then and there, and said To
ones self. ',No more of thi,." refused TO
hear the name spoken again or tho
affair alluded To, and occupied ones
mind with other things entirely, ono
would probably succeed in starving out
the impulse to gossip before il should
attain unwholesome proportions 1t
is sometimes difficult To draw
the line justly between right
eous interest and the enjoyment
of gossip; but great help hero
is found in refusing 20 repeat "A word
of il. and in demanding authority for
every statement heard. the mere
trouble of which is "A deterrent infu.
ence: the acceptance of nothing except
at first hand; the denial of any infer
ence whatever. of anything beyond tho
first particular facts, that is, such nj
that the minister has the cronp. or that
Mary Grey Is u be married on Thurs
day, things not 10 be contradicted and
not allowing conjecture or deduction.
Such bald statement does not lend
countenance TO any suppositions re-
garding the Group or how il came
OF " any
the length OF Mary Grey's engagement
and the reasons why. To say that Mrs.
Brown has q new dress as the mention
OF patent fact may bc all right. but
10 wonder how she afforded II and 20
express the wonder are certainly al
wrong. If you follow this plan. gos-
sips viii not bring you gossip long
you arc not a hot-bed where II -four
ishes-and you are better and happier
II they do not.
We are in the habit "a thinking =
sword-thrust. blow in the face, bar
barous thing But is IL. after all. N
barbarous ss a stab in the back In the
dark? And was there ever siander ut
tered that was not stab in the bacI<7
For slander always deals blow. and
never deals 10 IN the face; IL II
did il would be open assault,
sometimes possibly fair fight; since
when any statement Is uttered ~ tho
face IL becomes secHsati ton, and ceases
10 throw responsibility upon the mon
strous ''they say," shouiderin9 blame
on the rest OF the world. breaking the
hearts Of individuals, running families
and upsetting the peace of communi-
ties.
II is base and low hrsd nature that
condescends 70 gossip in either s.
or is siandering forI.
for. aside from st. cruelty and vulgar
ity. il is cogyardly and mean.
= Who steals ny purse steals tr@sh. 'fts soz>-
thiug. Botbies.
Twas nine - as, s3d las been slave n
thousands;
n; ke isst s3chss from NJ TT good nSrs.
Rpba ne Of seat Which uot eET1ches hszs.
Au9 makes ne poor iu1eeF
And II goes without saying thai !. Il .
contemplate spirit which IA willing -
put itse1 On par with thief. th,
thing in all humanity which mos, re-
sembies vsruniu- The rseanness of such
8 spirit. too. j. equaled only by is cru
city. IHe shrike that tears ia Ii;tis
bird n pieces - gentle il cosDpzrison-
t0r the shTi<e only obeys MS nature. II
you say the human besnZ also boz
obeys his nasssre. Il j. 20 sss refser bered
that such IS not his real nature. tina:
be made 4 bv nouviAhiny and s@Tei7p-
.ng s.. that there ssss a time when nc
could have hiaaercd acquiring it
HaTpers E4zaf.