The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1894-07-11
GOsSIPERs
No Longer God Neighbors Harriet
Wesley Tells Tale That Needs no
WnRQInr.

Gossip. They grow very indig-
nant when women as class arc
called gossips, yet l believe they do
much to bring this ugly appellation
upon themselves. That all women
are gossips 1 believe is utterly un-
true.
The truth really is that the goss-
iping women are greatly in themi,.
nority, but they wag their tongues
with much agility aud the result is
so disastrous that the whole sex
must suffer for their imprudcnce..
The word sgossip' was originally
applied 10 tho good neighbor, who.
was kind to you in your long i'll
ness, who came to you in sorrow or
joy, and discussed how the flowers
grew, how tho baby's clothes were
made, how the chickens trotted
around, how the bride looked, and
all the innocent talk of the day. In
those days gossip meant a God
neighbor. just see how this word
has degenerated, and simple, pure,
honest gossip has become SANDER
ing and evil speaking. There is no
harm in nadmiring Mrs. Smith S bon
net, but there is great harm in
wondering to your neighbor in a
mysterious way how she can afford
to get it. There is no harm in
hoping that some boy or girl, who is
not just where their mother would
wish them to be, will grow better,
but there is very serious harm done
in suggesting by knowing looks and
inuendoes, that their petty sins are
dreadful vices.
Some people watch each move
ment ftheir neighbors SO that they
will have something to tell Mrs.
Jones who is also as fond of gossip as
the one who tells it. Thus it starts;
first it is told as "I think" then as
"I heard" and lastly as 81 know"
when the great harm is done. a
tale never loses anything by car
rying.
A small flame of gossip is some
times famed into the fiercest flame
of scandal. Regulations are often
ruined by these busy bodies that
are constantly to someone's business
that should be in of no interest to
them, while they lettheir own door
steps remain ip much worse con.
dition than their neighbors.
If you must talk of your neigh
bors, why not look for their good
qualities? They have them, and
many times they are more promi-
nent than the bad ones, but it seems
SO much easier to talk of the evil
than the good. If they come to see
you, you say you cannot help but
listen, now of course you will per-
haps have 20 for short while, but
if you show no eagerness to hear
the wonderful tale they have to un-
fold, you will find they are not as
apt to continue for an hour or SO, for
no one enjoys an appreciative audi
ence as much as gossiper. If a
woman has the true Christian spirit
she can not be a gossip. She can
not bc Christian and gossip, for if
she reads her Bible she will find the
future holds little good for the
scandal monger.
Women could do much to elevate
women if they only would, but if a
woman has fallen from the right
path, one of her own sex, instead of
trying to bring her back into the
right, would rather gossip to her
neighbor, and say how dreadfully
sinful and wicked she has been.
Mothers, don't gossip about other
peoples children, especially if you
have children of yonr own, for we
cannot always tell what our loved
ones may turn out to be. Many a
person might have been saved from
ruin and misery by kind word
or helping hand. but they have
been thrust into perdition by the
sharp poisonous arrow thrown at
them by gossiping tongues. Moth
ers should teach their children that
"speech is silver, but silence is gold
en-" If they know anything detri-
mental of anyone, let them keep it
to themselves. Practice this your
self and never let them hear you
say unkind things of your neigh
bors. Do not believe all you hear,
as many times things are magni-
fed in the eyes of those who tell
you by some little unpleasantness
they may feel toward the party
talked of Let us impress on the
hearts and minds of our children