Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1896-01-15
The Wicked Tongue.

micah. VI IL.
The one thing to be guarded most
carefully is the tongue. Deceitful ton
sr5Ss~hAXoLx0ne more harm than all the
wars that Were ever waged. Cities
have been ravaSed by the sword, but
regulations are ravxged by the tongue.
AS weapon of revenge SANDER and
gossip are eurer than poison. They are
more cunning than the SIMPLEST drug.
and more effective, for whine the one
produces death, which is q matter OF
very little consequence, the others re-
suit in despoiling life, which is q mat
ter of infinite moment. Il
There are two crimes which stand
side by side at the head of the list-to
speak evil of your neighbor and to list
en- to it. The listening ear and the
slanderous tongue are the two organs of
the human body upon which the devil
chiefly depends for the accomplishment
your ear and let him find the tongue
to fill it, heaven will grow sad and the
pit will rejoice.
One of the highest virtues the heart
can cherish is the virtue of dull ear
when SANDER creaks. Slander is never
backed by a good motive. It is only p
base heart that can say base things
The homes are countless that have been
wrecked by loose talk which had no
more foundation than 1.-THE baseless
fabric of this vision, and he who deals
In it does what not euriches him, but
makes some else poor indeed. As a
general thing, when one slyly distils an
evil rumOr in your ear, it is because he
hopes it is true. II the rule OF Christ
were followed, LET him that is with
out sin among you cast the first stone,"
SANDER would stink away and hide it
self as did the accusers of the Magdalen
in the olden time.
s How precious may few words be if
rightly andopportunely spoken; if they
take the form OF encouragement; if
they have a warm and generous i'm
pulse behind them! What miracles
they may work in ones life II have
dreamed dream % cries the hopeful
youth as he faces the future. Some
one hears him and replies:-"I made
my dream come true, and you can do
the same" How changed that future
is anG what fresh Inspirations are add
ed to that soul just getting glance at
the reality of things NAY, nay, }" says
the sanity matron to the young girl
who is about to step aside from the
path of virtue, this is Gods world.
and we must do Gods will at any cost
to ourselves" Hesitation becomes fly
ed resolve, and to the ninety and nine
b added one more to make the hundred
complete.
Now, opposite the sweetest, lies the
bitterest, and opposite the best, lies the
worst. What can the mind conceive |
more unworthy of an immortal soul
than a phrase so framed that it bears |
encouragement to him who hears it !? |
A sentence that contains an innuendot
may cause more evil than can be meas
ured. II a man is trying to get out of
the pit such sentence is like heavy
hand placed on his shoulder pushing
him back. To spread a rumor of evil
concerning any one, and especially
concerning any woman, is to do an act
at which the angels weep and on which
the very heavens frown. 1t is hard
enough to do right under the best of
circumstances, and he who adds to the
difficulty may perchance make it there
by impossible to do right, and SO seal
the doom OF struggling fellow crea-
tnre. Words are sometimes as light as
thistledown in the wind, but at other
times they are us heavy as lead, or they
may even crush like an avalanche.
say. therefore, that nothing in your
possession should be 80 carefully watch
ed as yonr lips. Do and say all you
can to cheer, for God only knows the
secrets of our lives, how much we need
TO hear such words and how much in
duence they may exert. But never,
never, never, under any provocation,
allow yourself to strengthen rumor OF
'candal. II there is wrong in any soul
i will produce its own results, for the
q xryon nj fha nj n - u
I the wrong is not there, and by any
word from your mouth you give the
that it is there, you Judge
10 you would not like to be judged, and
'ou would think it great calamity If |
like measure were melted out to you.
We should be helpful, not hurtful,
o each other. 1t is one of the primary e
demands of the Christian religion that I
We shall love our n0ighbor, and where t
owe is. there is always pity for the fall
ng, but never word that shall make q
t easy for them to slip further down. i
)pen your mouth to say all the good e
'Ou can of every one, but seal your
Mouth against the utterance of sar-
asm or suspicion. Let it not be said a
q that future when we shall see face r
o face, instead Of through a glass 4
arkly, that you pressed any soul back {
y an unRenerOu6 ucterance; for words
re things, words are piercing swords, c
lords are billiards that tear trees up v
y the roots, words are lightning bolts v
hat strike sometimes to kill. G
II you can say nothing good say moth il
az at all. Remember the legend of
he stranger who stood unknown in the
rowd that was curiously gazing at a
cad dog. The poor creature had p
lany blemishes, and they were all /,
numerated by the lockers on, but one E
lid voice was heard saying, He had t.
eautifully white teeth" They turned R
] surprise, and woman whispered, I'll
1t must be the Christ, for He alone a
build say anything good of dead Il
og." The example is worth following. L
And how much better the world it
ouid be if the lieu of speaking evil tt
Q should either utter words of praise
nd encouragement or maintain a o.
laritable silence. n
GEORGE II. HEPwoRrH. b
The Hon. John Randolph Tucker re- W