The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-06-21
THE SIN OF GOSSIP

I
mon Last Night.
Last night at the Third Presbyterian
church. the pastor, Rev. II. II. Bigger,
delivered an excellent discourse upon.
The Sin of Gossip" His theme is
timely. as 1t has been In fact, since the
early years OF the world.
There was good congregation pros
ent last night, and Rev. Mr., Bigger's
Sunday evening sermons are attracting
great attention Speaking upon the
sin OF gossip, he took as his text. Act 81:
For all the Atheuians - spent
their time In nothing else. but either to
tell or hear some new thing" Among
other things, he said:
1.-THE people at Athens were great Cos
sipers. Their ears itched to hear somh-
thing new and their tongues were eag-
or 20 tell something new. They affect
cd novelty: they were Tor new schemes.
new notions If philosophy, new forms OF
government In politics. new gods, new
demons, new fashioned affairs and Inn
ages In religion; they were given TO
change Demosthenes. their great ora
tor, said that the common question ask
ed one another upon meeting In the
markets was: rs there anything new!
InHE Nltuultu bAtANA fNhNNN y b"at7
ness and never minded their own busl-
ness.
ATHENS stands not alone In having
people who delight in telling and hear
Ing new things ~ Almost every com
munity has It's news-mongcrs, These
news which they tell and hear has been
well named gossip. These newsmonE-
erg are neither worthy nor NJ 90 be pub
lIshed in the newspapers. and are there
fore "hnIt.confdentlnl usually Ill.
founded personal remarks ahOut,or crit
Icism Of others. These sosslpers usli-
ally read very little; they gather uteir
information by hearing new things.
Wordsworth says Gossip In a house AZ
ways decreases as the library increas-
cs."
"These gosslpers understand your hu-
siness far better than you do yourself
They are always obtrudlng advice nm
sought upon others. They know what
everybody ought to do In every cxper'
fence. mo question OF duty in other
people's lives IS so delicate that they
cannot settle IL at once. The greater
part OF heartaches OF the world can be
Traced back TO unklnd words. 1t vs.
mot always the words thnt are Intended
10 injure that do the most harm. Some
times a thoughtlcss inslnu1tion Is tn
ken upon the wings OF gossip ana
passed from lip 90 lip until Slanucr
stamps her seal upon u ana declares
IL true; and a name that at sunrise was
fair and stainless, lies at eventide low
IN the dust.
There Is no sin that has more venom
In its sting than the sin OF an EVIL
tongue. Il Is like the sting OF an asp.
IL wounds and rankles and burns like
the FIRE OF the bottomless pit The tom
giIes In one moment may blast char
acter that has been lifetime IN form
ing: destroy the peace OF n whole Fam
liy, sow dlscord in church. or plant
the seeds OF death in a whole neighoor-
hood. Gossipers are compared 10 HES,
which prefer to light upon ones sores
rather than upon the healthy parts.
'oTd Racon saws that as birds peck at
the best fruits, so the worthiest persons
are often the most severely abused.
"In James. 3.6 the gosslping SANDER
nus tongue receives a terrible indict-
mont. II is spoken OF FIRE" n
world OF lnlnuity. 1T denleth the
whole body II setteth on fire the
wheel Of nature. ut Is set on hre OF
hell" The pestIIence that walks In
darkness MAY be- more powerful. nut
not more malicious than an unreGulated
tongue. a..
Therefore II " not singular TINT tue
word OF God should so repeatedly ad-
nonIsh us against the abuses OF hui
mnn speech and remind US of the cruel
ties inflicted by the tongue: no wonder
David prayed, "Set a watch. o. LORD
before my mouth. keep the door OF my
ilps." No wonder that the apostle James
should declare the possibility or
mans destroying his religion with his
tongue, when he said: If any man
among YOU seemeth 10 be religious anu
brIdleth net his tongue that mans re-
llEion is vain" Paul in his letter to
Timothy, describes gossipeF 90 per-
fectIon, And withnl .Sey learn 20 be
idle: wandering about from house TO
house aud not only idle, but tattlers al
so, and busy bodies, speaking the things
which they ought not.
81 but state plain truth when ] say
that many a reputation has SUFFERED
violence, yes. has been ruined. by
crowd OF lazy loafers on street cor.
ner. or By a party OF old ladies over
Gun of tea, or by the small talk which
ensued In what Is called society.
There are people who drink tea and
talk vitrioi The habit OF gossip Is al
most as hard to cure as the habit or
strong drink. Wise was that writer
who said Give not thy tongue too
great liberty. lest It take thee captive,
And solomon's advice, Let thy words
he few" Is the essence of wisdom. Tell
ing and hearing new things Is a poor
business; It Is also dangerous thing