The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1899-07-08
TO GOSSIP Is A SIN.
Dr.. Talmage Denounoes the Practice
Glasses IL Among the Worlds Great.
est villAinies-More Harmful Than
Open slander-A Destroyer
of Good Names.


Copyright 1853. by Louis Kopseh)
Washington. JulyL
In this discourse DIR. Talmage yigor-
ouAly srraigns one Of the great evils
that have cursed the world and urges
generous Interpretation Of the charsc-
ters Of others; text Romans 1929,
Pull of envy. murder, debate, deceit,
mAlignity-whisPerers."
Paul was here calling the long roll Of
the worlds yillainy, and he puts in the
midst Of this roll those persons known
In all cities and communities and places
~ whisperers. They are 50 called he
cause they generally speak underyoice
and in a confidential way, theiI hand to
the aide Of their mouth acting as a fun.
mel 70 keep the precious information
from wandering into the wrong ear.
They speak softly o because they
have lack Of lung force or because they
are oyerpowered with the spirit OF gen
LenesS, but because they want Il es-
ape the consequences of defamation.
II no one hears but the person whis-
pered unto, and the offender he ar
rsigned. he a deny the whole thing,
for whisperers are always hrst-class
liars!
Some people whisper because they are
hoarbs from a cold or because they wish
TO convey some useful information
without disturbing others, but the crea-
lures photographed by the apostle in
my text give mufied utterance from
sinister and deprayed motive, and some.
times you can only hear the sibilanl
sound az the letter Is" drops from the
tongue into the listening ear, the brief
hiss OF the serpent as it projects its
venom.
Whisperers are masculine and femi'
nine, with a tendency to majority on
the side Of those who are called "the
lords Of creation" Whisperers are
heard at every window Of bank cashier
and are heard in all countingrooms as
well as In sewing societies and at meet
ings Of asylum directors and managers
They are the worst foes Of society, re
sponsible for miseries innumerable'
they are the scayengers Of the world
driving their cart through every com
munity, and to-day 1 hold up for you
holy anaihema and execrstion thes'
whisperers.
From the frequency with which Pau
speaks OF them under different titles
conclude that he must have suffered
somewhat from them. His persona
presence was very defective, and tina
made him perhaps the target Of thei
ridicule, and besides that he was
bachelor, persisting in his celibac.
down into the Eixties-indeed, all tn
way through-and, some having failo'
In their connubial designs upon hin
the little missionary vas put under III
raking fire Of these whispsrers. II
was no doubt a rare morsel for thei
standardization, and he cannot keep hi
patience any longer, and he lays hol
Of these miscreants Of the tongue an
gives them q very hard setting down 1
my text among the scoundrelly and tn
murderous. Envy, murder, debate, de
ceit, malignity-whisperers."
The law Of libel makes quick an
stout grip Of open SANDER. II shoul
IN a plain way, calling You by nam'
charge you with fraud or theft or mui
der or uncleanliness, tomorrow morn
ing ] might have peremptory docu
ments served on me, and / would hay
10 pay In dollars and cents for the dan
age l had done your character. Bu
> these creatures spoken Of In my tex
are 50 small that they escape the flu
tooth comb Of the law. They go Oh, an
: they go on, escaping the judges and III
iuries and the penitentiaries. The dii
trict attorney cannot find them, III
: sheriff cannot find them, the grand jur
cannot find them. Shut them of froI
one route Of perfdy, and they start 0
another. You cannot by the force {
moral sentiment persuade them 10 d,
/, sist. You might az well read the Tie
Commandments TO a flock Of crows, eI
pecting them 10 retreat under the fore
Of moral sentiment. They are 10 b
found everywhere, these whisperers.
think their paradise Il a country yillag
Of about 1000 or 1000 people wher
everybody knows everybody, but the
also are 10 be found in large quantitit
in all our cities.
They have a prying disposition. The
. look into the basement windows AZ II
tables Of their neighbors and can te
just what they have morning and nigh
to eat. They can see as fer through
keyhole as other people can see with
door wide open. They can hear CONVEX
sation on the opposite side Of the roon
Indeed, the world 10 them IL a whisper
ing gallery. They always put the wori
construction on everything.
Some morning d wife descends I'M
the street, her eyes damp with tear
and that is a stimulus 10 the tattler an
p Is enough 10 set up a business for thr,
or four weeks. 81 guess that husban
I and wife don't live happily together.
wonder II he hasn't been abusing her
It's outrageousl lie ought 10 be di
4 ciplined. lilo ought TO be brought u
before the church. I'll go right over
my neighbours and IN let them kno.
J about this matter" She rushes In a
. out Of breath to a neighbor's house an
says: "0h, Mrs. Allear, have you hear
the dreadful newsp Why, our neigI
Dor, poor thing, came down of Il
steps IN a flood Of tears. That brui
Of a husband has been abusing he
Well, It's just as j expected. ] sa
him the other afternoon very smillT
aud. very gracious to some one WI