Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1899-11-10
INQUlSlTlVENESS.
The Gossip and the Meddler, Whose
Questions Are Offensive.

The Gossip and the meuuier, " Hoso
Questions Are Offensive.
Whether inquisitveness Is to be rated
as virtue or as vice depends very
much upon its purpose and upon the
extent Of its exhibition. 1t is quite
commendable in the young who are
simply seeking ueaful Information. 1t
ls inpertinent In the mature who are
trying TO crafty their curiosity or to
find food for gossip. Children are
sometimes encouraged TO ask questions
In an aimless way and become nui-
sances because Of their inqulsitiveness,
although the child who asks questions
intelligently and for the purpose Of ac-
curing knowledge is interesting and
deserves the encouragement Of an
swers and explanations.
The lnQuisitiveness of the gossip and
meddler is of a very different kind and
is always offensive. The meddling
gossip does not seek useful informa
ton and may not intend any harm
Sometimes he or she asks questions
with no aim whatever, but simply as a
matter Of bad habit and to maintain a
conversation. More often, however,
the ipduisitive person of mature years
is a malicious gossip. That which he
or she learns is repeated with varia-
tions, sometimes with the purpose, al
ways with the effect of creating con
troversies and embroiling mutual
friends. The most trivial matters are
made the subject Of exhaustive in
Quiry. If two accounts do not exactly
agree, attention Is called to the varia-
tions, with implications that some one
has told an untruth. Such matter, of
no Importance one way or another, Is
magnified until II is made a cause for
serious dispute. Inquistiveness Of
this kind Is extremely reprehensible.
II is generally malicious. but where it
has no bad purpose 1t is no less malev-
Olent In its effect. This form Of In
quisitiveness is generally, in part at
least, the result Of habit and can be
avoided by any one who Is disposed TO
avoid IT, The inquisitiveness Of the
child or Of the uniformed seeking use
full knowledge deserves to be encour-
aged as long as IL is legitimately exer-
cised for good purposes. The inquisi-
tiveness Of the malicious gossip should
never be satisfied.
The Individual should also keep
guard upon himself, that he may not
grow into the habit Of asking aimless
or awkward questions or Of seeking
| information for which he can have no
proper use He will thus avoid becOm-
ing an idle or malicious gossip, and he
will keep his mind free of trivial mat
ters and open to receive useful infOr-
nation. There is good reason to be-
lieve that the mind of man is Of limit.
ed capacity. II can retain only GER
| tain amount Of impressions. 1t is well,
1 therefore, to select the matters with
which il Is to be filed. The man who
knows all the gossip Of the nelghbor-
hood, the private affairs Of his ac-
Quaintances, the ages Of all his friends,
the scandals OF society. and so on, sell
dom exhibits any other knowledge.
He has filed his mind with trivial
ties, misusing the inquisltive faculty.
He is a Paul Pry and as such desplsed
Of all men. But inquisitiveness prop
erly employed In moderation may be
used TO add to ones useful lnforma-
ton. II is the chief stimulus to scien-
tihe achievement. Men ought TO ask
questions OF their fellow men and of
nature, but only to acquire Legitimate
information and with a good purpose.