The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1903-01-02
WHY SOMEWOMEN INDULGE
IN GOSSIP.


women reaches its high water mark.
The gossips fall together and form
scandal mongers' society as naturally
as geese form a flock. The beauties
of life in the country and its possibili-
ties for healthful exercise pass by
them. Their occupation is tattling,
their recreation character smirching.
They are usually sour old maids upon
whom no man has been brave enough
to take chance, and nervous, irasci-
bic women whose husbands are "too
rushed at the office to commute" Up
on these the excesses of gossip have
begun to tell The lines of malice, en-
w and deceit mark the face of the
habitual gossip as surely as bloated
cheeks and bloodshot eyes indicate the
habitual drunkard. Yet how infinite
ly superior is the latter, who directly
hurts only himself and who punctuates
each downward step with decent,
graceful periods OF remorse!
The motive which actuates the gos-
sip is nine-tenths jealousy. The wo-
men who gossip in town are not they
whose engagement tablets are kept
filled. Not only are these women too
busy with their own to meddle with
the affairs of other people, but popu-
larity and adulation leave no sting.
They tend rather toward amiability
and coutented spirit. Therefore, aside
from every consideration of good taste,
the gossip brands herself with the
stamp of iuferiority. She proves that
she feels that inferiority, and she
proves that it goes deeper than face
and form. To find so much of bad
ness in others requires much of bad
ness in ones self: The good seek and
find some good in every one. A wo-
man who will take liberties with the
character of another should not be
trusted with her own. She is no res
pecter of character. She knows not
its worth nor its cost, else she would
reverence it. Lacking that reverence
and respect, she will permit her own
to slip away when the first good op-
portunity presents itself.
There are women who gossip from
thoughtlessness. They differ from The
malicious gossip only in the length of
their apprenticeship. They are mali
cious gossips in embryo. Thought
lessness is of itself crime, the initial
step to every vice. Listening to gos-
sip is quite as bad as repeating it. 1t
constitutes tolerance and encourage
ment Of vice. When the gossip ap-
proaches with sweet smile and in
quires. "Did So-and-so tell you OF the
shocking way Miss So.and-so behaved
att is simple enough to say, "No,
she did not; she knows I never listen
to those things"
1t is compliment of worth that the
gossips do not confde in you. 1t is
likewise comfort. The woman who
gossips to you will gossip about you.
We have probably all been in that un-
happy predicament where duty called
us hence, yet we remained till the last
guest of gathering had departed, be-
cause it was not safe to leave reputa-
tion in the hands of two of them.
Women have small comprehension
for the virtue of charity. TO most OF
them 1t has something to do with fan
mel rcttieoats and foreign missions.
simultaneously they put together the
petticoats and pull to pieces the re-
putations of their dearest friends.
Faith, hope, charity" said St. Paul,
"but the greatest Of these is charity" St
Paul was wise in the wisdom of human
nature and knew the relative values
of human virtues. Faith it is that
keeps US alive, and hope it is that
makes us glad to be alive, but charity
that it is that makes the whole world
better for our living. 1t is charity, in
it's loftiest, and truest sense that
makes woman womanly. The woman
who comprehends charity in that
sense aud apples it in her daily
living strikes the keynote to that vir-
tue which is most pleasing to God and
man.
A celebrated bishop, who was visit
ing heath resort, sat down to rest
one evening on a seat on the parade
When he wished to rise from the
bench he found it rather difficult, ow-
ing to his age and infirmities.
A little girl, noticing his trouble,
ran up to him, saying: ooh, sir, let
me help you:'
The good bishop gave her one of
hiss weetest smiles and said: ou are a
dear, good girl, but am sure you arc
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