The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1904-06-07
An Exasperating Sort of Tattler.


Deliver me,o said the observant resident,
"from those terrible people who, acting under a
~pretence of friendliness, make a practice of re-
peating unpleasant remarks that have been made.
It is safe to say that every living man or woman
is talked about harshly at one time or another;
that everybody's motives are sometimes miscon-
strued, and that no person who amounts to any
thing at all or does anything worth while escapes
open censure. We know that this is a part of the
scheme of livino. It embodies envy of the sue
cessful, weak sneers at strength, and covert at
tacks on the unfortunate; and no man can hope
to escape such petty damnation. Each man is apt
to know the estimate that the world and his
friends have of him; and if his friends be real
friends and his enemies fair enemies they will
not let him remain long in ignorance OF any crit
icism that may involve principle or character.
And in matters where action SENS necessary,
either to correct a wrongful or injurious state
ment, or to institute remedy for wrong by deed,
or even to fight against a bitter truth, then it IS
the duty of a friend and the privilege. of any
right-minded person to go to the man concerned
and apprise him of the hurt that is being done to
his reputation.
"But there are numerous busybodies who repeat
little evil words and have no object except to
cause misery. They tell you things that will make
you vince, DuG 90 not call IOr dcJlOu. y are
informed that this or that construction is placed
upon your motives; that someone said you were
very vain, or your clothes were awry or unbecom-
ing; that you had made a silly speech on such and
such an occasion; that your capacity is limited;
that somebody dislikes you, or that someone be-
lieves you are making a mistake in a matter that
you know is unimportant. The world is full of
p~rattlers who carry such tales or hand about other
kind of criticism that breeds i'll feeling in its
repetition. This is a Earring lack of tact; and it
t~actless are too often inspired by malice. Ipray
to be spared from association with these people
| who are continually coming to you with brutal lit
tie second-handed stabs, declaring that they feel
it is their duty to tell you what they have heard.
No man of the right kind cares to hear another
mans opinion of him if such opinion be cruel or
too critical, or if it concerns a matter wherein no
| remedy is to be found. The conceit that is in
a man or any false estimate of himself will be re-
moved in time-if it can be removed at abby
rough, honest blows that come straight from the
shoulder. But the kind-hearted tale-tellers who
always mean we'll are the chiefest enemies of
everybody's peace, and they ought to be muzzled
by law. Tt is true that they are known for their
worth and are therefore branded as disturbers of
social peace, but such punishment is not common
| surate with the harm they do. They make hatred
rise hot in an amiable heart and overcast beauti-
full day with utter gloominess these mouth
ing busy-bodies who go from man to man and
delight in ~inficting reasonless pain."-Charlotte
Observer.