The Washington herald., 1908-04-26
Bx THE ARnITER.

By THE ARBJTEB.
Did you ever play the game OF scandal?
AS a diversion for the nursery 1t is harm
less and amusing; as practieed In society
II Is mischievous, cruel, deadly. In the
nursery game the participants form a
circle around the room. and when they are
in position one of the number whispers
a perfectly simple statement to the per-
son sitting next her. such as 1T is rain
ing outside" This child may have a
. fervid temperament, or. perhaps. possess
some Imagination, OF she may believe
with that celebrated person who said
that the teller of a story should always
leave it better than he found it, so might
repeat the observation Of her neighbor
on one side to her neighbor on the other
side somewhat in this way: Ugh. it's
raining cats and dogs outside; I hope
my mother won't so out" The next one
picks up the tale and passes it along
in this fashion. Gracious me, it's rain
ing cats and dogs outside. Did you hear
that thunder? Mary hopes her mother
won't so out, and I hope so TO, for she S
awful afraid of thunder and lightning. Z"
And so this first little. quite accurate
statement is rolled around the circle un-
I'll It comes out at the end huge ball
OF scandal; the heavens have opened,
there has been tornado, Mary's moth
er was struck by lightning and killed
and Mary's father may have married
again-all in the space Of a few moments
II such mountain Of nlisstatement can
be reared from nothing by children with
no bad intentions, no sinister purpose,
what then can happen in society. where
the game Of scandal Is followed so as
siduously and perslstentiy by people who
have both bad intentions and sinister
purposes TO serve?
Scandal Is the root OF all evil. and il
is almost impossible to destroy that root
because II winds It's wicked way deer
down in the darkness, out Of sight and
innumerable little roots shoot out from
II and form new courses. and from these
roots others shoot out, each one of them
the mother of q deadly, nOxious plant OF
scandal that poisOns all that comes with
IN Its radius the wicked and the innocent
IL is the innocent that are most hurt by
this baleful influence, for they walk fear
lessly and unafraid. while the wicked
are wary. The guillOtine cannot count
more innocent victims than can scandal
and no religion has so many high priests
aye, and priestesses. and sacrihcers as
this great spreading tree Of civilization
To prevent scandal, to eschew and dis
countenance ii, is the greatest good one
can do in society, and this can be done
only by the experienced, those who know
and have suffered; for the young and the
innocent have happily no knowledge OF
what harm can be wrought by the SOW
ing and tending Of that same seed OF
scandal
One OF the wisest men or the world
once wrote, Many heads go to make
the mob, and in each OF them are eyes
for malice 10 use and a tongue for de-
traction to wag If a single i'll report
spread It casts a blemish on your fair
fame and If it clings TO you with nick
name, your reputation is in danger. Gen
orally il is some salient defect or ridicu-
lOus trait that gives rise TO rumOrs. At
times these are malicious additions OF
private envy TO general distTust For
there are wicked tongues that ruin a
great reputation more easily by a witty
sneer than by a direct accusation. II
Is easy 10 get into bad Tepute, because
il is easy TO believe evil OF any one; il
is not easy 70 clear yourself. The wise
accordingly avoid these mischances