The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-26
Which Gossiips Most,
Man or Woman?

Ihat woman has not naturally and
pcrsistentiy been entitled 10 the credit
of being Il greitcr newsmonger than
man is apparent from the fact that IN
every old English village where there
was a gossip there was also a garter.
the feminine ana masculine distinction
indicating the existence Of The two
classes that equally enjoyed the dis
cussijn %: their neig hbors' AFFAIRS among
their respective cronies
IN early American days the men were
pioH"erS. too StrenuoCSly occupied IN
establishing their claim to the land
- indulge In the lighter phases of cx-
iSlcnce The women were the helpers
OF men. ana thus found no opportunity
or gossip i'ut after Il while things
chuhsed for the easier. ana social life
IN me colonies soon reflected the latest
ana vittiest sayings Of the Court OF
~ James and the London clubs
y tohcr 1iOuse Cent res
IN Richmond, almost immediat ely ar
Ter II became tn. State capital. coffee
houses came into prominence Lynch's.
on Main street, being centre, where
1'onticians met and discussed points
OF interest. But the gossip at Ivuch's
was purely political, not social Men
o. thH late eighteenth and early nine
lcehth century were most punctilious
about the mention OF women,s names in
puoilc places. And the wonen--dear
housekeeping souls-their gossip was
harmless enough. a ncw recipe for n
fashionable kind Of bread. named Sallt
l.ulin. after the woman who originated
II; some cuttings from the chrysnnthc-
nuns hourlshing III the garden OF 4
great river mansion. and the pattern
ar pelissc sent over by the last shin
arriving from London ana therefore
,nons,ronsly fashionable. furnished
~ n ar1t>
niteiy
Difficult to Decide.
There woncn's clubs and mems
clubs In the progressive Richmond OF
to-day, and If they were to DC adtudsed
2 II might be a difficult matter 10 decide
which serve IS most dclcctablc places
Tor the dissemination Of rumors ana
realities. retaiie.I a S the witty utter
:inces Of those who observe much and
are willing TO make the world around
hem richer in knowledge Of others
through their observation powers
Not all gossip is malicious or rcpre-
hcnstblc. Many men and women are
inclined by nature to absorb news
ABOUT other people as naturally as
plants absorb moisture and Sunshine
When the human plants are saturated
TIC: give OF What they have acquired
rs readily as The plants. Frequently
This class OF humanity crriivcns the
giving OF process by Wit that is as
amusing as Ii is harmless.
There arc gossips and gossps Bit
when the source OF much that they tell
IS sought for5it can rs often be traced
70 ineinbors Of scx as tile other
Possibly this is because there has
arisen leisure class among young
american men. who, In default of more
serious pursuits, render themselves
agreeable by retailing the latest Bon
motor the racicst Joke that is going
the rounds Of clubdorn
Among the women there is the bridge
table and tho card devotec, who nspires
To being considered an fait in regard to
spicy tidbits told at FIRST hand over the
cards by her to animated ana caver
listeners. Such u woman is as proud
Of advancing her reputation ny ;troVs-
Ing q new sensation an artist might
be 81 unseiling a finished piece OF
work
The Tighter and Graycr Side.
Reference to the lighter side OF Eos-
sip only has been made. That there is
4 Il SraVcrj point of view cannot be denied.
But gossip Of this character is entitled
10 another name, and If properly elias
kidcd, comes under the head OF scandal
IN the meanwhile men gossps no
longer cry their wares aloud with q tar
Of their bcicweied snunboxcs. and wo-
men no longer entertain cotcrics at
ronts or assemblies. Bui gossips Of
both sexes arc perennial and have their
uses in the complex organization Of
society
Dickens md Ills Son.
For,y-tivc years ago, keen. pleas
ant-faccd man. in green velvet waist
coat, might have been seen on the Plat
form at Waterloo Station, London AT
his side was young fellow OF twenty
his face flushed with emotion
Good by. my boy anu God bless
sou" spoke the elder man. do your
duty and keep up your pluck
The young man thought of all tic
good times he had had with his father
of all the wonderful talks and games
and Journeys they had enjoyed to-
Ecther, he and the best tho kindest
father in all the world-and tears
sprang to his eyes. The two gripped
3 hands again, and the train steamed
away. and that night England and Lon
don and Rochester and Gad's Hill were
shut out for forty-tive years. while the
young man worked and dreamed and
hoped in the Australian hush. The ell
der man was Charles Dickens; tic
younger was his son, Alfred Tennyson
Dickens, godson of the poet laureate.
From tina hour, the famous novelist be-
gan to labor as he had never labored
before. To make provision for his fam
fly became his ruling passion. God
knows" he wrote cit is not for myself,
but fer those hold dear and who will
come after me-
Forty-five years passed. And then
one morning Alfred Tennyson Dickens,
no longer young, but with white lair
now, arrived III his native London.
"When l was in Australia," he says,
"my father and ] used TO correspond
with each other regularly. / rcmem-
Der receiving his last letter to ME after
had heard the news of his death. In
this letter. written only three weeks
before his death. he wrote: You will
doubtless have seen in many Of the
papers that the Queen is going to be-
stow all manner of titles and llonors
upon me. but you can take it from me
personally that during my life / shall
remain rs sign myself al the end of
the letter He signed himself plain