The Cairo bulletin., 1913-09-08
DELIVERS
THIRD Of SERIES
OF TALKS SUNDAY
Sermon by Reverend Eells Entitled
Gossip" is Strong Argument
Against Wagging Tongues.
WHOSE ISLANDERS NEIGHB0R
HIM WILL I CUT OFF, THEME

Yesterday evening in the Pres
byterian church, Rev. Alfred M.
Eells, the pastor. delivered the third
of series of sermons on Prevail
ing Sins of Today" The minister's
subject was, Gossip" and he said
In part:
Psalms 1916. Whose slandereth
his neighbor him will | cut off"
Destruction is easier and quicker
than construction. | saw a large
factory burning. To collect the
funds to erect such a building a man
| had spent years of toll. To crystal
lize the money into the great edi-
flee neeessitated the best skill OF
architects. And to equip 1t with
machinery required a large invest
ment. Yet little incendiary match
had been struck and in few hours
the achievements OF lifetime were
swept away.
But more terrible still is the reek-
less destruction of reputation.
saw a man stand forth in the glory
of usefulness. Years of privation,
study and suffering had contributed
to his success But slowly, quietly
1T first commenced the whisper OF
gossip. 1t grew into a breeze of sus-
| picion, enlarging into storm OF
wind of glee over a crushed and
broken life.
Nevertheless such crimes are TO
be punished. God glancing into the
hearts of men utters the warning:
"Whoso slandereth hislneighbof him
vii cut off.
What is slanders II is to injure
by false and malicious reports There
is difference between just censure
and idle gossip. II you positively
know of a wrong it is your duty as
citizen and christian to rebuke that
wrong. But if you maliciousIy re-
peat report which you do not
know to be true you are indulging
in slander.
This evil arises from misjudging
conditions Back of every act is an
unseen motive Without knowledge
of the motive no one can Judge the
| 81 kn ~
Maine exploded in the harbor OF
Havana, Captain Sigshee cabled the
Navy Department at Washington:
Reserve criticism until after in
vestigation" And il we would fol-
low the same course in life many
times our condemnation would be
turned into condemnation.
Envy causes this evil. AS long
rs you remain lowly people will let
you alcne. But if you rise higher
and stand on larger plane than
| others they will begin to attack you.
Nlbert Barnes was tried for heresy
and suspended from his pulpit in
Philadelphia for one year until tho
| Synod of Pennsylvania reversed the
erdict and restored him to his pres
tige. What was his crime? Ii was
hat Of becoming a greater preacher
than all his prosecutors put together.
, Daniel was flung into the den of
, lions What was his sin? He
aroused the envy Of his associates by
becoming prime minister of Babylon.
Even the uoblest lives cannot es-
cape the darts of gossips One of the
Imeanest proverbs is this: Where
there is so much smoke there is sure
10 be some fire Therefore some
people argue that because a slander
is started il is because the victim
his done wrong. Look al the smoke
around Washington. or him Thomas
Paine wrote; "Treaeherous in pri-
vate friendship and a hypoerite in
public morals" Yet there was never
a more honorable man in American
history than Washington. Notice
the smoke around Lincoln, He was
lied about, misjudged prosecuted
. and killed. Yet he preserved the
nation. Witness the smoke about
, Christ. He was called drunkard
and glutton Yet with stainless soul
he redeemed the world. Yet such
is smoke without fire, 1t is gossip
made out of nothing. =
This sin destroys life. 1t ruins
business. A merchant sells some
property which he does not need, en-
+ dorses a worthless note, or borrows
money to enlarge his operations.
= Then Immediately gossip says: "He
e is about to fail" Suspicion crystal
llizes into an avalanche. And ale