The Sentinel=record., 1914-04-24

| the story she had repeated was all a ! mistake.
 Once upon a time there was yil- lage priest who was very wise and very much beloved by his people for his kind heart, wise counsel and good offices. In his congregation was a woman who was a terrible gossip and was continually keeping the village in a stir with her repetition of un- pleasant and unwise remarks made by people in her presence. The priest was anxious to break her Of this dangerous and terrible habit At last the opportunity came. The woman came to confessional and she was dreadfulIy worried, for she was really a good woman. She had found that a terrible piece of gossip and scandal she had repeated was not true. But, the village was ringing with it.
 She said she had supposed it to be true and told it but had since learned it was false and desired to set about correcting it. She wanted to do pen ance but most of all she wanted the priest to advise her how to go about the correction of the story.
 The priest said. "Very well, my daughter | will help you for your souls welfare"
 He instructed her to bring a large bag of small feathers to the parson- age and he would then talk to her. She did this wonderingly. Then. he sent her from this extreme eastern part of the town to the extreme west ern border, scattering feathers as she went She returned saying, Father, have executed your com mand How about my souls wei fare?"
 He replied, "You have executed but half of my command, for there is yet another command. It is this My daughter. return to your starting point, pick up every feather you have dropped and return to me with the bag full of the same feathers, just as when you started"
 She wonderingly turned and went away to do his bidding. After long absence, she returned with a woeful face and an empty bag, saying, Father. it is impossible to gather the feathers. The winds have blown hem about and far away | cannot find them. Even those l did find were so discoIored by dirt and mire added to them that cannot tell whether they are the same feathers or not, but mostly they have blown entirely beyond my reach"
 "Yes, my child" said the priest, "l knew you could not gather them up again."
 Then. why did you send me to do it2" she asked.
 Tt was a lesson. Your gossiping stories fly like ,those feathers far away beyond your control, Your words and the evil effects can never be recalled Besides the dirt of in situation, the mire of innuendo, etc., has now caused it to he discolored into scandal You did not foresee | the result.
 But this is the result of gossip. It grows and spreads and goes beyond the bounds of your reckoning. Take this lesson to yourself and when vou are tempted to repeat a story which might not be true remember the story of the feathers,
 This story cured the village gos- sip. who learned to repeat only the good things she heard, saying, "They, too. will grow and spread, brighten inc lonely places and perhaps make amends for all the evil that has been done.
 Now. this lesson is a good one for all gossips to read and remember.
 Woman's prevailing weakness is vanity and her prevailing fault is eossiping.
 Now. if there are any male readers getting "chesty' and poking jibes at their wives or sisters over the above paragraph, please remember that "He who laughs last laughs best"
 Mans prevailing weakness is con eeit and his prevailing fault-well' he has several but women prefer to
 overlook them.
 There ~re certain women here and
 elsewhere that are really admirable
 characters except for the fault ot
 qossiping. This fault grows on one