The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-28


 with real delight to the games they used to play at parties when they were children There was "Old Family Coach' with it's somewhat boisterous frolic and the possibility of finding yourself without a seat, and "Copen- hagen" and Going to Jerusalem' and many others. Most of these games in yolved a large circle of chairs placed close together, and however full the room might be no one ever complained of being too crowded. Islander was sufficiently interesting for the oppor- tunity it afforded of whispering soft iy into some fair listeners car. the possible scientific results obtained, never seriously interfering with the enjoyment of the sport
 The thing was to start going some bit of information by speaking con- fidentially to the person on your right. The player would then convey the information in similar fashion to the next neighbor and so the game pro- ceeded. The startling part of the pro- ceedings came when the circle had been completed and the statement that had first been made was announced, together with the result after It had been passed through so many hands. A very modest remark referring to tEe omiable qualities of some member of the party, after having been retailed from one to another with some degree of mystery, would cause much aston ishment and many bushes when final 1y repeated at the close of the game.
 Whether the game was originally proposed by some very wise person, who in the dawn of civilization, feel n f,aY. cad lxr l..x H. discriminate gossip took this method of Intoxicating lesson under the guise Of sport, will probably never be known. But one might very wisely make use of this exhibition of the danger of repeating little statements, more or less true, which have been caugnt III with conversation with friends, and which may not always have tendency to work in our neighbours good. Bad news travels swiftly" is an old say ing. and there is "a great deal of truth in it.
 Why we should take delight in repeat ing anything that has an unpleasant sayo, is one of those difficult questions that probably will never be satisfactorily an- swered. but it is certainly a fact that people enjoy listening to gosspy stories without regard to their truth. Many worthy persons. scrupulous in other re- spects, seem to have no hesitancy in re- beating statements as bona fide facts when they really know nothing about their truth or falsity. I fancy that this is one of the evils forbidden by the com mandment: Thou shalt not bear false witness against they neighbor."
 Definite, premeditated lies are evidently the foundation of great deal of harm. Ii we know that our neighbor is addicted tc drawing the long bow" we never can tell what to depend upon when he makes a statement; we take all he has to say more or less. with a pinch of salt, realiz- ing that we have to form our own con- clusions from such premises as he may present to us, as to what really are the true facts in any given case.
 But a more insiduous evil is the habit of making apparently innocent statements which in reality reflect upon our neigh bors, and for which we have no war rant. What makes the matter worse is that there is probably not the least pos sible occasion for these rash remarks except a desire on our part 10 make our selves appear entertaining to our friends I once heard an estimable lawyer make the statement that it was a well recog- nized axiom that policeman had no re. spect whatsoever for his oath.
 There are surely notable exceptions tc this sad criticism of the regard in which the truth is held by the noble defenders of the peace l certainly shall not tell you of what particular city the broad statement was made. But one cannot but feel that it is a rather curious criticism on the present state of our civilization that we find 1t necessary to exact an oath at all to secure from a person upon whose testimony the fate of a fellow-be- ing depends an honest statement of the facts as he understands them.
 A great deal of business is done upon the assumption that the person you are doing business with will deceive you when ever 1t Is to his interest to do so. You give no credence unto his word," and you feel .t necessary to substantiate all his statements by some concrete evidence of the facts which he presents.
 More pitiful possibly is the harm done in undermining peoples charac- ters by retailing gossip which may have no basis at all Holy church teaches us that if we are conscious of having done our neighbor an injury through any misuse of our power of speech we must endeavor to mako amends. "Give satisfaction" to the best of our ability and undo the harm we have Occasioned. Earnest souls, con- victed of the wrong they have done, through making advertisements that have worked on to another's hurt, suf- fer most keenly from the realization. no matter how imperfect it may be. or how far the evil has gone and how impossible 1t is to recall it.
 "For every word thou must give an account" Oh, how many idle words l have spoken! One, of the most inter-