The Elbert County tribune., 1915-01-29

ing quite so malignant in its power to
destroy 1t. to blast everything 1t
touches. as rumor, the baseless gos-
SIP of idle or malicious people.
Sometimes the least breath of sus-
picion will seriously injure a mans
credit which it has taken lifetime
TO build up. 1t has often made havoc
OF a womans reputation.
One of the crueIest things that
human being can do is to prddle gos-
SIP, to pass along slander. or even a
true story which tends to injure nm
other. or to put him in an unfavor-
able light. 1t is fatally easy to say
things which viii cause lifelong
wounds, and many people are so
careless with their tongues,
Only short time ago woman in
Brooklyn was driven to suicide by
the gossip of her neighbors. They
told her that her husband was pay
ing attention to other women; and
although he assured her that he was
doing nothing of the kind the gossips
succeeded in making her SO jealous
that she poisoned herself
know people who would never
forgive themselves for striking an
other with their hands. but who do
not hesitate to stab an absent person
in the back with an unkind. unchar
liable, cruel remark. or to spread
bit of slander which may have disas-
trous effects on the victim
Some years ago this headline ap-
peared in a New York daily: 'Geor-
gia Cayvan Dies on Sanatorium
Cot Falsehood Ended Her Career"
Miss Cayvan was an actress. She
began her career by reading selec-
tions from Shakespeare to customers
In her mothers candy store" in
Bath, Me. Later she graduated from
the School OF Oratory in the Boston
university and attracted the atten-
tion Of Daniel Frohman, who brought
her TO New York In a short time she
became a star, and one of the most
popular actresses in New York city
Her beauty. brilliancy, vivacity and
remarkable talent made her such n
fayorite that those envious of her
began to reflect upon her character.
A scandal was started which SO preyed
that she fell into melancholy and
never returned to the stage. Al
though it was proved that the actress
was in Europe at the time of the
scandal in this country with which
her name was falsely connected, and
notwithstanding the fact that her char
acter received sweeping vindication.
yet the wagging tongues continued
to peddle the scandalous gossip until
her melancholy developed into pare
sis, and finally put her beyond medi-
cal aid.
There are thousands of people in
the great failure army today who
might have been a success but for the
gossips. The unkind criticisms of
companions or neighbors, the scan
dals calculated By the thoughtless or
| evilminded unnerved them They
lost heart when even those they
thought were friends stabbed them
In the back and they gave up the
struggle.
We probably have all of us come
would not have taken very much to
have discouraged us and turned us
the other way. Who can ever esti-
mate the number of failures, the life
wrecks, that have been caused by gos-
sipers? How many people have
been driven to suicide by cruel SLAM
der? How many people have become
disheartened and have laid down their
burdens and given up the struggle
because their sensitive natures could
ton?
There is no meaner more cowardly
or contemplate thing than to take ad-
vantage of another's absence to dis
cuss his shortcomings, and to peddle
idle gossip and slander about him.
l believe the time will come when
the person who says unkind. cruel
things about another in his absence
will be ostracized as an enemy of
the race, will be despised as a traitor
to everything that constitutes real
friendship and true manllness or
womanliness. There is no more des
picable habit than the gossip habit
The people who indulge in 1t little
realize that they are exhibiting their
own defects; that they are showing
themselves up in the most unfavor-
able light possible. Everybody who
knows them knows that he may be
the next victim.