Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1915-08-27
Harmless
Gossip
by BEATRICE FAIRFAX.

| with every death reputation dies
does add poetic license to truth, but UNI
fortunately Il has superstructure OF
fact. Scandal most decent people alb
hor. but everyone seems to have secret
laundering for "a little harmless gossip"
when group OF individuals gathers
together all talk about people or things
or ideas exactly In accordance with their
mental ability. Petty minds can't think
beyond the affairs OF the neighborhood.
Little souls must look at life personally
and deal In concrete conceptions In which
AIR. a and Miss and Mrs. c figure.
Broader minded men and women are
interested in events, in happenings OF life
about them. in the larger world of news.
And really superior minds concern them
selves with speculation, with mental ex-
pertinent. with the sort OF thing that has
mado FOR growth and progress and dis
covery
"a little harmless gossip may truth
fully enough begin quite unmaliolously
Suppose A tells Il that Y looks worried.
Then Il, who has nothing better to talk
about. tells c that KS affairs must he in
rather a bad way. for he really isn't
looking well at all. Next c. who wants
TO appear interesting. and well informed
in the eyes OF D. tails that individual
that X Is on the verge OF a failure.
And d, with a very know-it-all air, re-
marks to Il that Mrs. KS extravaganza
has ruined her husband and tomorrow
no Is going into bankruptcy.
Nobody wants 10 be malicious. Nobody
meant TO do the KS irreparable hafn,
but what began as a trifling and uncon-
sdered bit OF gossip has grown to danger
Gus proportions KS creditors hear OF
Il and force him into bankruptcy per-
haps, and Mrs, X finds her matrimonial
happiness gone because she feels that her
husband wasn't man enough TO take the
blame on his own shoulders, but hid be-
hind a woman.
Mrs is walking up the avenue and
meets Mr.. 2. He suggests they lunch
together instead OF each having a lonely
meal. Harmless enough-but Mr.. is In
a far-distant city and Mrs. Is in the
country for the summer. And a little
harmless gossip" so mRgnified the event
| of the luncheon that II grows from IA
harmless indlscretion" to an outrageous
Haunting of a shameful infatuation." And
It actually brings about a divorce in one
family and life clouded by suspicion
for the other.
1t Is exactly this type Of thing that
"a little harmless gossip" causes.
| wonder why 30 few of us remember
that the way we interpret other peoples
actions has to be based on Relf-knowledgc.
II we know each In our own soul that u
seemingly innocent thing would mean
ignoble purpose in our own case, naturally
we must conclude that It means the same
In another case.
Each OF us takes ourself as the stand
ard OF measurement. Each of us inter
! prets other peoples actions In terms of
what we would mean II we did the same
thing. Each of us must look at life
/ through his own eyes. A little thought
and every one Of us will grant the truth
OF this statement
! Then here IL the thought that ought 10
make US all tremhle at the thought of
gossip II we sneeringly and SUCCESSFULLY
comment on me action VI another we are
only confessing that in like cases we
would not be acting decently and disin-
terestedly.
| SO against gossip there are three great
arguments: In talking about people we
acknowledge ourselves too stu.,.d TO con
ceive OF life impersonally in terms OF
things and ideas we do irreparable harm
to innocent people; and by malicious in
depreciation OF simple acts we confess
ourselves practically incapable Of acting
with simple decency.