The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-10-19
The Crime of the Whisperer.

Rev. Mr.. Richardson of the Baptist church
preached a very forceful sermon on gossip
ping last Sunday night. The text was: IF
any man thinketa himself to be religious
while he bridleth not his tongue but decsiveth
his heart. this mans religion is vain." Here
are some of the pungent parts of the dis.
course: There is class of people whom we
may justly call whisperers. l am not talking
about the person who honestly and sincerely
warns another against dangerous association
and to protect the innocent. l mean the
malicious talker--one who talks because of
his or her love of mischief. Surely the time
| has come when some restraint should be placed
upon these modern Agos of society. The law
cannot help US. No jury can indict them. No
sheriff can arrest them. These witches of the
caldron hide themselves behind "They say" o
conceal themselves around the corner of at is
commonly reported" The only course left
open for honorable men and women is to form
themselves into vigilance committee. Let
US Danish from respectable society these tat
tiers who look in at our basement windows,
peep through our keyholes. who hear a whis-
per through wall three feet thick. This is
the class of people who, when any Sensational
circumstances are lacking, make them up from
their own Imagination for the pur~ ose of in
creasing the interest or to adorn the story,
whether not it changes the aspect of the
whole matter BY adding few words in con-
nection with those which fall from your lips
one of those takers will pervert your mean
ing altogether. He will describe you as
sorting what from your very soul you loathe
and unequivocally condemn. These takers
will listen to sermon, then go out into the
community leave off the beginning and end
ing of paragraph, curve their eyebrows, toss
their noses. repeat the mutilated sentence, and
say, There, now, the Rev. Mr.. Psalmtune said
SO and SO, and what do you think of that?"
These takers will go into your parlor. and with
malice aforethought tell some lie about your
neighbor, highly colored that were the
story true. your indignation would be justified
What then? Why, they bid you good after
and go over into your neighbours parlor
and, without stating what they told you, will,
begin: II am very sorry, Mrs. Featherly, but
! think you ought to know about it. l think
it's shame neighbor can't speak kindly of
another Mrs. Thoroughly Good just told me
you were real mean. OF course don't want
my name mentioned. l come to you simply as
friend, you know" And the result is
neighborhood broil
These takers go into the shop and store
For some devilish purpose must these takers
wag the tongue. Like the wasp. they sting all
who come into contact with them. Perhaps
they want a fellow workman's position. Per-
haps they think that by pulling down the char
acter Of shopmate they may build theirs up
in the estimation of an employer or superin-
tendent. BY and by these takers have pre-
JUDGED their shopmate's interests, the employ
er has taken dislike to him; soon subterfuge
is found and the poor fellow is discharged
Oh. these takers, these mischief makers; these
who whisper with the hiss of serpent; these
who pull down character and shed the croco-
dies tear; these who tiLd a scandal with the
vulture's scent, these who toy with persons
sensitiveness with a panther's paw; these who
sting love and affect ton with viper's fang;
these who take up falehood and give it wings
society as l hate Satan, whose children they
are! have no words of kindness for that per-
son who takes up in his hands case of moral
small pox and carries it around into every home
in the community. | have no regard for that
person who watches every body and miscon-
strues everything and thinks every one has
bad intent. l tell you. it's an outrageous thing
n r RI viii of q oba
but he who despoils womans reputation is
worthy of the lowest hell. l know where
darkness has been talked into some homes. l
could tell you names of merchants who were
talked into bankruptcy. | know of men who
have had enough meanness practiced upon
them to fit them for the insane asylum.
how many, how very many. have been talked
against until they lost their friends; talked
against until people Stunned them as vile;
talked against until they lost courage and
planted pistol bullet in the brain or a dagger
blade in the heart. Oh, gossip has the tread
of behemoth and the breath of dragon. 1t
has gone forth, and fire blast marks its trail.
Merchants embarrassed because of business
takers; homes askew because of some tattler's
interference; husbands estranged from wives
because of some busybody's yarns God save
US from these scandal mongers! Those who
are in partnership with "they say and sit is
commonly reported" Oh yes, Sarah Little
John told me that she heard Jonathan Peters's
wife say that Chris. Granitestone's sister
mentioned to her aunt that Mrs. Spongecake
was present when the Widow Brownbread de-
clared that Captain Crosstree's cousin thought
that Farmer Nc Gees brother believed that
old Mrs. Dusinberry reckoned that SAM
Whlffie's letter half had told Mrs Cannon
that her mother told her as how Mrs. Lily head