The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1917-12-01
MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS.

You aren't long in any place of bust
ness without finding a lot of what we
may call office gossip is passing
around. SAYS a we'll known writer in
an exchange.
There will be rumors of many things
to be expected or feared-hints that
So-and-so isn't going to last long, that
some one has it all her own way with
the boss. that you can't get a square
deal from some one else. 1.
You'll be told of personal history,
you'll be informed of characteristics,
and names will perhaps be coupled in
your hearing.
There is one unfailing rule to OBJ
serve in regard to it all. Never pass
it along.
Those of you who are going to get
along in your jobs are never the tale
bearers and the tattlers. Office gossip
never helped anyone one step'forward.
Keep away from it as much as you
can, and don't let it influence your ac-
lions. You cannot avoid hearing it,
for it isn't up to you, to silence the
other persons in the establishment.
But you can ignore it, and when it is
found that you don't take any interest
IN what is whispered, and that you
have nothing to impart on your W
side, the gossipers will seek more c
citing listeners.
Many a girl has lost a fine position
Cow NO nthnr rnoSnn than that .Chn
would gossip. Gossip inside the Office
is bad enough. But if you take it
outside the thing becomes fatal; some
time or other it is sure to reach ears
of authority-and then things will
drop so hard that some one is going
to get hurt.
Men are just as bad gossips as
women, so don't make the mistake of
telling some men in the office a choice
piece of news, thinking it will surely
not get any farther. 1t may not; but
the mere fact that your confidant is a
man will not safeguard you.
1t never does any harm to get the
name for not talking. 1t almost in
variably hurts you to get any other
name. No matter if what you say
is harmless in itself, don't take the
risk. 1t may be repeated in such a
way as to sound very different.
Culture is the result Of the constant
choice of everything that makes life
beautiful, says an exchange. In man.
ners, habits, thoughts. books, words or
conversation the cultivated man or
woman aims to choose the best. If
IL has been negligent in these mat
ters a new start may be made.
1t may be a surprise when we
realize how very limited is our vocabu-
larry and how we have been satisfied
with it. A good vocabulary may be
acquired by reading books which are
worth reading, as we'll as by talking
with those who express themselves
in the speech of educated people.
Thought is back of speech, and those
who think accurately have a discrim-
mating sense of language and try to
use the best word to say what is in
their minds.
1t is neither pedantic MOI is it
affected to use we'll chosen words. 1t
is not desirable to use long, difficult
words. The simplest, most direct,
most vigorous words are usually con-
Vincing. We may choose a descrip-
tive or a beautiful word, expressing
ourselves in clear, terse speech, with
out using explosives or exaggerated
terms which are weak and without
using inappropriate, ordinary Ian
guage.
The habit of using slang destroys
the taste of good English. A slang
phrase may seem crisp or condensed,
but it is not wit. Usually it is coarse
and cheap and may be compared to
a counterfeit coin. If we were as
anxious to add a descriptive or beau
tiful word to our vocabulary as to add
the latest slang there might be hope
Tor Improvement in our speech.
We should be Is careful to choose
correct words as to be careful in our
dress. Women give much thought to
the selection of a becoming dress, yet
there are many pretty, W~ell-dressed
women who seem unconscious that
their attractiveness suffers an eclipse
when they speak. The pleasing i'm
preston they have made vanishes
when the voice is harsh or nasal,
when words are clipped, or moor
rectly pronounced, or grammatical
mistakes are made.
-Michioon Caihofc.