The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-22
LiUeS Ruined
by Vicious
Idle Gossip
BY MARTHA LEE

One day last week We spoke OF
the evils of insincerity. Today we
are going to see just what harm
a wicked, idle, vicious tongue can
do when it starts to do little
serious wagging.
In the first place it is, unfortun-
ately, one of the most human OF
traits to talk about other people,
their clothes, the way they do
things, their heart and home prob
lens, and Whatnot.
More unfortunately, it is human
to talk about the bad things, rather
than the good, the sorrows of our
neighborS rather than the joys. And
untold harm comes from stories
passed from mouth to mouth by idle
tongues.
BY the time they have gone the
rounds of the neighborhood, even
the first teller scarcely would
recognize it so enormous have the
details become.
Malicious tongues Busy
There are women who are Sc
curely anchored in life, with homes
and husbands and the sense of
Righteousness that marriage brings,
who spend a great number of their
waking hours ripping the younger
generation up and down the back to
their hearts content.
Once in a while they stop gener-
alizing and begin on some unfor-
tunate girl who has not been tend
ing strictly to her tatting. And
then it's just too bad.
Women are not the only ones who
reveI in that little indoor sport of
panning." Men are just as cruel
and heartlesS. The whole idea is
abominable. In the first place, ev-
eryoneS life can not be judged by
the life of another. Each persons
actions are motivated by different
reasons.
One never knows why a person
does this or that, and until one
does, it is unfair and inhuman to
sit in Judgment upon that person.
Gossip Smirches Her
Here is a young girl whom gossip
and scandal, mouthed about by I'M
charitable souls, practically has
made deSolate.
Dear Miss Lee-Before I start telling
you my troubles. 1 want to let you know
that I realize I am more or less re-
sponsible for them myself. I have been
pretty foolish and indiscret, although !
aid not realize it at the time. 7 just was
having a good time and not taking much
into consideration what people we're 60
ing to think.
When I was in high school I was rather
attractive looking My family was poor
and I did not have pretty clothes like
the other girls, but 1 did have loads of
pep and was a good dancer and all that.
I became quite popular with a group
of boys way above my levi, socially and
financially. When I left school. several
of these boys continued to see me. We
would go out to dances and OF course to
shows. I was working and my mothers
friends started to tell mother that she
should not allow me TO go, because it
would ruin my health to work and stay
out late nights. too I laughed at the
idea and continued to go.
In the meantime, I had fallen in love
with one of these boys. and started to 60
with no one but him The other boys
finally stopped coming to Sc me or calling
me up. 1 was silly enough TO think we
probably would get married some time
soon.
Hurts Her Standing
My going out with boys above my sta
ton had not helped nue. any with my old
friends. Finally. did not sec them at
all any more. And then the boy with
whom I was SO much in love, the boy I
had thought was going to marry me,
stopped coming. I do not know why.
OF course you can imagine what my
old friends said. what my mothers friends
said, that "he had gotten tired of me-"
SO many stories have gone the rounds
about me, and the town is so small. that
| never get to go any place any more.
The boys of my own class look down
on me for I don't know what And I
never meet any new people
1 feel like a branded girl walking down
the streets. Everyone knows the story
and although it all happened more than
year ago, people still delight in talk
ing it all over, how l turned down all
my own people for the other boy. and
then got walked off cold. oh, you can
imagine the rest of the story that has
been added to it. I am Just about ready
to curl up and die. JANE
There's no place worse for gossip
than a small town. unless it is a
big hick town. L think you have
borne up admirably under all the
hurt you must have taken If you
are self-supporting, for your own
sake get away from there. Go to
another place and get a job, find
new interests and new people.
You have not been allowed to
forget that you were left holding the
old burlap. That is disastrous to
self Prospect in itself. And then TO
have to hear about it just adds
insult to injury. My advice is get
away from that town and get diff
ferent outlook upon yourself.
One good these heartaches do.
You will think long and hard before
you ever say anything cruel or in
furious about some other soul.