The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1930-09-01
GOSSiping Is
Among Most
Deadly Sins
BY MARTHA LEI


Surely there must be an especially
hot department in Hades for those
men and women, who spend their
adult lives tearing to pieces the
characters and regulations of other
men and women.
Scandal, gossip and calumny have
broken more lives than any other
ten causes. Unnecessary repetition
Of unfortunate events in other
peoples lives have broken more
hearts and homes than unfaithful-
ness, drunkenness, habitual lazineSS
and all the other reasons why
divorce can be granted.
OF all the mortal sins man can
commit against man, unkind gossip
must head the list. For no other
sin can affect quite so many lives
at n time.
Keep Repeating Sin
There is a favorite saying that
every family has its skeleton in the
closet. The family that can keep
its skeleton in the closet away from
the prying eyes Of scandal mongers,
who live on a diet of the miseries
and tragedies of other mems lives,
is a miraculous family, which did
not deserve a skeleton in the first
place.
Strange and incongruous as it
may seem, those men and women
who are most susceptible to other
sins of this life seem especially free
from the sin of calumny.
Perhaps it is because they have
suffered so much from it themselves.
Somehow the most avid gossipers
and spreaders of scandal are men
and women who in their personal
lives have been impeccable.
Making good stories out of the I'M
fortunate weaknesses of our neigh
bors is criminal pastime.
It has been said that once a man
is down the world will not allow
him to rise again. The verbal repe-
tition of his sin keeps that fact fresh
in the minds of those who know
him, so that his regeneration never
is allowed to make a public appear
ance.
Went to Reform School
Surely the greatest virtue of man
is his ability to be kind to others:
his ability to withhold Judgment of
the deeds of Others until he has
learned fully the details and cir
cumstances surrounding the mishap.
Dear Miss Lee-I am a man "a years
old. When I was Is I got in a lam witt
the law BY stealing. / was sent to reform
school. I realize now I was the victim
Of the crowd I went with. It doesn't ex.
cuse me. because I was too weak to re.
slst their influence. but Just the same il
nv environment and associates had beer
different it probably never would have
happened.
Since I have been out Of the schoo.
I have not done anything crooked. I have
a position. not a very large salaried one
but enough. I have tried to further my
own education by reading and studying
and have tried with all nv heart to atone
for the wrong 1 did.
There is a lovely girl working in thu
same office I do. I am in love with he
and would like to ask her to marry me-
She has seemed to like me very much
Her parents are substantial people anc
good Christians.
I can not ask this girl to marry ms
without telling her about nv past. be,
cause I feel 1t would be unfair. She ma,
not understand. but I am willing to take
the chance. But her father will never
understand. and I am afraid will not al.
low his daughter 70 marry me. He ha,
such strict ideas about honor and princi.
pie. What shall I do? Elk.
Father Should Forgive
If he has such strict ideas about
honor and principal he can not helr
but admire you for telling his
daughter and himself about your
mistake. You would not have to
You could take a chance on then
never finding out. It would be hor-
ribly unfair to do that, but yor
could. If he really is a high prin-
cipled man he will believe you are
high principled also for being hon
est with them.
If he is a good Christian, as yor
say he is, he will forgive you your
sin and help you have faith in your
self and your future by believing
in you himself.
One way or the other you have
to tell them. If they are what you
believe them to be, they will accept
you in spite of what you have tc
tell them.