The Cotton Factory Times. — 1909-05-21 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

APPLE FRITTERS.--Pare n Apple, and out at in aims across. Take oat the middles with a small nutter. Shred the shera wlda sugar, dip in batter, and fry. Shred again with sugar.  Back Biting,  Back-biting! No word could posaibly be more descriptive of the despicable habit which we know by that name. We are at onoe reminded of those blood-sucking insects which attack us in the back, ml,re they esn be neither wen or reached. We all unite in calling back-biting a serious fault, but crime is not too hard a term for it. The merest suspicion of scandal is breathed against a person, and the whole atmosphere is tainted with a poison which attacks its intended victim silently and relentlessly, but can rarely be traced to its true source. All happiness flies he.fore the slanderous breath, and the maligned rine, iseeks in vain to check it. .  suppose there are few who have not suffered in this way, though probably in but a slight degree. Surely they can remember the averted looks of one they thought a friend, the inquisitive Flare of acquaintances, and, more than all, the atmosphere of hostility. All the more bitter was the feeling of the sufferer because of his total ignorance of the reason of all this. The backbiter takes good oare to keep within safe distance of the one he has wronged, and if in danger of discovery is riot averse to taking refuge behind  We can find a feeling of pity in our hearts for a murderer, maybe, who commits his crime in a moment of pamion; we can excuse the thief who is driven by hunger and want to appropriate another's goods; but we can find no compassion for the malicious slanderer. So frequently, too, he masks his real feeling and feigns to make his insinuations against another's character with regret, solely out of regard for the welfare of the community.  It is often safe to assume that the back-biter is one who has forfeited, either with or without the knowledge of the world, all claims to honour and respect, and, therefore, by vilifying others, he thinks, salve his wounded pride. By every fellowhe has abased he feels to rise higher in his own estimation.  Unfortunately, too, many well-intentioned people do incalculable harm by merely repeating the statement, they have heard. They would not for the world injure another willingly, but they are not sufficiently careful to verify the truth of what they hear. When they discover the mischief they haven', thoughtlessly increased they are most distressed, and it usually proves a life-lesson. When conversation lags and one's ideas are threadbare, it ts such a temptation to repeat the latent, rumour in our little world, just to arouse amusement or prevent an awkward silence. It is such a case as this that Scott had in mind when be wrote-  'Oh ! many a shaft at random sent. Finds mark the archer little meant  And many a word at random spoken. May soothe or wound a heart that's broken." It is curious to note that no many upright and honourable people on hearing a scandalous report seem unable, much as they wish, to absolutely refuse to believe it. ''lt is much exaggerated, ' *Ps sav- "Probably about half of it is true. But, there's no smoke without a fire, and there mat be some little cause for all this talk." Now thi, sounds very plausible, but it is frequently false, for everyone must have known C 118438 where the most abominable statements have been current about innocent people who have given not the slightest grounds for them. Do let an beware of believing even the least, evil of people until the facts can be proved, and even then let us try to find some extenuation. If we lute truth, and honour, and the things of zood report, we shall find little difficulty in seeing them where least suspected. If we wear coloured glasses, we must not expect, to tee the landscape en its natural beauty, must we: Answers to Correspondents.