Year: 1877

but whenever that regard becomes
servile, then it ceases to be virtue
When we become so desirous of the
favorable speech of people as to shape
our course with view to the securing
OF appreciation, without regard to the
demands OF right and Justice, we fall
into grave error, and it would be we'll
for us to break free at once, and act
according to the dictates of our own
best Judgment, and let public opinion
slide


The world is always ready to Judge
verybody in season, and out of sea-
son-with reason, and without reason.


Tongues will wag, whether there is
anything worth wagging about or not.
To live in constant fear of what peo-
pie may say of US, is like living under
the threatening sword of Damocles.


And it is fact that everybody is
more or less Influenced by this regard
for what will be said


Not long ago we heard distin-
guished literary man say that the
Christian religion was not so power
full force for securing good behavior,
as was public opinion. -tenths
of the people, he asserted, were kept
within the bounds of decency not so
much by their religious convictions of
duty, as by the fear of what would be
said Of them. This is d somewhat
sweeping assertion, no doubt but still, ,
nobody will Geny that public opinion
is mighty engine in the world for
controlling individual conduct.


Every day of our life we are essur
ed of it. People buy and sell, and
eat and drink, and wear clothes, and
stay at home and go abroad, with
reference to it.


We call on Mrs. A., and Mrs. A.
tells us that she is having her parlors
refurnished. Not that the furniture
Was Worn out, but was old-fashionel,
and people would think they We're
getting entirely behind the times, if
they did not fix up little.


We call on Mrs, B., and Mrs. B. is
going to the beach. 1t is a dreadful
bore to go, she assures us, but every
body else is going, and people would
be sure to talk if she and B. do not
take a little vacation.


We call on Mr.. G, and ask him to
leave off giving wine-suppers and
champagne-parties; and he tells us he
doesn't care for such entertainments,
he is just as temperate as we are, but
everybody has wine at parties, and
people would talk if he did not.
So We might go on for qulres of
paper, and bring up instances where
people are influenced to do what their
consciences condemn, from the fear of
what will be said.


There are some persons, in every
community, whose life business it is
to go about and tell everybody what
rybody else says about them.


just as soon as one of these human
vermin hears anything said deroga-
tory to you, she will give you call,
and, after few preliminaries, will
open something like this:


ooh, Mrs Brown, heard something
yesterday which made me so indig-
nant, Id tell it to you, If it WASH t for
hurting your feelings. I do so hate
to hurt your feelingsr But, therel
you needn't care; of course it's moth
ing but scandal; though, on the whole,
I'd better not tell it,


And then she signs, and speaks of
the weather, and, Of course, you in
sist on her telling you; and, after a
host of excuses, she informs you that
Mrs. ?. said that she heard, over to
the corner, that you and Brown quar-
relied like cats and dogs, and that you
thought of getting divorced from him,
and going home to your mothers.


Then you become indignant, and
say something hard about Mrs. P,
and your disinterested (?) friend
treasures it up, and tells it to Mrs. P.
the first opportunity.


Now, whenever anybody comes to
us with the remark, II heard some
thing about you" or "do you know
What they are saying about you," We
put on our dignity, and reply TO them;


I'VE never listen to idle stories Of
what people say OF us-and we con-
slider no person our friend who comes
to us with such tales.


1t shuts the mouth of the conft und-
ed old gossip. and after that she piyes