"THEY SAY."

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 264, 10 November 1870, Page 4

"THEY SAY."

No words can condemn too strongly the grosser and more malignant forms of backbiting and scandal. The ancient laws, " Thou shalt not bear false witness against lhy neighbour," "Thou shall not go up and down »s a tale-bearer among thy people, 5 ' are for all time. The Divine opinion, of such conduct is concisely and

judiciously given — for example : — " He ' who uttereth slander is a very fool." "He ! who goeth about as a slanderer revealeth secrets ; but he who is of a faithful spirit coticoaleth a matter." " The words of a tale-bearer are like sportive ones, yet they go down into the innermost parts of the body." There is, however, a somewhat milder form of this evil, of which too many are more or less guilty. It appears in the me of the insignificant, sneaking, half-apologetic phrase, " They say " — the sentence being generally completed with something damaging to the chai actor of the person spoken of. Several friends meet at, an evening party, or in the street, when the name of some one not present, is mentioned, and forthwith one of the compr.uy speaks quietly, geutly, and with professed sympathy, or regret, or mild censure, or solemn disapprobation in the toues of his voice to the following effect : — " They say he has a great many bills in the market, and will probably find it difficult to meet them." Or, " They say that his bankruptcy was a good thing for him." Or, ''They say that he is a perfect bear at home." Or. "-They say he didn't many (he woman he wanted." Or, " They say she is very fond of dress, and gets things unknown to her husband." Or, " They soy no servant siays with her longer than a month ; they can't bear her." Or, " They say she is not what she pretends to be." These are fair average specimens of " sayings" that may not perhaps be called slanderous, but which are decidedly mischievous. It is not necessary to look for the reason of their use. Men believe evil of others more readily or more easily than they believe good. A late writer cspoees this sad failing of human nature in the following incitive terms : — "How comes it that the evil men say spreads - c o widely and lasts so long, while our food kind words dou't teem somehow to ttke rcot and bear blossom ? Is it that in the stony hearts o{ mankind these pretty flowers can't find a place to grow ? Certain it is that scandal is a good, brisk talk, whereas praise of one's neighbor is by no means lively hearing. An acquaintance grilled, scored, and devilled, atd served with mustard and cayenne pepper, excites the appetite ; v. hcieos a. slice of cold friend with currant jeiley is but a sickly, unrelishing meat." The expression "They say" is most generally used iv retailing small hits of scandal. The speaker in effect says " Now, lam uot responsible for this, I do not vouch for its truth; but you were speaking just cow of Smith. Well, they say " and out, comes somethiug not altogether to Smith's credit. Obseive, the speaker does not wish to give you the unclean thing as from himself ; he carries, as it were, a pair of moral tongs, with which he handles the matter, and when he has put down the tongs he says, " I am not dirty."